TED Residency
Malika Whitley: How the arts help homeless youth heal and build
Malika Whitley: Namna gani sanaa huwezesha vijana wasio na makazi kujiponya na kujijenga
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Malika Whitley ni mwanzilishi wa ChopArt, shirika kwa ajili ya vijana wadogo wasio na makazi ambalo limejikita katika ushauri, heshima na fursa kupitia sanaa. Katika simulizi hili binafsi na lenye hamasa, anashirikisha kisa chake cha kukosa makazi na kupata sauti yake mwenyewe kupitia sanaa -- na wito wake kutoa nafasi ya kibunifu kwa wengine ambao wamesukumizwa pembezoni mwa jamii.
Malika Whitley - Arts curator, activist
Malika Whitley is an arts curator and activist in Atlanta, Georgia. Full bio
Malika Whitley is an arts curator and activist in Atlanta, Georgia. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Don't you love a good nap?
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Hupendi usingizi mzuri?
00:14
(Laughter)
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(Kicheko)
00:16
Just stealing away
that small block of time
that small block of time
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Kuiba kidogo kale kamuda kafupi
00:20
to curl up on your couch
for that sweet moment of escape.
for that sweet moment of escape.
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kujikunja kwenye kochi
kwa muda mfupi mtamu wa kutoroka.
kwa muda mfupi mtamu wa kutoroka.
00:23
It's one of my favorite things,
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Ni moja ya vitu nivipendavyo,
00:25
but something I took for granted
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lakini sikuvitilia maanani
00:26
before I began experiencing
homelessness as a teenager.
homelessness as a teenager.
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kabla sijaanza kupitia hali ya
ukosefu wa makazi kama kijana.
ukosefu wa makazi kama kijana.
00:31
The ability to take a nap is only reserved
for stability and sureness,
for stability and sureness,
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Uwezo wa kusinzia kidogo ni kwa
waliothabiti na wenye uhakika,
waliothabiti na wenye uhakika,
00:36
something you can't find
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kitu usichoweza kupata
00:37
when you're carrying
everything you own in your book bag
everything you own in your book bag
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unapokuwa umebeba mali zako zote
kwenye begi lako
kwenye begi lako
00:40
and carefully counting the amount of time
you're allowed to sit in any given place
you're allowed to sit in any given place
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na ukihesabu kwa makini kiasi cha muda
unaoruhusiwa kukaa sehemu yoyote ile
unaoruhusiwa kukaa sehemu yoyote ile
00:45
before being asked to leave.
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kabla hujaombwa kuondoka.
00:48
I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia,
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Nimekulia Atlanta, Georgia,
00:50
bouncing from house to house
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nikihamahama nyumba moja hadi nyingine
00:51
with a loving, close-knit family
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na familia kipenzi ya karibu sana
00:54
as we struggled to find stability
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tulipokuwa tukipambana kupata kutengamaa
00:57
in our finances.
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kifedha.
01:00
But when my mom temporarily
lost herself to mania
lost herself to mania
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Lakini pale mama alipopata wazimu kidogo
01:04
and when that mania chose me
as its primary scapegoat
as its primary scapegoat
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na pale wazimu uliponichagua mimi
kuwa msingiziwa namba 1
kuwa msingiziwa namba 1
01:07
through both emotional and physical abuse,
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kwa unyanyasaji wa kihisia na kimwili,
01:10
I fled for my safety.
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nilikimbia kwa usalama wangu.
01:13
I had come to the conclusion
that homelessness was safer for me
that homelessness was safer for me
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Nilfikia hitimisho kuwa
kutokuwa na makazi kulikuwa salama kwangu
kutokuwa na makazi kulikuwa salama kwangu
01:17
than being at home.
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kuliko kuwa nyumbani.
01:19
I was 16.
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Nilikuwa na miaka 16.
01:22
During my homelessness,
I joined Atlanta's 3,300 homeless youth
I joined Atlanta's 3,300 homeless youth
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Nilipokuwa asiye na makazi, nilijiunga
na vijana wasio na makazi 3,300 wa Atlanta
na vijana wasio na makazi 3,300 wa Atlanta
01:26
in feeling uncared for,
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katika kuhisi kutojaliwa,
01:28
left out and invisible each night.
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kuachwa na kutoonekana kila usiku
01:32
There wasn't and still is not any place
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Hakukuwa na bado hakuna sehemu yoyote
01:34
for a homeless minor
to walk off the street
to walk off the street
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kwa mtoto mdogo asiye na makazi
kutoka nje ya mtaa
kutoka nje ya mtaa
01:36
to access a bed.
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na kupata kitanda.
01:39
I realized that most people
thought of homelessness
thought of homelessness
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Nilitambua kuwa wengi
hufikiri kuwa kukosa-makazi
hufikiri kuwa kukosa-makazi
01:41
as some kind of lazy, drug-induced
squalor and inconvenience,
squalor and inconvenience,
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ni aina ya uzembe, udhalili na usumbufu
utokanao na dawa za kulevya,
utokanao na dawa za kulevya,
01:47
but that didn't represent my book bag
full of clothes and schoolbooks,
full of clothes and schoolbooks,
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lakini hilo halikuakisi begi langu
lililojaa nguo na vitabu vya shule,
lililojaa nguo na vitabu vya shule,
01:50
or my A+ grade point average.
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au wastani wangu wa point wa A+.
01:54
I would sit on my favorite bench downtown
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Ningekaa kwenye benchi nilipendalo
mtaani
mtaani
01:57
and watch as the hours passed by
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na kuangalia huku masaa yakienda
01:58
until I could sneak in
a few hours of sleep
a few hours of sleep
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hadi ningepenyeza masaa machache ya kulala
02:02
on couches, in cars,
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kwenye makochi, kwenye magari,
02:05
in buildings or in storage units.
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kwenye majengo au sehemu za stoo.
02:08
I, like thousands of other homeless youth,
disappeared into the shadows of the city
disappeared into the shadows of the city
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Mimi, kama maelfu ya vijana wengine waso-
makazi, nilififia katika vivuli vya jiji
makazi, nilififia katika vivuli vya jiji
02:13
while the whole world kept spinning
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wakati dunia nzima ikiendelea kuzunguka
02:15
as if nothing at all
had gone terribly wrong.
had gone terribly wrong.
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kama vile hakuna kitu chochote
kilichokwenda vibaya
kilichokwenda vibaya
02:19
The invisibility alone
almost completely broke my spirit.
almost completely broke my spirit.
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Kutokuonekana pekee
kulikuwa karibu kunivunja moyo kabisa.
kulikuwa karibu kunivunja moyo kabisa.
02:25
But when I had nothing else,
I had the arts,
I had the arts,
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Lakini nilipokuwa sina kitu kingine,
nilikuwa na sanaa,
nilikuwa na sanaa,
02:29
something that didn't demand
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kitu ambacho hakikuhitaji
02:30
material wealth from me
in exchange for refuge.
in exchange for refuge.
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utajiri wa mali kutoka kwangu
kubadilishana na usalama
kubadilishana na usalama
02:33
A few hours of singing, writing poetry
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Masaa machache ya kuimba
na kuandika ushairi
na kuandika ushairi
02:37
or saving up enough money
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au kuweka akiba ya pesa ya kutosha
02:39
to disappear into another world at a play
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kupotelea katika ulimwengu mwingine
katika igizo
katika igizo
02:42
kept me going and jolting me back to life
when I felt at my lowest.
when I felt at my lowest.
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kuliniwezesha kwenda mbele na kunirejesha
kwenye maisha nilipojihisi duni sana.
kwenye maisha nilipojihisi duni sana.
02:47
I would go to church services
on Wednesday evenings
on Wednesday evenings
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Nilikwenda kwenye huduma za kanisa
kila Jumatano jioni
kila Jumatano jioni
02:50
and, desperate for the relief
the arts gave me,
the arts gave me,
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na, nikitamani sana ahueni
ambayo sanaa ilinipa,
ambayo sanaa ilinipa,
02:53
I would go a few hours early,
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Nilienda masaa machache mapema,
02:56
slip downstairs
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na kushuka chini
02:58
and into a part of the world
where the only thing that mattered
where the only thing that mattered
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na kuingia sehemu ya ulimwengu
ambayo kitu pekee cha msingi
ambayo kitu pekee cha msingi
03:01
was whether or not I could hit
the right note in the song
the right note in the song
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kilikuwa ni kama nitapata noti sahihi
kwenye wimbo ama la
kwenye wimbo ama la
03:04
I was perfecting that week.
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Nilikuwa nikilikamilisha juma lile
03:06
I would sing for hours.
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Ningeimba kwa masaa.
03:09
It gave me so much strength
to give myself permission
to give myself permission
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Ilinipa nguvu nyingi
kujiruhusu
kujiruhusu
03:12
to just block it all out and sing.
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kufunguka mzima na kuimba.
03:17
Five years later,
I started my organization, ChopArt,
I started my organization, ChopArt,
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Miaka mitano baadaye,
Nilianzisha shirika langu, ChopArt,
Nilianzisha shirika langu, ChopArt,
03:21
which is a multidisciplinary
arts organization for homeless minors.
arts organization for homeless minors.
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ambalo ni shirika la sanaa mchanganyiko
la watoto wasio na makazi.
la watoto wasio na makazi.
03:26
ChopArt uses the arts
as a tool for trauma recovery
as a tool for trauma recovery
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ChopArt hutumia sanaa
kama nyenzo ya kupunguza maumivu
kama nyenzo ya kupunguza maumivu
03:30
by taking what we know
about building community
about building community
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kwa kuchukua tunachojua
juu ya ujenzi wa jamii
juu ya ujenzi wa jamii
03:33
and restoring dignity
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na urejeshaji heshima
03:35
and applying that to the creative process.
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na kutumia hiyo kwa utaratibu wa kibunifu
03:38
ChopArt is headquartered
in Atlanta, Georgia,
in Atlanta, Georgia,
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ChopArt ina makao yake makuu
Atlanta, Georgia,
Atlanta, Georgia,
03:41
with additional programs
in Hyderabad, India, and Accra, Ghana,
in Hyderabad, India, and Accra, Ghana,
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pamoja na programu za nyongeza
Hyderabad, India, na Accra, Ghana,
Hyderabad, India, na Accra, Ghana,
03:45
and since our start in 2010,
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na tangu tuanze mwaka 2010,
03:47
we've served over 40,000 teens worldwide.
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tumehudumia zaidi ya vijana 40,000
duniani.
duniani.
03:51
Our teens take refuge
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Vijana wetu hupata msaada
03:53
in the transformative
elements of the arts,
elements of the arts,
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katika vipengele vya sanaa
vyenye kubadilisha
vyenye kubadilisha
03:56
and they depend on the safe space
ChopArt provides for them to do that.
ChopArt provides for them to do that.
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na wanategemea nafasi salama ambayo
ChopArt huwapa ili wafanye hivyo.
ChopArt huwapa ili wafanye hivyo.
04:01
An often invisible population
uses the arts to step into their light,
uses the arts to step into their light,
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Jamii ambayo mara nyingi haionekani
hutumia sanaa kupiga hatua kwenye mwanga,
hutumia sanaa kupiga hatua kwenye mwanga,
04:07
but that journey out of invisibility
is not an easy one.
is not an easy one.
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lakini safari hiyo kutoka kutokuonekana
siyo rahisi sana.
siyo rahisi sana.
04:11
We have a sibling pair, Jeremy and Kelly,
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Tuna ndugu wawili, Jeremy na Kelly,
04:15
who have been with our program
for over three years.
for over three years.
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ambao wamekuwa na programu yetu
kwa zaidi ya miaka 3.
kwa zaidi ya miaka 3.
04:18
They come to the ChopArt classes
every Wednesday evening.
every Wednesday evening.
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Huja kwenye vipindi vya ChopArt
kila Jumatano jioni.
kila Jumatano jioni.
04:23
But about a year ago,
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Lakini yapata mwaka mmoja nyuma,
04:25
Jeremy and Kelly witnessed their mom
seize and die right in front of them.
seize and die right in front of them.
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Jeremy na Kelly walishuhudia mama yao
akikakamaa na kufa mbele yao.
akikakamaa na kufa mbele yao.
04:30
They watched as the paramedics
failed to revive her.
failed to revive her.
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Waliangalia huku wanahuduma ya kwanza
wakishindwa kumhuisha.
wakishindwa kumhuisha.
04:34
They cried as their father
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Walilia pale baba yao
04:36
signed over temporary custody
to their ChopArt mentor, Erin,
to their ChopArt mentor, Erin,
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alipotia sahihi hati ya usimamizi ya muda
kwa mnasihi wao wa ChopArt, Erin,
kwa mnasihi wao wa ChopArt, Erin,
04:40
without even allowing them to take
an extra pair of clothes on their way out.
an extra pair of clothes on their way out.
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bila hata ya kuwaruhusu kuchukua
jozi moja zaidi ya nguo wanapoondoka.
jozi moja zaidi ya nguo wanapoondoka.
04:45
This series of events broke my heart,
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Mfululizo huu wa matukio
ulivunja moyo wangu,
ulivunja moyo wangu,
04:49
but Jeremy and Kelly's faith
and resolve in ChopArt
and resolve in ChopArt
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lakini imani na azma ya Jeremy na Kelly
katika ChopArt
katika ChopArt
04:52
is what keeps me grounded in this work.
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ndicho kinachonishikilia katika kazi hii
04:56
Kelly calling Erin in her lowest moment,
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Kelly akimwita Erin awapo chini sana,
04:58
knowing that Erin would do
whatever she could
whatever she could
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akijua kuwa Erin atafanya chochote
awezacho
awezacho
05:00
to make them feel loved and cared for,
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kuwafanya wajisikie wakipendwa
na wakijaliwa,
na wakijaliwa,
05:03
is proof to me that by using
the arts as the entry point,
the arts as the entry point,
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ni ushahidi kwangu kuwa kwa kutumia
sanaa kama pa kuingilia,
sanaa kama pa kuingilia,
05:09
we can heal and build
our homeless youth population.
our homeless youth population.
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tunaweza kuponya na kujenga
umati wa vijana wasio na makazi
umati wa vijana wasio na makazi
05:13
And we continue to build.
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Na tunaendelea kujenga.
05:15
We build with Devin,
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Tunajenga na Devin,
05:17
who became homeless with his family
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ambaye amekosa makazi pamoja
na familia yake
na familia yake
05:19
when his mom had to choose
between medical bills or the rent.
between medical bills or the rent.
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pale ambapo mama alitakiwa kuchagua kati
ya bili za madawa na kodi ya pango.
ya bili za madawa na kodi ya pango.
05:24
He discovered his love
of painting through ChopArt.
of painting through ChopArt.
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Aligundua mapenzi yake ya kuchora
kupitia ChopArt.
kupitia ChopArt.
05:27
We build with Liz,
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Tunajenga na Liz,
05:29
who has been on the streets
most of her teenage years
most of her teenage years
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ambaye amekuwa mtaani
miaka yake mingi ya ujana
miaka yake mingi ya ujana
05:32
but turns to music to return to herself
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lakini ameelekea muziki
kurudi kwa nafsi yake
kurudi kwa nafsi yake
05:35
when her traumas feel too heavy
for her young shoulders.
for her young shoulders.
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ambapo mateso yake yamekuwa mazito sana
kwa mabega yake machanga.
kwa mabega yake machanga.
05:40
We build for Maria,
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Tunajenga na Maria,
05:42
who uses poetry to heal
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ambaye hutumia ushairi kujiponyesha
05:44
after her grandfather died in the van
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baada ya babu yake kufa ndani ya gari
05:47
she's living in
with the rest of her family.
with the rest of her family.
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anaishi na familia yake iliyobaki.
05:50
And so to the youth out there
experiencing homelessness,
experiencing homelessness,
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Na kwahiyo kwa vijana nje huko
wanaopitia kukosa makazi,
wanaopitia kukosa makazi,
05:56
let me tell you,
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wacha niwaambie,
05:58
you have the power to build within you.
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mna uwezo wa kujenga ndani yenu.
06:02
You have a voice through the arts
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Mna sauti kupitia sanaa
06:03
that doesn't judge
what you've been through.
what you've been through.
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ambayo haihukumu
umepitia mambo gani.
umepitia mambo gani.
06:06
So never stop fighting
to stand in your light
to stand in your light
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Hivyo usiache kupambana
kusimama kwenye mwanga wako
kusimama kwenye mwanga wako
06:09
because even in your darkest times,
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sababu hata kwenye wakati wako
wa kiza kinene,
wa kiza kinene,
06:12
we see you.
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tunakuona.
06:14
Thank you.
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Asanteni.
06:15
(Applause)
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(Makofi)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Malika Whitley - Arts curator, activistMalika Whitley is an arts curator and activist in Atlanta, Georgia.
Why you should listen
At age 6, Malika Whitley began to experience homelessness with her family, then on her own at 16. During her homelessness, she found the arts as a tool for resistance from fully succumbing to the hardships of youth homelessness. After her experience, Whitley founded ChopArt, which is a multidisciplinary arts organization for homeless middle and high schoolers. Her work has been internationally recognized, as well as highlighted in Atlanta's local media. Most notably, Whitley has been named in Creative Loafing's "20 People to Watch", and ChopArt has been featured in Atlanta Magazine and on WSBTV. To support ChopArt's teens, please consider sponsoring a full year of programming for a homeless teen here.
Malika Whitley | Speaker | TED.com