00:01They are already big fans.
00:03Three years ago, Vicent Chikabi, or Green Daddy, opened a kindergarten in Natete, a suburb of Kampala.
00:11Every week, he comes by to teach the kids how to look after the environment.
00:19The singer-songwriter was born in Natete and grew up here.
00:24Back then, the houses were built illegally on this wetland area outside Kampala.
00:30A faithful decision that impacted his life from an early age.
00:38Now, this was my childhood best friend's house.
00:43This is where we used to come and play flow when I was still young.
00:48But as you can see, it is now waterlogged.
00:52I don't know where even they went.
00:54And this was one of my biggest inspirations to become an environmental activist.
00:58Because when I think about my friends whom we used to play with, and I can't find them anymore.
01:05I was like, now, this is going to also happen to these kids who are growing up in this area
01:11now.
01:11They will lose their childhood friends.
01:15This same situation would happen if we don't wake up now.
01:20His green hair is his trademark.
01:23He wants to shake things up, also through his music.
01:45His goal is raising awareness.
01:47Together with his mother, Green Daddy set up a foundation in his Kampala neighborhood.
01:53The kindergarten currently has 43 children enrolled.
01:57But former students also enjoy coming back to visit.
02:01The musician focuses primarily on practical activities with the children.
02:06Whether it's cleaning the streets or planting trees.
02:10They've planted 600 saplings so far.
02:12This time, the kindergarten grounds are getting new mango trees.
02:19We are teaching these kids how to plant trees.
02:24So that when they grow up, they teach others.
02:28We are creating an environmental army.
02:31Environmental army, a solid one.
02:32You know, when you teach them young.
02:34They don't have a lot of things to think about.
02:37Their minds are still green.
02:40So whatever you put in their minds, they keep it.
02:46The saplings were provided free of charge by a company, Kampala.
02:51Rubber boots and green hair are a common sight in Natete during the school holidays.
02:57The kids are allowed to dye their hair in the holidays.
03:01And Green Daddy's visits continue.
03:03Children from other schools join in too.
03:07Looking after the environment with a music star is cool.
03:11You see why I tinted my hair green?
03:13I want to be like Green Daddy.
03:15Green Daddy teach us how to plant trees that gives us oxygen.
03:19I have learned from Green Daddy how to clean small stagnant water channels
03:27that easily spread malaria in our homes.
03:32The message is clearly hitting home and continues to spread in Natete.
03:38Those who know me, tell them, this is Green Daddy.
03:42Whenever I meet those kids, I tell them stories.
03:45Stories, little stories about how to protect the environment.
03:49I teach them how to love nature.
03:52One, two, three, go!
03:54Come on!
03:55uh
04:09filming green daddy's story was quite an experience for me because of his character and personality
04:17uh it would attract young people whatever would move filming uh because of his celebrity status
04:24and the tinted green hair young people would want to relate with his branding with his movement
04:32of greening the environment this is something i believe will go further to address issues of
04:38environment in their localities
Comments