FUNDRAISING
YUMYUM AND PAUL is both a documentary film about the street children of Kenema, Sierra Leone, and a project to enable some of these children to change their lives.
What makes this film different is the footage that has been shot from the inside by gang leader, Yumyum, who has had a video diary camera for over 1 year. It is raw and brutal footage but this is the poorest town in the poorest country in the world- living is harsh.
There are around 150 children and young adults on the streets. They range in age between 5 and 24. New ones arrive everyday. Old ones disappear.
Yumyum is now 24 and has lived on the streets since he was 4. He was a child soldier between 8 years old and 12 and now he is leader of the gang. He has no idea how he lost his family. He has never been to school. He survives on his wits and can be mean but genuinely wants to change his life.
Paul Williams was the Child Protection Officer who fought to get the children off the streets and into a centre which is now closed down. Paul died recently and now there is no-one reaching out to these children. They are very much on their own.
Brocko is also an adult. His parents were killed in the war. At 22 he survives from begging. He is severely disabled from Polio and can’t pickpockets like the rest so he performs his strange, compelling dance and people throw him money. He wants to be a musician.
K K Dog is 12. He wants to be president one day but has little education. Now the police have clamped down on crime. Theft and drug dealing carry heavy penalties and K K Dog can be seen just standing, completely lost. Nothing calling him in any direction but he says he wants to go to school.
They survive however they can- stealing, prostitution, house breaking or carrying heavy loads for a few pennies. Not enough to buy a plate of rice.
The documentary follows 2 years in their lives. We need your support to continue.
Our aim is to produce a compelling narrative which will draw the audience into the lives of Yumyum, Brocko, K K Dog and the others so they both speak for themselves and are not just faceless ‘others’ in the sea of needy children. It will also show their strength in simply staying alive and maybe Brocko will learn to play keyboards and K K Dog will be got into school. Instead of leaving an audience feeling helpless the film will show ways to make a difference.
As we are making Yumyum and Paul completely independently, there are no executives telling us what the film should be or what advertisers want which can only make a better film.
It means we retain copyright and can choose the distributer enabling wider distribution than just one broadcaster.
We are asking for donations rather than investment because we want all funding over and above the costs of making the film to go to the young people living on the streets of Kenema and if we make a fortune then there are always other towns and other children.
See the budget for details.