I want to be a pilot

My name is Omondi

It means that when I was born

I woke up my mother early in the morning.
I am twelve years old.

I live in Kiberathe biggest slum in East Africa.
My last meal was on Sunday

today is Wednesday
I want to be a pilot

to fly very high,

far away from the ghetto
to a place where kids have parents

that don't die of HIV

everyday
to a place far away

where guardians of orphan kids

cannot abuse us

everyday
to a place far away

where goats eat things other than trash

to a place far away

where I am treated as well as white people are.
I want to be a pilot

to wear a uniform and fly very high
to a place far away

where I don't need charity from distant lands
to a place far away

where white men in white coats

cannot test medicines on us
to a place far away

where the leaders we elected

stop filling their pockets

and start caring for us
to a place far away

where there are lots of school books

so one day
I can fly

far away.
I want to be a pilot.

It must feel so good

to go places
where I can walk barefoot

on the green grass
where water is clean

with rivers and springs
where I can feel the sun

shining on me.
It must feel so good
to fly far away

to a place where I don't have to dig through garbage

for metal scraps to sell
to a place where I have clothes to wear

when it's cold and wet

to a place that when it rains

it doesn't smell so bad.
I want to be a pilot.

So I can fly very

very high
to take off and land where my dreams are
to a place far away

where God just loves me

and churches are just
the mountains

the trees

the rivers

Yes

My dream is to fly far away

to a place where my suffering can end.
I want to be a pilot

to wear a uniform to go places
where others are not afraid to play with me

because I am HIV positive
where I can lead a simple lifewhere

I can eat at least once a day

where there is a future.
I want to be a pilot

so I can fly

to a place far awaywhere my mum and dad are
so they can hug me

so they can kiss me

so they can love me
so I can hug them

so I can kiss them

so I can love them

thank you

Diego Quemada-Diez, Kibera 2004