Meet Penda Diallo and Dafima Kurti

	Penola Diallo (left) and Dafima Kurti (right)

They met at an event outside the UN aimed at protesting children's involvement in war. Penda had written a poem in French that she wanted to read in her native language. But she also wanted the mostly English-speaking crowd to know what she was talking about, so she enlisted Dafima Kurti, 19, of Kosovo to read the English version.

Dafima came to the UN Special Session through her work with the Kosovo Youth Council.

"I am participating because I want to have my voice heard," she said. "I also wanted to be part of the exchanging of ideas and the experience."

Penda, 17, of Guinea was very active during the session, getting involved in many of the outside events. Besides the poetry reading, she played Marie in a scene from the novel Marie, In the Shadow of the Lion for several events. She works with the organization For Our Children's Sake to promote issues of concern to war-affected children in her country and in the Mano River area. She participated in the first two UN PrepComs (preparatory committees) for the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children. She also participated in the UN Conference on Small Arms in July 2001. She is a member of IANSA, an organization that works to reduce illegal trade in guns.

"Children in Guinea have many issues," Penda said. "They don't have all the medication appropriate for them, and the life of women over there is not really easy. So, I really want to do something to help them. That's how I became involved in all of this."

In one of her two poems she says:

"While children of countries in peace are sleeping with their teddy bears, in Africa in the forest are my brothers, who in order to sleep have to kill or be killed."

In the poem "Peace" she says:

"To have peace in the world
We have to love each other, help each other, and respect each other."

Back to Youth Against War.