Musician Gives Voice to Struggles in Central African Republic

 

Ozaguin is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in the Central African Republic. Recently, he went to the United Nations’ European headquarters¹ in Geneva, Switzerland to make the world pay attention to the struggles in his country. The Central African Republic has had a civil war since 2012.

Ozaguin sings about the difficulties his people face. He sings about the search for food in a country where insecurity prevents people from farming and harvesting their crops. He sings about people fleeing to escape the violence of armed groups. And he sings about the terrible things people will do in order to feed their families.

Ozaguin says he was forced to quit school to earn money for his family. He was the only person able to support his mother and four younger sisters. He tells VOA there were no jobs in the Central African Republic, so he went to Brazzaville, Congo in search of work.

Ozaguin says no one would offer him a job because he was too young and too small. He says he spent four years as a homeless street child. What saved him, he says, was his music.

He adds that his difficult experience also led him to create an organization to help homeless young people.

The musician notes that money raised through his concerts helps support 32 homeless children. That number includes 10 Muslim children who live in a separate district in Bangui. He explains Muslims and Christians² live in separate areas in the capital. He says he is working to end this separation and to bring the two communities together.

The United Nations calls the Central African Republic a forgotten crisis³. War has displaced⁴ more than one million of the country’s five million people. Nearly half that number are refugees⁵ in neighboring countries.

The World Food Program (WFP) reports that more than 1.8 million people are suffering from serious food shortages⁶. WFP spokesman⁷ Herve Verhoosel says these people do not know where their next meal will come from.

He says the World Food Program supplies food to 600,000 people a month. He says the agency⁸ would like to increase that number to 800,000 but needs to raise $35.5 million by the end of the year.

Until then, Ozaguin says he will continue to raise his voice in song for the people of the Central African Republic.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

1 headquarters   

n.司令部，指挥部；总部，总店

参考例句：

• Several great guns from the headquarters are coming to see us today.总部的几个大人物今天要来看我们。
• The bank has its headquarters in Pairs.这家银行的总行在巴黎。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

4 displaced   

移动( displace的过去式和过去分词 )； 替换； 移走； 撤职

参考例句：

• Gradually factory workers have been displaced by machines. 工厂的工人已逐渐被机器取代。
• He was displaced by another young man. 他已被另一个年轻人顶替。

5 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

6 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

8 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。