South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the ”Princess of Africa”, is an artist, a mother, a businesswoman and, more recently, an avid social advocate in the fight against malaria.
This month, she launched her new Princess of Africa Foundation, set up to improve accountability and transparency in the use of funds dedicated to malaria.
At her home in Bryanston, Johannesburg, she spoke to the Mail & Guardian Online about being a goodwill ambassador, her dedication to raising voices in the fight against malaria, and the song on her new album she dedicated to her favourite cause.
1. How did you become involved in the malaria cause?
Three years ago, I travelled to Gabon and one of my musicians died of malaria. After she died, I did lots of research. I read how malaria kills so many people because of ignorance, no medication … and I thought, this is South Africa, this is a First World country. We have got medication here, we have got excellent doctors.
For me it was a great wake-up call to try to do something because of who I am, because of the voice that I have. I’m not going to save the world, but I will try to make more people aware.
I’m Unicef’s [the United Nations Children’s Fund’s] goodwill ambassador. I do very little work in South Africa, but I did my homework. I checked sites on the internet and I got in touch with all the embassies we have in South Africa.
We are fighting for free medication from the government, for free education. The government is taking measures to do all these things, but we don’t have that much money. We don’t get funding from the World Bank or the Global Fund [to Fight Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis] … because we are not as bad as other countries where they need the money the most. But do they [other countries] use it appropriately? That’s another thing.
2. How is the Princess of Africa Foundation different?
I think it is different because I’m not getting paid; I’m not working for anybody. I really commend the work being done by other people, because you can’t work on your own, but I want to be a catalyst for those people. I want to be a voice, I want to be their ears, I want make sure they know their rights.
People have to be able to take a stand and have their rights respected, because malaria is curable; it doesn’t have to kill people. I’m not going to be reinventing the wheel; I’m going to make sure that people know their rights, and I want to be a great advocate.
I’m not working for anybody, so I’m not worried about my salary. I’m doing it to help other people. I’m worried about those people that are dying. Are they getting what they deserve?
3. How will the foundation operate?
Say Nigeria is given R180-million, or Kenya or whoever; I will work with all those people. I have been in the malaria field for almost 18 months now. I go to different places and I have seen the work being done by Unicef and other people.
Last year we were in Ethiopia. They work to secure all the nets and medication … and everything just sits there. You should be reporting to people out there that community X is supposed to be getting 100 000 nets, but have they been distributed? Are they using them accordingly?
Those who receive money from donors should use it accordingly and there should be some transparency. People should know money has been given and the money has been spent. It’s useless to just give out the money and not monitor it. I feel that people suffer and die because of bureaucracy, because of ignorance, because of not knowing their rights.
4. Malaria affects about 40% of the world’s population, mostly in Africa. Is it seen to be a developing-world disease?
If I can raise my voice and scream at the top of my voice to make malaria [more prominent], I will. We do all sorts of fancy things for cancer, Aids, diabetes and other things. Why is there nothing for malaria? Malaria does not have a voice.
Is it because it kills poor black people in huge numbers? Why is it not at the top of anyone’s list? It’s not; that is why I am here. If I can get it up to [United States President George] Bush, if I could get up to [Nelson] Mandela and scream at the top of my voice, I will do that. That is exactly why I am here.
5. As a singer primarily, do you feel equipped enough to deal with these issues?
When I started I was 19, interested in fame and money and all of that. Over the years I grew. But from a very early age I was going to places like Kenya and Zimbabwe. I’ve travelled to Africa and seen things happening. And I thought: I am here in this stadium and there are 70 000 people who have come to watch me. What am I giving back?
That’s when I went to Uganda and adopted an Aids home. In Zimbabwe I have adopted a home for abandoned kids. Here at home I work with the Orlando Children’s Home. I was the first artist to fund-raise for Red Nose Day and M-Net Cares, just doing fund-raising for all sorts of things. People are so excited to watch you sing, but what do you give back to the community?
I’m not a singer; I just happen to sing. I am also a businesswoman, and I make sure that I learn as much as I can. That’s why in my foundation I’ve got Dr Louis da Gama, a specialist in malaria. There are people who will nurture me, people who will educate me.
I go out and talk to government, CPOs, NGOs; I talk to different people, being influential, an advocate; change things, change perceptions. If we just sit there and say nothing, ignorance is killing people.
6. What is the biggest challenge with malaria?
I think it’s just ignorance. There are more than a million people dying each year. Why, when it can be preventable, when it is curable, when it can be stoppable? Is it because its one of those things that kills poor people? Even those poor people must take it upon themselves to try to secure themselves from that.
7. How will you track measurable results with the foundation? And what do you mean by ”measurable results”?
You go into an area and you want to know what the mortality rate is in this area. We know there are 40 000 people dying when it is malaria season, or [whether it is] pandemic or epidemic. Then you say to them, ”There are nets, there are IRSs, there is a combination [medication].” After a month or a year, you need to go and check what the graph is saying. Is it going up, is it going down, is it stable? Then we will know what people need the most.
Who will cover the costs?
I will put in my own money into the foundation because I believe in it. And the people that work with me believe in the project. For me, it’s not a money-making scheme.
But you will have funders as well?
We will try. You know, all companies get funding, so we will go out and look for money. Obviously it will [depend on] what projects we are doing. You can’t just go into a place when you don’t even know those people. You need to form coalitions, you need to work around those people and with them.
8. Are affected communities adequately informed and educated about malaria?
I think they are. I’d love it to be even in schools. Children must know, also because I believe that children are good teachers. They teach their parents as well as [other people] in different places.
If a 10-year-old had written an essay about malaria and came back home to see a [feverish] sibling, this 10-year-old would say, ”You know, mum, at school they told us that if the child is hot and things like this, then maybe it’s malaria.” We must sensitise those kids, educate them and mobilise them.
We [the foundation] would really love to have World Malaria Day. In fact, we do have Africa Malaria Day [April 25]. Corporate responsibility is also important. I’d like to see every big company putting in money.
9. Since you have your background in music, what about a concert to raise funds for malaria, such as Live Aid and the 46664 initiatives?
I am trying to do that. Youssou N’Dour has done that successfully, and I want to commend him, because there is lots of malaria in Senegal. I need to collaborate with people like that. Angélique Kidjo also does a lot for this continent. I am trying to get lots of people to put that together and we could do that.
10. Personally, what will you be doing next?
I’m recording a new album. One of the tracks is called Let the Children Live. It’s about children dying of malaria, of Aids. It’s going to be dedicated to malaria and if we can release it worldwide, we will put it on the internet.
Nothing deters me from doing anything. Even with this [malaria], you try to do things, you try to invest somewhere, you try to make yourself better. You fail sometimes, but you just wake up and dust yourself off, and then you learn from your mistakes.