Uganda Ghetto Kids 'can't wait' to join Shakira at World Cup

Ugandan dance group "the Ghetto Kids" during a rehearsal at their home in Kampala on April 20, 2023. [AFP]

The Ghetto Kids, a Ugandan dance troupe made up of street children, spoke of their excitement at being invited by music superstar Shakira to perform at the World Cup.

The Colombian star last week announced on Instagram that the Ugandan kids were her first selection to join her for the half-time show of the World Cup final in the United States this summer.

Unsurprisingly, that has triggered massive excitement at Ghetto Kids -- an NGO that started in the Ugandan capital Kampala, using dance and performing arts to help abandoned and orphaned children.

"We can't wait to show the world what we are!" one of the young performers, eight-year-old Busingye Josephine Daniella, told AFP.

The troupe had responded to a call from Shakira for fans to send in dance clips for the new World Cup anthem, and their fun, energetic entries became viral hits.

The troupe had already built up an international following for their performances, which began as clips filmed on the streets of Kampala, and even earned themselves a spot on TV show America's Got Talent.

But the World Cup, watched by more than a billion worldwide, is another level of fame.

"We feel so excited to perform with Shakira," said Daniella.

"Getting outside the country... and performing on one of the biggest stages... it feels good and it brings a lot of opportunities," added Ssegirinyi Madwanah, 16.

Kavuma Dauda, founder of the NGO and a former street kid himself, said he hoped the attention would help them raise funds for a rehabilitation and education centre.

"We have that big dream... It's a very huge opportunity for the Ghetto Kids, for me, for the children," he said.