On the ghetto field, some boys and girls were watching a dance competition.
Go Shanko, Go Shanko
The children shouted and supported their friend dancing for a sachet of milk. Shanko danced so well and he won the competition. He was given a sachet of milk and he licked it right away which served as his breakfast.
Who is Shanko?
Shanko is a popular street boy on the streets of one of the popular Lagos ghettos. Shanko does anything for a living. He packs dirts, carry loads for people, beg for money, do any menial job or dance.
He’s such a good dancer but whenever he dances, he doesn’t get any money. He’s either given a sachet of milk, biscuits, used clothes or things that are not really valuable.
Shanko was a street star and the best in dancing and never had anyone who he looked up to. If Shanko wants something, he works so hard to get it. If he doesn’t work, he’s not getting it.
Shanko never got to call the word mummy or daddy. He never got to meet his parents for once. Shanko was given birth to by a popular female street dancer nine years ago. She was a street girl like him too but died immediately after she gave birth to him in the ghettos and he looked up to the streets Lords whenever she needs anything.
Why do you think they call him Shanko? It’s because he so short and petite.
Henry is a well known philanthropist. Whenever Henry goes to the ghettos of Lagos, he throws money from his car for the ghetto buys and girls to pick. These people sometimes get the money torn because of how the drag the money with each other. Henry loves to go to the ghettos during a festive period. There will be so many people there and the streets will be full.
Every December, the streets lords and people always await the arrival of Henry. They sometimes call him Baba Ibe.
Shanko woke up one morning going to hustle as usual and he saw a white Mercedes ML350. Who could have brought this car to the hood?, he asked himself. He remembered they were in December and began to shout Baba ibe ti de, baba ibe ti de which means Our father is here, our father is here.
He had a plan with his friends, Faruq and Rasheed and the plan was to collect a lot of money from Henry before the street lords hijack the venue and collect the money all alone.
Faruq brought out his speaker and played a very popular ghetto song then Shanko began to dance. He almost danced his energy out of his body. To his surprise, Henry didn’t give them a dime. Have you ever experienced how street boys can be? If you have been giving them money but do not give them just once you, they turn you to a stingy person.
Shanko got angry and the three of them even felt like destroying his car but didn’t eventually do anything to him. When Henry finished spraying money for the ghetto boys and girls, he asked around if he could see the boy who danced for him immediately he got to the ghetto.
No one was there when Shanko was dancing aside from Faruq and Rasheed but with Henry’s description, no one could dance better than Shanko so he was called.
Henry told him to get into the car and he was shocked because he was looking very dirty and unkept.
Henry made me realize that he fell in love with his Michael Jackson skills and he wishes to help him. Shanko was shocked.
Would you believe that Henry took Shanko out of that ghetto at that moment?
He introduced Shanko to great dancers who taught him how to dance better and wherever Shanko goes to, he’s always exceptional.
His bosses liked him because of this and he began to follow them to shows. Henry made sure he sponsored the boy and he also went for foreign shows. His ghetto friends even had to go to the ghetto TV center to watch him on air.
All of these happened within a year and in the next December, Shanko followed his boss, Henry to the ghetto to spray some money as usual and also met with his old friends.
Shanko never forgot the moment that changed everything.
Also, he got to help his friends who they always danced together in the ghetto when he was living there.
He also blessed the street lords with some money and whenever he goes to the ghetto, he is referred to as the street lord and king because he’s the first celebrity to come out of that street.
