The Refugee All Stars, recorded by record label Epitaph Europe B.V., began with a group of six musicians who lived in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, during the era of the country’s horrifying civil war. In a rebel campaign named ‘Operation Kill Every Living Thing’, soldiers descended on Freetown and caused a panicked mass exodus, with thousands of civilians fleeing the region, and ending up in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. It was in one of these camps that the six musicians found each other and began singing songs of hope, pain and freedom for their fellow refugees. Today the group has returned to Freetown, recorded CDs, been the subject of an internationally-acclaimed documentary, and joined hands with many other musicians, still advocating for refugee issues through their uplifting, buoyant songs that speak the African refugee story.

 

Benin: New hope for the vulnerable and isolated

Benin, West Africa, is a land rich in natural beauty, but it is sadly also one of the world’s poorest nations....

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Guinea: Building infrastructure and skills

Since governmental structures in Guinea finally stabilised about fifteen years ago, the country’s economy has gradually improved. However, refugees fleeing civil...

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Malawi: Looking up and forward

Malawi is a country working hard to lift its people out of its challenging history.  Since gaining independence nearly sixty years...

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Cameroon: Empowering and rebuilding

Crossroads’ partner for this shipment originally began their work in a busy market town, aiming to provide support for widows, a...

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