Ugandan Ghetto Kids Celebrate 'Life-Changing' World Cup Final Performance

Ugandan dance group Ghetto Kids are celebrating another milestone after appearing at the football World Cup final half-time show on Sunday - a life-changing experience summed up by 10-year-old Sierra as "very, very, very, very, very good".

Despite critics bemoaning the addition of a Superbowl-style show, external to the beautiful game's biggest event, the children's performance alongside global stars Burna Boy and Shakira was viewed by many millions around the world.

Speaking to the BBC's Newsday programme, members of the dance troupe and their manager say that rising from humble beginnings in Uganda's capital, Kampala, then finding fame while balancing it all with schoolwork has taken perseverance.

"Never give up... pray to God. Listen to your parents, education is first, that's all," says Sierra.

She and 11-year-old Josephine are still on a high, after their World Cup appearance midway through the game that saw Spain beat Argentina at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

"I saw Messi and Lamine Yamal!" says Josephine about the two team's stars - Argentinian captain Lionel Messi and Spain's teenage winger Yamal.

"I felt so excited and I was smiling, and a little bit nervous," she recalls.

"Shakira, she's very kind," chimes in Sierra.

The children gave Colombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian musician Burna Boy a big hug on stage as their performance ended - a moment their manager, Dauda Kavuma, insists was a natural show of affection, rather than clever choreography.

Learning they had been picked to perform was a dream come true. The children "ran around in a circle, banging and shouting" when they learned the news, says Kavuma.

"They had already danced to Waka Waka in Britain's Got Talent," he explains about Shakira's remake of the 1980s Cameroonian classic Zangaléwa by Golden Sounds.

"But it was now a great moment to see that Shakira invited us... to perform with her.

"It means a lot and it's life-changing."

Kavuma's philosophy is that there is so much talent in the ghetto, you just have to polish it.

As a child he lived on the streets of Uganda's capital before the kindness of a teacher changed his life.

He wanted to give back and later became a teacher himself before creating the Ghetto Kids dance troupe - formed of homeless children and those who could not afford school fees.

Combining a multitude of African dance styles, comedy and pure joy, they soon caught the attention of Ugandan musicians including Eddy Kenzo, who asked them to feature in some of his videos.

The group's strategy has involved harnessing the viral-making powers of the internet, and their biggest break followed in 2017 when they appeared in the music video for French Montana's song Unforgettable - which at the time of writing has amassed more than 1.9 billion views on YouTube.

That recognition opened yet more doors, leading Ghetto Kids to the final of Britain's Got Talent in 2023, before also competing in America's Got Talent the following year.

It has also enabled Kavuma to expand his project offering housing, food and tuition to many children across Uganda.

This year's football World Cup final may have been the Ghetto Kids' biggest stage yet, but it was not their first major sporting event.

Back in 2023, the young dancers were thrilled to meet Kylian Mbappé and perform at a football half-time match in France between rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Reims.

Another recent career highlight was a film being made about their story, called Ghetto Kids Documentary: No Plan B.

Despite their fame, the children's parents and manager have instilled in them an "education-first" mentality.

Videos for their vast social media following are filmed at weekends, so that weekdays are largely kept free for school, Kavuma says.

If they have to travel for performances, the children connect online to their teachers while away and catch up on any missed work once back in Kampala.

Both Sierra and Josephine tell the BBC they plan to become doctors when they grow up but will never give up their passion for dance.

"Dancing changed my life - I went to school because of dance," says Sierra.

Josephine agrees: "Dance is what I know and that makes me happy because that's my talent."

So, what do they want to say to other children who, like them, might be talented but have not had the easiest start in life?

"To love themselves, believe in God, and pray. Be with their talents - don't deny them," answers Josephine.

"And we love them."