Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tough realities, selfless service in inspirational docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Masaka Kids: A Rhythm Within
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MASAKA KIDS: A RHYTHM WITHIN tells the story of Suuna Hassan and his wife Madinah, who started an organization to take in orphaned and street children in Uganda. They describe how they provide food, shelter, and love for these children in the face of unimaginable odds against them—from high rates of HIV/AIDS in the Masaka Region of Uganda to abuse at home and on the street. They also teach them to sing and dance, talents that have taken them around the world to perform and helped generate media coverage (and donations) for the organization. Suuna himself was a victim of abuse living on the street before he started the organization. They turn no child away.
Is It Any Good?
What's not inspirational about this heartrending story of a home and music school in Uganda founded by a former street child to help orphans like himself? It's not always clear what year footage in the film is from while watching the 40-minute Masaka Kids: A Rhythm Within, but that really doesn't matter. Suuna's story—and that of his dance instructor Johnny, also a former street kid now hoping to become a lawyer—are not just tales of resilience and redemption; they are stories of giving back. In a time when aid is being cut around the world, exacerbating the problems that land children on the streets in the first place, selfless service may be what saves us all. And the proof is in the pudding—the kids profiled in the film also want to grow up and give back.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the adults behind the group home profiled in Masaka Kids: A Rhythm Within demonstrate compassion and teamwork in their service to children. How does the film show the kids demonstrating these character strengths themselves in turn?
The end credits describe a dire portrait of a problem worsening due to cuts in foreign aid. What aid has been cut and why? Where can you go for more information?
In what ways does music bring the children joy but also help publicize the organization, bringing in essential donations and even celebrity backers?
Were you surprised to learn there are so many kids living on the street in Uganda? Is this a problem specific to this one country? What can you can do to help?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 9, 2025
- Cast : Suuna Hassan , Madinah Hassan
- Directors : Moses Bwayo , David Vieira Lopez
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , African Movie Director(s) , Latino Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , African Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , Arts , Family Stories , Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Teamwork
- Run time : 40 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some strong thematic elements and brief language
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : December 11, 2025
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