Project Njabulo
KwaZulu/Natal Aug/Sep 06
From Alice Nelson
Friday September 15th
Home again home again, jiggity jig. Well, not my home, but
a home. We are back in Johannesburg, having finished our first
expedition. This past week was very eventful, playful, exhausting
and rewarding.
Most days, I couldn't wait to perform for the kids. I'd wake
up so excited to do the show that I would be ready an hour
early and have to sit around in my striped socks and goofy
glasses saying, "is it time yet?". What a clown
nerd. Oh, and I finally got my clown a dress. Jamie says it
makes my clown look more gentle. Which is good because my
clown is kinda punchy. Also we've managed to work my bad magic
in! Now it's not embarrassing, it's funny.
Feeling Good #1: On September 5th, our second performance
was our first indoor show. We performed in a school's hall
for 400 children. Jamie was right; sometimes the laughter
is so loud it hurts your ears…. And he also discovered
that if you pop a balloon beside your ear in a small hall,
you lose your hearing for five minutes…
Afternoons last week were devoted to teaching 36 OVC (orphans
and vulnerable children who have lost either one or both parents
to HIV/AIDS) in association with the Rob Smetherham Bereavement
Service for Children. We taught in an empty classroom in a
school. Other students would push their way through the broken
windows to get a glimpse of the class. We had wonderful translators
to help us teach the "life dreams" workshop. Our
main translator was Njabulo, who I discovered is also a great
guy to have at a party. Liz, Jamie and I taught the children
warm ups, theatre games, visualizations and improv. They worked
in groups to present final pieces that they created regarding
their life dreams.
Feeling Good #2: Making sandwiches with Liz every night for
the OVCs the next day. Never have I laughed so much while
making polony and Rama sandwiches.
On September 7th, we performed for over 3000 children. We
had 2 shows for huge schools. The second show was in a huge
hall. The show went on for an extra 30 minutes just because
it was going so well; playing with the audience and each other.
I must admit, I was a little sad at the end because it was
our last show together for this expedition. But it was a great
show to end on.
Most of the villages don't have electricity. These kids don't
have T.Vs, computers or go to see movies… so we're kinda
the entertainment. I'm glad we make them so happy.
Feeling Good #3: On Sept 6, we performed to a school of 900
kids. After the show the kids ran up and hugged us and hugged
us and hugged us. It's selfish… but making someone else
happy sure makes you feel good!
The next day was our last time teaching the OVCs here. They
were such an outgoing group, always willing to jump in and
take risks. I have no doubt that if they wanted to, these
kids could do anything. We finished with a reflection, passing
out "thought on a threads" ( www.thoughtonathread.co.uk)
and handing out clown noses.
The next night we had a Braii (BBQ) at the Patch with the
lovely folks from the RSBSC. Jamie cooked some chicken and
boerwors (and by cooked I mean burnt and by boerwors I mean
meatworm)….It was actually very very delicious! And
we enjoyed some dancing and laughter. The RSBSC staff are
fantastic people and it makes me happy to know that the kids
have these great souls to help them through the hard times.
Lucky Stars singing during their “Life Dreams”
performance.
From Jamie Lachman Aug 31th.
As I sit on the back veranda of Helen Smetherham’s
cottage, spotted dairy cows peacefully graze before me while
birds chirp on this serene spring morning in the foothills
of the Drakensberg Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal. Helen is the
widow of the founder of the Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service
for Children, our partner organization for the next week residency
where we will be continuing our work of performing and teaching.
We have just completed a 10 day residency with Woza Moya in
the highlands near Ixopo in which we performed 12 shows for
all the primary and secondary schools in the Ufafa district
(close to 5,000 students) as well as conducted a workshop
on Life Dreams for 36 orphans and vulnerable children. Taking
a break from the rigorous schedule of morning performances
and afternoons classes, I breathe in the fresh farm air (a
bit garnished with manure), listen to the birds and the bees,
and gaze out at the fields of grass, brush, and hillside –
it is quite a different setting from the poverty and disease
stricken villages we have been working in for the past 2 weeks.
Already, I miss the shouts of “Awoogah! Awoogah!”
and the singing of “Jekele Ma Weni” of the children
we pass by as we drive Thembe, Woza Moya’s Child Minder
and our partner for the collaboration, to her homestead each
night. Though we have physically left the area, our visit
still echoes in the hills and hearts of the many people we
brought smiles to and hopefully inspired hopes and dreams
to life. Below is yet another Journal Update from our last
two days with Woza Moya. Thank you for taking the time to
read it as it is our only way of connecting you to these experiences
that have awakened much faith and joy in my heart.
August 31st, 2006 – Ufafa District, Kwazulu-Natal.
Today is our second to last workshop with the children. We
have spent the last 8 days playing games, creating shapes,
atmospheres, and group machines on stage, learning about each
other, and exploring our life dreams. On Tuesday and Wednesday
the children created short performances that bring together
the skills they have learned and display their dreams and
aspirations. Finally, today is a chance to share these pieces
with each other and their gogos (grandmothers who take care
of the children because of HIV/AIDS). The Gogos arrive and
take their place in white plastic chairs in front of the red
dusty ground that will serve as our impromptu stage. We have
been blessed with a gentle, warm breeze after days of frigid
mountain weather. The chairs gleam in the bright African sun.
In the distance, roosters crow and trucks carrying timber
workers rumble by. Our sharing is a chance for the Gogos to
see what the children have been up to each afternoon. We first
warm up our bodies and play a few of our favorite games –
passing a clap around the circle and the magic hoop or circle
After a brief reminder of the expectations of the performances
(to work together, share your beautiful voices and faces,
and, above all, have fun) , the sharing begins. Doctors, lawyers,
ship captains, soldiers, policemen, teachers, social workers,
soccer stars, presidents, nurses, and child and youth workers
sit nervously outside the Woza Moya centre in groups of four
or five. Last minute changes are frantically whispered to
each other. Each group has given themselves a name: Lucky
Stars, National Anthem, Football Stars, Soldiers, Gregorrr.
The children enter the stage as a machine moving together
while singing or making sound effects. They announce their
dreams and then perform a short scene using songs and movement.
For many, it is their first time in front of an audience.
Although they are shy and a bit scared, the performances are
beautiful. Songs, poems, choreographies, and movement bring
to life their aspirations and evoke tears in the eyes of their
caregivers. We whoop and clap at the end of the each piece.
The children begin to loosen up and enjoy themselves.
At the end of the sharing, Thembelephi, one of the oldest
children, stands in front of the audience to recite a poem
she wrote the night before. In isiZulu and broken English,
she talks about her feelings of sadness and isolation after
losing her parents. “We have all been hurt. Felt alone.
Wanted to give up. But we do not lose hope in life. We can
be brave and strong and support our future. Our dreams. I
am not afraid. We keep this hope to be a success.” The
words speak directly to the other children’s experience.
Fidgeting ceases as all ears are listening. They applaud as
she closes with a bow and beams her bright and beautiful smile
dancing off stage. I am filled with a sense of happiness to
see the children celebrate their success on this day. Today,
they have been the stars, the center of attention, basking
in the love and support of each other, their caregivers, and
the Woza Moya team.
Thembelephi and her beautiful smile.
September 1st, 2006.
We gather in a classroom at Sinevuso, the nearby secondary
school, to reflect and process our experience as a group before
going our separate ways. Liz reminds the children of all the
different activities and games we have explored. They close
their eyes and visualize each day. At the beginning of the
workshop, the children drew pictures of themselves as they
hoped to be when they grow up. Now, we pass them around the
circle giving each child the opportunity to see what their
fellow classmates had drawn. They laugh and talk softly together
enjoying the different pictures. One of the older girls tells
us that she appreciates the chance to know that other children
who have had similar difficult experiences also have their
own hopes and dreams. As a big family, they can remind and
support each other when things becomes difficult and challenging
as they often will. Then, we hand out bracelets made out of
black leather and a red wooden bead. Part of an international
project called,Thought on a Thread (www.thoughtonathread.co.uk)
Thembe, children, and their gogos displaying their Thoughts
on a Thread bracelets.
the bracelets link communities overseas with the people
living in the Ufafa district. We have been given them by Trish
Bartley, a wonderful woman who is a development consultant
and mindfulness trainer working with Woza Moya this week.
We tell the children that the bracelets help remind us to
be present when experiencing stress and difficulty. They also
connect us with those wearing identical threads in the UK
and America who are thinking of them and sending hopes that
they are happy, safe, peaceful, and well. Liz leads the group
in a couple exercises that they can take with them after the
workshop has ended: exploring contact with the ground and
connecting thoughts with others. They are simple activities
that will hopefully provide the children with tools to manage
the many difficulties they encounter. Surprisingly, the entire
group takes the exercises seriously in quiet contemplation.
Some even ask for an additional bracelet to give to their
brother or sister who was absent! Afterwards, Alice gives
them one final present: a red sponge clown nose that seems
to evoke more laughter than expected as they pop off and on
faces bouncing around the classroom. The calm atmosphere dissolves
into giggles, songs, and games. It is perhaps a fitting closing
to our residency here in Ixopo, and though I am a bit sad
to be leaving, there is already talk about returning next
year for an even more extended time. “Awoogah! Awoogah!”
From Alice Nelson, Aug 31
...some mornings I wake up and think....okay, here goes....
But then I make some kids smile and laugh and it's like "yup,
this is where I'm supposed to be right now". I love performing
for the kids out here. Jamie has been enouraging me to walk
funny and trip as we set up for the show. Often he'll walk
past a group of kids and drop his hat off on one of them and
they'll burst out laughing. Then Jamie turns to Liz and I
and says, "that gets 'em everytime!". The kids here
love to laugh and play. I get such a warm feeling performing
out here. You know you've brought them joy and happiness.
As we drive past the kids in our truck (with giant "clowns
without border" logos), the kids shout out songs from
the show and " Awoogah! Awoogah" (from the horn
routine in the show). They will run after the truck with smiles
on their faces. I keep hoping the goats will join the fan
club and start running after the truck....no such luck yet....
Beautiful Moment number 1: hearing the cries of Awoogah Awoogah
from the village
The past week we had the OVC (orphans and vulnerable children)
create and perform short plays about their life dreams. They
used the various acting tools we taught them and even incorporated
some traditional gospel songs. The songs are what really touched
me. These kids sang with such heart and passion.... it was
like nothing I have ever heard. Some kids who covered their
face two weeks ago when asked to say their name in front of
the group, now stood up stong and announced their dreams.
It was rewarding for all. Sometimes I forget that I'm in the
midsts of children who have suffered great loss are orphaned.
I just see them smiling and growing stronger.
Yesterday was our last day with the Gogos and the OVC (orphans
and vulnerable children). We met at Sinevuso, a school close
to Woza Moya, and we had our last class together. We all did
warm up together and then reflected on their weeks with us.
Overall, it seems the children gained confidence and happiness
from our time with them. We presented them with www.thoughtonathread.co.uk,
which is a black string bracelet with a red bead. A way for
good vibes to be sent to each other and especially to the
children here. Trish, an amazing woman we met, who was working
with Woza Moya, developed this beautiful concept. We then
presented all the children with clown noses! Man, they looked
good! The best was when they all started singing their songs
and the noses kept falling off and bouncing around...That's
Comedy!!!
Beautiful Moment number 2: Thembi, our amazing translator
and a caregiver of the children at Woza Moya, wearing the
shawl we gave her. She looked stunning standing in front of
the valley with the purple, blue and pink wrapped around her.
So this morning I woke up in The Patch. We are staying in
this cottage in Boston, owned by Helen Smetherham. She is
the widow of Rob Smetherhan. And this next week we will be
working at the Rob Smetherhan Bereavement Service for Children.
We will be teaching the children there and performing shows
around the area.
The cottage is super cosy and I woke up this moring to the
sound of cows mooing. This place is crawling with cows! It's
like I"m home in Alberta, only everyone speaks Zulu.
I miss the monkeys.... the cows aren't quite as interesting
to watch.
Beautiful Moment number 3: Liz and Jamie singing a traditional
gospel song at breakfast this morning. Liz was determined
to learn it and she does it beautifully. My granola tasted
better because of them.
From Alice Nelson, Aug 26th
So here I am at a cafe in South Africa....in Umzumbe. It's
our first weekend off. We are staying at a backpacker's lodge.
We are right beside the ocean, which we will be visiting later
today. Jamie and I are gonna crash into waves and build the
world's largest sandcastle!
Where to begin....
The plane ride was long and the jet lag was thick. Johannesburg
was like a new planet to me. Everyone has gates or really
high walls around their houses. Lots of scared rich people.
It's spring here...but it feels like a Canadian summer to
me. We, Liz, Jamie and I, created a show at Jamie's Grandfather's
place.
Screw up 1: Showering before Grandpa and he couldn't get in
the bathroom
We hit the road to start out work in Kwazulu Natal (might
I remind you I speak NO Zulu, language barrier here I come!).
We checked into the Buddhist Retreat Center and settled into
our own rooms. Jamie and Liz went to meditate, I watched the
monkeys in the trees (they're all over the place)
Screw up 2: Stepping in monkey poo.
This past week we did performances in the mornings (total
of 5 for high schools, junior highs and elementary schools).
They loved us and in turn, we loved them! It was so wild to
watch my fellow clowns bring huge amounts of laughter and
joy to children in the townships.
Our clowns show is very a la European clowning (in other words,
very Charlie Chaplin, with lots of routines, falls, magic
tricks and stuff coming out of Jamie's mouth... clown noses,
hankies etc...and out of his pants...rubber chickens, horns
etc....) Liz plays a Zubuphonewhich we have gotten lots of
joke millage out of), Jamie plays banjo and I play accordion.
Liz and I also play doctors in the show. As we are performing
the show to lots of children who are affected by HIV/AIDS,
or have someone close to them dealing the virus, we make light
of the scariness of a visit to the hospital. Also, we focus
on women's empowerment by having female doctors. At the end
of the show we create a Gogo (caregiver or grandmother) puppet
out of a balloon and have it play with a volunteer. In the
end the puppet bursts and the clowns deal with death through
grieving, compassion and laughter. I'm so happy and blessed
to be a part of this show. My favorite part is rehearsing.
I laugh so hard I cry. Jamie and Liz are so hilarious, patient
and inspiring.
Screw up 3: When doing a magic trick, don't accidentally reveal
the secrets to the audience....um...oups.
Afternoons were spent with the OVC (orphans and vulnerable
children) at the Woza Moya Center. Everyday there was between
30-36 children, who have lost either one or both parents,
that come to the center and play with us. We also make the
children sandwiches and juice. Through games and theater we
are working with them on their life dreams. All the children
told us what they hope to be when they grow up, from president,
to doctor, police officer and my favorite 'drive a ship in
the ocean'. Everyday we take turns leading the group in different
exercises and improvs. We have a translator, Thembe, to help
with the instruction. By the end of the week, the children
had grown more fearless and their laughter fuller. Two mornings
were spent with the Gogos. Liz took them through a visualization
exercise and we had them recount their favorite memories from
childhood.
At then end of our sessions with the OVCs and the Gogos, they
sing and pray together. And the valleys of the townships are
more beautiful because of them.
Screw up 4: Not coming here sooner.
On Monday we return for another week with the Gogos, the OVCs
and performing in the townships. I'm so grateful to be with
these amazing clowns, giving laughter to beautiful people...
From Jamie Lachman Aug 26th.
We are back in South Africa having just completed our first
week of teaching and performing in the rural hills of Ufafa,
KwaZulu/Natal. We are collaborating with the Woza Moya Project
(www.wozamoya.org.za), a community based action and support
program that does amazing work providing counseling and assistance
to those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. In this area
lying between the Drakensberg Mountains in the west and the
Indian Ocean in the east, the HIV/AIDS infection rate is close
to 50% of the population. A recent survey at the regional
hospital found 80% of the patients to have HIV. Needless to
say, the affect on the lives of the children is immediate
– having to care for their sick parents, growing up
without a mother and/or father, and living with their grandmothers
(Gogos) or next of kin. Likewise, the stress of taking care
of additional children as well as carrying the grief of losing
a loved one plagues upon the lives of the Gogos who must bare
the weight of responsibility to nurture the next generation.
Our work this week has broken new ground for Clowns Without
Borders Project Njabulo in many ways. We have incorporated
more themes of the effects of HIV/AIDS into our performances
with a routine about going to the doctor as well as a magically
constructing a “Gogo” puppet out of a balloon.
After our shows, Thembe Mweli, Woza Moya’s lead Child
Minder, gives a brief talk about how the performance relates
to directly to the lives of the children. We have also been
conducting workshops for both the Gogos and their children
as part of Woza Moya’s Thandanani Time (Love One Another
Time). These workshops attempt to relieve the stress of their
daily lives and find hope in the future through play, laughter,
and sharing of one’s experience. With the Gogos, we
explore memories of childhood and overcoming challenges in
their lives. With the 30 orphans and vulnerable children that
come to the Woza Moya centre each day, we use theatre and
games over a 10 day period to bring to life their Life Dreams
in the present moment. Below is a description of our last
workshop this week in which things turned out a little differently!
August 25, 2006 Ufafa, KwaZulu/Natal
The rain strikes the tin roof of Nomsembenzi’s chapel
in sheets of unexpected torrents due to an early arriving
wet season. Liz Turkel, Alice Nelson, and I sit on benches
with seven of the Gogos who managed to make the journey from
the warm fires of their rondaavels (homes) to the rectangular
squat building that sits on a hillside across the valley from
Woza Moya. We are in a bit of a quandary as to what to do.
Thembe, our partner from Woza Moya who helps with the session
and translation in particular, cannot join us as she must
attend a meeting at Cekazi Primary School. Alice presents
a note in isiZulu explaining that we are sorry but will have
to meet next week. But here we are. It makes no sense to leave
at this moment. And for the short time, everyone is dry and
warm. I look at the grandmothers wrapped in their colorful
head scarves, dresses, sweaters, and towels and realize that
we have a unique opportunity to connect physically without
words. Scrapping our lesson plan, we hand out oranges and
baloney sandwiches and sit in silence while they eat a mid-morning
snack. Without knowing what comes next, I say “Asembeni”
which means “We must go.” Then we all stand as
Annatoria recites a prayer in thanks. Suddenly, I remember
a song I learned way back in high school that would fit the
occasion and begin singing “Siyahamba Khukenele Kwen
Kos” (We are Marching in the Light of God). Everyone
joins in with Liz singing beautiful harmony. Bodies begin
to move to the rhythm of the melody. Smiles break out and
feet dance shuffle step. Miriam Makeba songs follow –
“Jikele Ma Weni,” “Nomeva,” “Nqonqontwane”
– and surprisingly, even though the songs are in Xhosa,
the Gogos remember these popular songs from their youth. Liz
shares a Zulu lullaby. Thokozile leads the group in a children’s
song inspiring Alice and I to start a hand jive which we they
are eager to learn. Soon, over an hour has passed sharing
and playing and enjoying each other’s company without
us realizing the passing of time. The women carry such an
enormous weight upon their shoulders. To experience us all
dancing and laughing with joy as playful as children is part
of the magic that happens unexpectedly on these expeditions.
Sometimes, the inspiration of the moment strikes closer to
our intentions and the truth than any well thought out lesson
plan. It could not be more apparent than today. Finally, I
stand once again and say “Asembeni” knowing that
this time, it is not premature. It is time to go. Meals to
prepare, housekeeping to take care of, livestock to tend before
the children come home from school and the rain washes us
all out.
Later in the afternoon, the steady rain continues to feed
the thirsty land. Mud puddles have formed along side the road.
Mists rolls over the hills. Cows take to the timber company
forests for shelter. Once again, we are without Thembe. On
Friday’s Woza Moya works until 1:00 PM but we have scheduled
a workshop with the 30 orphans and vulnerable children at
three so must do without translation. We pull our bakkie (our
brand new pickup donated by Imperial Car Rental) in front
of Sinevuso High School. The gate is locked. Nobody in sight.
Tired from our first week of performing for over 2500 schools
students and teaching 6 workshops, we do not want to leave
the Buddhist Retreat Centre where we are staying but look
forward to a weekend away to allow our bodies to catch up.
But with 35 baloney sandwiches and apples sitting in our car,
we cannot just leave so we wait by the gate. Sure enough,
ten of the children run up to the bakkie shivering and drenched
to the bone. We quickly spring out with towels and sandwiches
drying their faces and filling their bellies. Their commitment
melts my heart but I tell them in broken isiZulu to go home
before they catch a cold. “The gate is locked! Asembeni!”
A bit disappointed the children disappear over the hillside.
However, seconds later, they come running back with a key.
Half wishing we could just hit the road, I pull the bakkie
into the school grounds and shake my mind from its laziness.
This is what we are here for. The bright faces of the children
with rain drops covering their hair and clothes is enough
to remind me that these children are thirsty for nurturing
relationships. We are only with them for 10 days and cannot
afford to let them miss this opportunity to play and have
fun as a community. Their commitment spurs our own. We make
a circle in a dry classroom and start jumping up and down
shaking our bodies warm. The session is perhaps the most fun
we have had all week. Without relying on translation, our
activities must be more creative and aware. We group juggle
– balls flying across the room. Lift a magic hoop together.
Pass gestures around in a circle. From “Ngiyaguthanda”
(I love you) to “Amandla Awethu” (power to the
people). Alice leads the children in a trust exercise where
the children walk with eyes closed across the circle. We play
cat and mouse. Animal characters. Just have fun. Even the
older students who are not part of our group join in with
the games. Again, time flies by. Once more it is really time
to go - the children have chores to do and the rain is coming
down with greater urgency. A prayer of thanks to close our
time together. One last song. Siyahamba.
As we carefully steer down the winding roads and out onto
the main highway leading to Ixopo, we are filled with the
warmth of the children’s smiles and their gogo’s
laughter. We can only hope that as the cold wind whistles
through their huts and rondaavels, they also have sweet dreams
of our time together.
|
