CLOWNS WITHOUT BORDERS

Bringing joy to the children of Mwanza

By Standing Voice

October 9^th, 2018

Born in Tanzania today, thousands of children with albinism lead lives haunted by violence. Marginalised by their communities, abandoned by their families, and locked in protectorate camps under the guise of safety: for too many, this is the familiar story.

In these conditions, the joy and laughter we normally associate with childhood can feel beyond reach.

As part of our ongoing mission to right this wrong—to help children with albinism conquer their trauma and rediscover childhood—we teamed up with Clowns Without Borders, an international non-profit supporting vulnerable children worldwide through the power of performance and play. Serving communities across the globe torn apart by conflict or disaster, Clowns Without Borders provide unique opportunities for children to engage with talented performers from musicians to jugglers and acrobats to clowns.

Joining Standing Voice this July in Mwanza district, Tanzania, the Clowns team toured five schools in five days, reaching over 1,500 students with the life-changing tonic of laughter.

Performances were based around a collection of clowning, physical comedy, circus and street performance. Comedic acting and performance skills transfixed students before they were incorporated into the spectacle with a series of games and smaller shows. These games fostered an atmosphere of community between students, with and without albinism, promoting mutual respect and teamwork. The performers also trained 68 teachers to reproduce these games in classroom environments, ensuring this ethos of positivity and fun continues to thrive in the months and years ahead.

The tour was conceived and managed by Eva Lundgren Stenbom, while the performance team included artistic director Dave Braunsthal, together with Aloyce Fungafunga and Janna Haavisto. We were also blessed to be joined by Sixmond Mdeka, a popular reggae artist with albinism and long-time collaborator of Standing Voice. Performing as an advocate and example of what people with albinism can achieve, Sixmond showed hundreds of children that albinism does not need to be limiting, and should never be a barrier to success.

"The project worked well from the start. We loved being in Mwanza working with Standing Voice, and would love to do it again!" Eva Lundgren Stenbom, Project Manager and Tour Manager

Five schools were visited throughout the project, including some of the largest protectorate centres housing children with albinism in Tanzania. As we continue our efforts to decongest these centres and return their inhabitants to mainstream education, we hope the love and positivity enshrined in this project has given a window of relief to these deeply marginalised children. With the promise of a brighter future firmly in sight, we wish for all children with albinism to remember their right to smile.