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Motomoto Circus-Kenya
BWB's Will Ruddick, has created an amazing project in Mombasa, Kenya that is transforming the lives of street children through learning the art of spinning fire-Motomoto Circus. Will has expanded this project to Nairobi, and Motomoto Circus continues to thrive. BWB's Ben Drexler, is headed to Mombasa to lend his talents and skills to this incredible project and we need your support. Please consider making a donation to help make this project a success.
Click Below to see a short video about this project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRTHgm3lB6s
Hi-
My name is Drex and I'd love your support in
teaching firedancing for the Motomoto school in Kenya. I've spent the past 18 months teaching poi at Contradiction Dance in Silver Spring, Maryland
and I'd love to bring that expertise to the kids at Motomoto- both to
teach them some of the latest poi techniques that masters from around
the globe have developed in recent years and to put together a half hour
performance piece involving all the students to bring together all the
elements we've learned.
Poi and firedancing has become fantastically
popular in every continent but Africa and the kids at the Motomoto
school represent the seed of a community that can spread throughout the
continent, bringing the discipline, grace, and excitement of
firedancing to a continent that has largely been left behind as the
world has catapulted into the digital age. Help me bring this
innovative art to Kenya and inspire its students to move with the fire.
What is the Motomoto Circus Project?
The
Motomoto Circus Project trains youth living on the streets (street
survivors) of Mombasa Kenya to perform acrobatic fire dancing (poi)
shows. Through fire dance and group work this project takes life skills
training directly to the streets where traditional outreach attempts
have continually failed.
What can reach children who have been kicked out of society, are addicted to sniffing glue and only find identity through gangs?
What can bring together communities of the wealthy, poor, different religions and tribes of Kenya?
The same things that bring us all to the Playa....
Dancing, Drumming, Strangeness, Sharing, Community and of course Fire!
How it Works
MotoMoto Circus was started during our (Will Ruddick and Nemo Curiel) service in the US Peace Corps.
The Circus works directly on the streets to create fundamental attitude change with street children (survivors) in Kenya.
By learning fire dancing they are beginning to focus, gain self esteem, get off drugs and take steps off the streets.
We hold weekly events that mix together and create common interest among the wealthy, poor, different religions and tribes of Kenya.
Beyond our performances and outreaches we also work with children's homes to create a dialogue so the children can express why shelters and homes aren't working for them.
We have also started a Take Back the Night
program to make the streets of Mombasa safe by holding lamp lighting ceremonies, drumming
and fire spinning circles in alleys and abandoned buildings where drug
deals, rapes and murders are common.
Would you like to support this project?
Beyond our living expenses our main costs include a lot of Kerosene and fire equipment.
$5 US will give us enough money to buy the Kerosene for one night. Anything you can give would be great. We can also use used fire dancing equipment - such as used or scrap Kevlar.
And even if you can't give anything See our video! and spread the word! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRTHgm3lB6s
And be sure and keep up with our progress at our Blog Here.
BWB Peru Phase II !!