Motomoto Mombasa- Kenyan Youth Thrive on Fire Dance

July 3, 2009

BWB is partnering with Will Ruddick in Mombasa, Kenya to support his amazing project that is transforming the lives of street children through learning the  art of spinning fire.  BWB will be collecting donations to purchase the necessary fire poi making resources needed that aren’t found in Kenya. Will is also looking for innovative ideas to address the unique challenges he faces, and please feel free to comment below.

Blog. August – 15 -2009

Survivors spun fire to the beats of drums.

We just had our first big public show at a ‘country fair’ called the Mombasa Show!
Two survivors spun fire to the beats of drums.
People were amazed.

Recently, Nemo Curiel another Peace Corps Volunteer from Tijuana California joined us and is currently working on synthesizing Capoiera and fire dance. He is transforming our practices and performances into a  beautiful community event where everyone can be involved in the performance through music and dance.

Since Nemo joined us and helped add the key element of local musicians, our practices and weekly shows are really starting to draw attention and become a fun community event.

We have been getting people interested in shipping wick and other poi material here to Kenya – but are realizing the shipping cost is rather large. The only thing we have yet to find in-country is Kevlar wick material. So if you want to support us in making this project grow you can also send us financial support.

• Kerosene! is expensive. About 1 US dollar per litre – and we can go through 10 litres per night about 50 litres per week.

• Wicks! We have yet to find a supply of Kevlar wick material and are currently using scrap cloth – which is expensive and burns up very fast. A cotton wick only last about 5 burns and costs about 10 US dollars to make. It is easy to go through one per night.

• Teachers! We would love to host teachers, choreographers and burners to come out to Kenya and see what is up and help us figure out where it’s going.

• Travel! We would love to travel around Kenya and Africa – into the deep villages and city slums and share something they have never seen.

To donate to this project, please go to www.burnerswithoutborders.org and click on the Donate link. Please send us an email at donate@burnerswithoutborders.org to let us know you want your money to go to Kenya.  We hope to send our new Kenyan friends a care package before Burning Man this year

Blog July – 15 – 2009

Will’s Story-

August is approaching and the playa is on the other side of the earth.
Utado what? (What are you going to do?)

-Fire Dance-
The danger of being burnt – makes you feel alive.
It demands focus and inspires creativity.
It is beautiful.

Here in Kenya, fire dance is giving peer educators an income, building their confidence and helping serve as a focal point when working with street children.

(Picture:) Two of my students. Yes – I’m the white guy in the middle. Yes – she does practice in her bui-bui (Muslim traditional garb) – we are working on a Muslim appropriate – fire resistant version . . . Lemme know if you have any ideas. Yes – those are dog leashes she is spinning around.

So . . Besides starting a mini-fire dance industry to support a peer counseling group (The Mombasa Youth Counseling Center MYCC) – my fire dance students and I have been going out and working with street children. We have teamed up with several groups around Mombasa to put on the first Street Children’s March and Festival in Mombasa.

What is really amazing so far, is that we have excited the street children enough to start forming singing, dancing, acrobatic and drama groups. They are also putting together testimonials and poetry for the event. So instead of sitting around, fighting and sniffing glue all day – they are working together a bit more and have something to look forward to.

This is also the first event in the city that has the sole purpose of spreading awareness to both the Mombasa public and the homeless. For the public we want them to get to know the homeless – no more giving 5-shillings and walking away – ask them their name dammit! And for the homeless – we want them to start working together, learn what opportunities are out there and have enough encouragement and support to go after them.

Challenges I would love your input on-
-Clothing: What can Muslims wear safely while fire dancing?
-Wicks: I have yet to find Kevlar or any large wicking material – other than wrapping denim with wire (which doesn’t go out …. and is a little dangerous).
-Safety: Suggestions for safety equipment would be appreciated. The street children love to set things on fire . . need for serious fire safety measures (there are homeless adults that watch over them, which I home to make into the fire marshals).
–General: Sadly, the homeless live around piles of burning plastic and sniff glue all day.

Thanks for your support!

-Will

Help Will keep the fire burning in Kenya, getting youth off the street!  Click here to donate.