True Yoga is more than what you experience during practice: it’s how those experiences transfer into the rest of your life. Yoga impacts on your realtionship with other people and with the world. I no longer feel shy about saying that I do yoga to change the world; and I am part of a diverse and committed whole family of people who feel the same way. Please take a few moments to read about the current projects I am involved with, and do not hesitate to contact me for more information or ways to get involved.
Yoga for Street Kids – Global Mala Project - Viatu Poverty Eradication Campaign – Yogis for Peace – Ghetto Arts Collective
"Yoga has taught me to be passionate about my own self, love others and the environment.It has physically, mentally and spiritually empowered me." - Kennedy Owino, Nafsi
Nairobi, Kenya is home to a talented group of young male acrobats with a vision that is changing their communities. Officially a “self help group…experienced in the discipline of acrobatics, danse, theatre, music, yoga, arts and crafts production and social work.” these young men, called 'Nafsi', are dedicated to creating large scale social change by offering alternative life choices to others who are starting as they did – living in the slums and unable to afford traditional education. |
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A chance meeting between the NAFSI acrobats, and Acro Yogi Paige Elenson led her to Sarakasi Trust's home base – the GoDown Centre – where street kids can go to learn all kinds of performance arts, fine arts and computer skills. Sarakasi offered her the space to teach some yoga classes; and the seed that she planted grew in the hearts and minds of many young street kids who continued practicing on their own and with other teachers from around the world who were drawn to their unbridled enthusiasm for yoga and genuine eagerness to learn. |
"Yoga has taught me how to approach life positively, live positively and do everything with confidence, going/ stretching beyond my limits and capabilities."
Do African Street Kids Really Need Yoga?
I believe that spreading Yoga in Africa can help stop the cycle of violence that plagues much of the continent at a very root level. This may sound hugely optimistic, but the young men and women I met and taught convinced me it was possible.
The yoga students I had the priviledge of teaching are from the slums and have grown up in physical conditions so foreign to us that they must not be described but experienced to be understood. In addition to this most have limited education and many are victims of extreme violence, both domestic and otherwise; and came from broken families with histories of illness and alcoholism. The greatest misfortune of this type of situation is that the negative cycle is generally perpetuated – for girls multiple teenage pregnacies and continued victimization; and for boys violence, gang membership, substance abuse etc. This occurs do to a lack of options, the absence of models of positive interaction, and the societal stigma that weighs on their young shoulders.
My first meeting with them defied the latter - they were all practicing yoga, then meditating, then hugging each other! What set these 'street kids' apart is that they had found alternate ways of chanelling their energy – through acrobatics, danse, painting and yoga – and had thus opened to a new way of being and interacting.
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"Opening up, smiling, laughing, unity and much more that i can't mention are some of the values i will attribute to yoga." - Stephen Otieno
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I believe that yoga in particular, with its physical embodiment of a philosophy of non-violence and oneness rooted in strength, courage and determination can open anyone to a more peaceful and united way of living. AcroYoga especially, with its incorporation of trust, co-operation and non-sexual touch can be both educational and healing; especially to those who have been victims of violence. When exposed to a loving, supportive, peaceful environment even the most jaded children are given the opportunity to soften, to open and to aspire to go further and be more than a reflection of their history. |
| On a more practical level, dedicated students can also work towards becoming certified and then earn an income as teachers. The AcroYoga Organisation, Baron Baptiste (Power Yoga) and Jivamucti New York have generously offered scholarships to some of the Sarakasi Acrobats, and future teacher trainings with these top teachers and more are being organized in Nairobi. Once certified, employment options for Yoga teachers in Nairobi exist and are rapidly multiplying. Yoga is hitting the mainstream in East Africa, as can be seen on billboards, in bookstores and at movie rental locations; and having a career as a yoga teacher is a realistic possibility for many of the adults training at the Go Down Centre. |
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“Ever since the day I was introduced to Yoga by page, things have changed greatly...personally I’ll keep doing Yoga to my best in the hope that one day I become a great Yoga teacher from the Motherland! NAMASTE” -Victor Omondi, Nafsi
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already spend their afternoons teaching: they travel to various slums
and teach yoga and acrobatics to those who cannot make it to the Go
Down Centre. This is a perfect example of one of the most beautiful
aspects of African culture: as soon as someone earns something of value
(an education, skill, trade, etc.) their first instinct is to share
that gift with those who wouldn't otherwise have acces to it. Nafsi
recognised the benefits of teaching in the slums to provide an
interesting and fun activity for the kids - to keep them away from
drugs, crime etc (for more information on their mission please visit
www.nafsiafricrobats.org). They also serve as role models to these
children - by becoming teachers they will not only empower themselves
but they give children with nothing something to do and someplace to go
- every day and in life in general. |
“I have got a big new family that will always respect me, love me and help me grow while I also give all of this to them too. Am talking about my yoga family.” – Stephen Otieno
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Trust has seen the value in providing yoga classes at their centre, and
plans to build a yoga room in the new Sarakasi Dome which we helped dig
the foundation for this fall! To make this a reality they are relying
on the fundraising efforts of Paige, myself and the AcroYoga family. My
first task is to buy and ship mats so that the students at the Go Down
Centre can have some protection from the broken cement they currently
practice on (just check out my feet in the pictures!!). Please contact
me to donate towards mats, or Sarakasi to make a donation for the
construction of the yoga room (www.sarakasi.org).
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But as with any volunteer effort its really best to let what those you wish to reach out to tell you what they think and need - so here's more of what the boys I taught had to say about Yoga....
I
did have a lot of physicological problems of my past (mostly the bad
times of my life), but yoga built a big change and my view torwards
everything that happened to me, it had a lot to do with the fact of
looking everything at a very positive way because it built me the
respect of taking time and analysing, taking notice of all that's
happening to me and i do believe that everything that's happening to
life as got a big value and reasons.
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phisical value, as an acrobat it has given me this sence of humour and
the understanding of the body anatomy. this gives me a good formular to
respect my body and noticing every part of it while in the practise.
Also the pleasure of relaxing and energising my body.
Living in
ghetto is a big challenge to many but we can learn to respect this
fact. Taking yoga as a road to change our attitude torward the live we
are living in and giving it the respect and positivelly changing it. |
At
first i got into yoga because of it's streching and physical ability
but as time went by i finally got to learn and noticed a lot of changes
spiritually and physically. to me yoga is a tool that i can run to,feel
and even talk too.
I am lucky to have yoga with me and it will always be my tool to life.
With the brave face of life, yoga empowers me to be an activist for real social change | |  |
Regardless
of the reason one begins practicing yoga, it has this funny way of
filling you up with so much love and positive energy that you kind of
overflow and start putting more and more of it out into the world.......
VIATU POVERTY ERADICATION CAMPAIGN
"Emerging from the streets of Nairobi, Nafsi Afrika Acrobats are seeking to be a bridge of hope which connects people who want to make a difference. Socially committed to cultural change through a diverse program of athletics, arts and community activism, the ultimate goal of Nafsi is the eradication of poverty and the gift of a better future for young Kenyans."
Vision Statement
Registered with the Kenyan Ministry of Culture – Nafsi has established itself as strong self-help community based organization with a mandate to develop programs and initiatives that can help and bring change to the young people of Kenya. Using a multi disciplinary fusion of art and athletics, and already working with local NGO Sarakasi Trust, Nafsi traveling around the slums of Nairobi, providing kids with the opportunity to learn real skills and explore alternatives to life on the streets.
Current Project:
In common with other socially active organizations, Nafsi is seeking partners to participate in anti-poverty projects. We are presently planning a dance and acrobatic theatre "Mash-Up' show for mid December with the aim of raising funds to provide shoes for many of the young people who, daily, make their way to us on bare feet. Our hope is that wearing shoes will not only improve the health of these children by preventing infections like hookworms and tetanus; but that the feeling of comfort and prosperity that comes from wearing shoes will become an empowerment tool towards real positive social change.
Can you help us to - literally 'soften the streets' for thousand of these young people?
Our goal is 10,000 pairs of shoes – an amount that would be a major symbol of what unbound community participation can accomplish.
Please contact Project co-ordinator Kelly Aikins at viatushoecampaign@gmail.com for more information.