"We Cannot Tire or Give Up"

By Suzzanne Pautler

Kenyan Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, is known worldwide for her Green Belt Movement. Over the course of a thirty year period, her campaign encouraged women in East Africa to plant more than 40 million trees to combat deforestation. In addition, she authored “I Will Be a Hummingbird,” a humanitarian-themed story which challenges the reader to see life from the hummingbird’s perspective. “The least amongst us can be the greatest.  Small development interventions can make meaningful impacts.”  

Necessary Arts visited Sud Academy this afternoon for a three hour workshop focused on developing stage presence, stage directions, and memorization techniques.  Small groups of students rotated through each skills-based workshop. I challenged each group to a memorization activity based upon various famous quotes.  A group of six young teenagers focused on Wangari Maathai’s quote, “We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk.”  The young men were confident that if they heard the quote twice, they would be able to recite it back to me, but not one student succeeded.

We discussed how sometimes it is easier to see information than to hear it.  Each student copied the quote onto a piece of paper, had a few minutes to read and memorize, and then were challenged to perform the quote orally.  Two first boys accomplished this task with ease. The next two boys proudly stood in front of the camera with huge smiles on their faces, but no words escaped their lips.  They were asked to spend more time memorizing, and then come back outside to record. The final two boys could almost accomplish the task without error, but were also asked to return in a few minutes to record again.  One of the goals of Necessary Arts focuses on English literacy development, which is why we challenge the students to accomplish reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks. We know this is not always easy, but this is in and of itself part of the challenge.

Memorization in English

A few minutes later I turned around, and my silent, grinning boys had returned.  During the five minutes they were in the classroom, they came up with Plan B.  They would not allow themselves to fail this memorization task, even though they did not have the English skill set to succeed. Using their ingenuity and creativity, they returned to the camera, opened their mouths, and recited the quote with perfection...all in Kiswahili.  “We cannot tire or give up” came alive right before my eyes!

Commitment to the Task at JEHO

By Suzzanne Pautler

The weather never seems to be on our side when we have a trip planned to Jeho.  The rain turns the “road” into a series of muddy ruts, allowing some cars to travel while others get stuck.  Today was no exception. The only variable was that since the “road” is being repaired right now, we had to travel the long way around to reach our destination.  But as always, the sun shines within the orphanage!  Ten of the eldest students are at school right now to prepare for their end of term exams.  While we are proud of them and their academic commitment, we certainly missed their presence.  Nevertheless, we worked with more than 30 eager participants in today’s session.  

We invited the children to participate in a series of activities throughout the duration of our five hour visit. Each participant involves himself fully in the tasks we present, no matter if individual, small, or large group interactions. What I love about being in the company of these children is that no distinction exists amongst themselves. By that I mean that age, sex, ability, or even language skills matter not. Everyone works together and encourages one another.

At one point during the morning, we separated into three smaller groups to assign age-appropriate learning challenges. As I sat down with the oldest students to talk about their choices of drama scripts for this week’s performance, I had to laugh because I could not  distribute the scripts easily as I cradled five month old Destiny in one arm.  A few minutes later, one of my small groups needed six characters to perform their script, but realized they only had five members. Without hesitation, they asked Mama Miriam to act as their narrator.  She calmly stood downstage left to read her lines, while simultaneously feeding two year old Grace in her arms.  Meanwhile the five and six year olds would casually meander away from their group to come over and show the big kids in my group the colorful puppets on their hands.  I love the ease with which all of the brothers and sisters in the orphanage interact with one another.  Nobody shows impatience or frustration with one another. Their smiles and the commitment to the task continue, no matter how many interruptions or additional challenges.

Today was the first of the three days of workshop. When asked what the students would like to do during tomorrow’s visit, the obvious answers prevailed, “I would like to communicate with others,” “I’d like to know more about acting,” “I’d like to be able to do a full play, keeping track of all the areas on the stage,” “I’d like to try my best and memorize the scene,” and, of course, one less than obvious response of “I would like to have an eating competition.”

Triumphant!

"These children are not orphans"

By: Le’Jon April Payne

I can not begin to imagine what life would have been like, growing up in a world as complicated as the one we live in, without my mother or father. Who would I have become? I imagine that I would have spent the majority of my time wondering who my parents were, where they were, and questioning “who am I?”. I can only imagine that I would have questioned my destiny, my purpose, and my value. I would most assuredly have wondered about who I was, my identity, and what would I have to contribute to society.

A lot of people find their identity in their family. The tragedy of not having parents and feeling like you don’t have a place in this world, is why I love Kenya, it is why I love Jeho and I why I will continue my commitment to serving children around the globe. The children at Jeho are amazing. They don’t have parents, but they are extremely resilient. The directors at the orphanage in Jeho see the value in these children who some might say have been “thrown away.” How can someone who has been thrown away find their way? It’s amazing how the Necessary Arts program has the unique privilege of entering the lives of these unreachable children and sharing moments in their lives. The Necessary Arts team goes to impart knowledge into these beautiful faces and warm smiling children, but in return, we receive the gift of life and inspiration from them. These bright eyes and beautiful smiles, laugh, act, sing and dance, with us, as if they have not a care in the world. They live in conditions that most Americans have no idea exist, but yet they are more triumphant than a group of children living in a privileged society.

My most powerful moment teaching a group of students the poem “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson. As they recited the poem together their eyes became wide, I could immediately tell that this was not just another drama piece for them, but it was motivation. As we all recited the line “We are all meant to shine…” one 12 year old girl screamed “YES!” She was deeply moved by the words of the author and she began to see herself shining in the text. The director of the center came over and sat down with the group and he began to memorize the poem as well. He said, “This is powerful.” I soon realized that the poem was a reflection of what he believed would help these children overcome. He spoke about how he believes there are no mistakes and how you can use your worse circumstance to become triumphant.

Triumphant! We went on to practice our poem and prepare for our play “The Grasshopper and The Ant” By: Pat Lay Wilson. The students continued to enjoy themselves and then they shared songs and dances from their culture. One of the songs they choose to sing was about shining. It was wonderful to see their lights shining brightly in that dark room. We danced around the room in a circle of love before we left. As we were leaving we were given many hugs and most importantly told, “you are family.” We were family to children who did not have a biological family. We had a place in their home and in their hearts. I believe the mission and the goals of the Necessary Arts team were accomplished today and that we had the unique privilege of participating in another triumphant moment, in the lives of those who had been thrown away, but still, had a unique identity, purpose, and passion.  

First Day Jitters at JEHO

By: Shanequa Dasher

Last night I felt like it was the night before the first day of school. I laid out my uniform, prepared my materials, and tossed and turned, daydreaming of the lessons, reactions, and personalities that I would encounter with the upcoming day. As I arose, well rested and excited for my day, I still couldn’t help but be a little nervous. How will the children receive this new face? Will they think I’m a little too kooky for their liking? Will they be just as nervous as I imagined I was?

These thoughts were soon put to rest as we were greeted by a friendly unfamiliar (yet familiar in a past life) face. His name was Pastor Joseph. He was the paternal figure of the Jeho Orphanage that we would be visiting. He greeted each and every one of us with an enormous warm hug (even me, the new face on the block). His embrace made me forget the nervous energy, forget the what ifs, how will, and will they. His embrace made me feel welcomed, appreciated, loved, and like family. I knew then, that if in fact these children that I would meet were in the leadership of this very individual, my worries and apprehensions had permission to subside. He guided us through the muddy waters of the dirt roads that had a fresh coat of rain from the earlier in the day. We rode through the bumpy terrain until we arrived at the doorstep of the very place, I will now affectionately refer to as, home.

We were greeted by little smiling faces who embraced us each with a handshake and hug. What was I ever nervous about? The children were genuinely excited to meet me, and see the other two familiar faces with whom they had worked with before. Our day began and now that the wonders and worries were over, it was time to have fun. Attentively and eagerly each child gathered around in a circle. They listened to Ms. Suzzi, The Necessary Arts Coordinator, as they were re-oriented and made privy to what the day had in store. They interactively responded to her questions, provided feedback, and were enthusiastic about the day ahead.

Alright….I’m up. It’s time for a getting to know you activity with Mrs. Dasher. I started with something light, but I still wanted to push them a little beyond their comfort zone. Of course they thought I was some silly new lady, but guess what? It worked out just fine. We did a simple introduction activity where each child(and adult) introduced themselves while taking on(and vocalizing) the persona of an animal of their choosing. I was a kitty cat, and of course everyone wanted to be a cat, but we escaped that animal with a little guidance, and the kids came up with some creative animals and sounds of their own. A few that I’m sure I may need to look up soon. I was pleased with how the introduction activity went, and was super happy the EVERY child participated. We continued with Mrs. LA and one of my favorite acting warm ups: Zip, Zap, Zop. The fierce spirit of competitiveness was on! They had the opportunity to play this game with Mrs. LA on a previous visit and were excited to hop back into it.

Ms. Suzzi and I collaboratively introduced a lesson on theater stage directions, and took and interactive approach in getting the students to learn them. After a run through of what each stage direction was, we allowed a few volunteers to approach the stage one at a time and go on a treasure hunt, blindfolded. The students in the audience were responsible for directing the blindfolded student using only the terms, “Stage left, stage right, center stage” etc. This was undoubtedly a fun and interactive way to teach and learn something that could otherwise be pretty ordinary. They thrived for the competitive edge of finding the “treasure” the fastest. Ultimately the teaching and learning process was a success.

We took a quick lunch, and immediately broke into small groups by age. I had the opportunity to work with my favorite age group, the youngsters which ranged from 3-11, while LA and Suzzi worked with two older groups. We began with the theatrical yet simplistic art of, storytelling. It was an opportunity to broaden their schema, introduce some new vocabulary, and listen to Mrs. Shanequa make silly character noises. They loved every minute, and to my surprise read along with me without being prompted to do so. In my short hour and a half block of time we did A LOT. We read, we reenacted using puppets, we reenacted using our own physicality, and we reflected on what we learned and were excited to do for the other two days that I visit them. They shared that they loved to sing and dance, and we all collaborated on the song that we would create to tell the story that we just read. It was a collaborative, heartwarming, and fulfilling experience I will never forget. The laughter, the smiles, the warm hugs, and high fives resonate vividly in the memories of my day. I look forward to days 2 and 3 and most importantly the other visits to Jeho Orphanage that are ahead.

Balancing the Scales of Education

by Naima Thompson

According to the United Nations Declaration of Rights Article 26 #1,

“Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.”

As I read this and contemplate my educational experience, I shudder at the thought of countless students in my own country and throughout North America who sit in classrooms everyday without a thought in the world for the tens of thousands, if not millions, who will never know the inside of a classroom. The expectation of every country is to provide free primary school education for its children. Even if that was to manifest, what about education beyond the primary years? In Trinidad and Tobago, I sat in an all girls secondary school and received an outstanding education at no tuition cost to my parents. I took that opportunity for granted most days. I showed up armored with uniform and books and spending money for snack and lunch and enjoyed all that came with being among my friends and esteemed teachers. I never thought about fighting for my education, even as a girl. No one ever pointed out to me that so many teenagers my age in other parts of the world would never attend secondary school classes because of economic depravity or gender bias or both.

As a teacher in New York many years later, I was still so very clueless and completely unaware of the global struggles for education. I knew by then there was something fundamentally wrong with students wasting their free education as they fought each other over the pettiest of issues, disrupting their teacher’s efforts to share with them with tools they would need to become viable contributors to society. I never mentored those students through a lens of gratitude for the opportunities they were given, yet so many others were not. It was not until my thirties that I started to understand how imbalanced the scales of education really are.

I had already reconciled the reality that all men are born equal, realizing all men were most certainly not living as equal beings. I knew this when Peggy showed up one too many times in my primary school with the smelliest and dirtiest of uniforms, with her hair uncombed standing firmly as a nest on her head, and with not a single book, paper or pen or pencil with which to shape her future. I posed this concern to my mother and thrust upon her the urgency of finding out more about Peggy and changing her circumstances to match my own. I did not have an understanding of humanity and how we all play a part in ensuring its upkeep, but I definitely knew that I was no more deserving than Peggy and wanted very much to balance our own scales. The following morning my mother paid a visit to my school principal and just like that the scales were even…for a while anyway. As it turned out Peggy and her mother had been living in an abandoned bus. I never found out more than that. But when Peggy came to school the following week, she had the advantage of dignity and resources in a new school bag, which at least gave her a fighting chance.

JEHO at work with Necessary Arts

It is with that same spirit child that I now continue to make strides toward evening the scales of education as best as I can with the tools I have. The first time I walked through the slums of Pipeline Nairobi, I knew that my NGO, Necessary Arts School, would make a difference in the lives of the children I was about to encounter. At the time, I walked alone as the only non-Kenyan, toward the JEHO orphanage ready to use the dramatic arts to aid in the children's development. The children and teenagers greeted me with a warm welcome, as well as with a great sense of curiosity, as they sat obediently in their white plastic chairs typically used for church service, listening intently to me explain my purpose for entering their world.  They very patiently and respectfully learnt about Ms. Naima and the Necessary Arts School and what was to come. Five visits later, each time with a team of teacher volunteers, a strong bond of mutual trust and respect between JEHO and NAS is ever present.

It is in this space of mutual regard that our partnership can manifest its most urgent and needed goal: the education of 18 adolescents, both girls and boys.

The teenagers at the JEHO Orphanage will leave their sanctuary in the Pipeline Slums and head out to various boarding schools to earn a basic human right provided for free in many countries, but certainly not theirs: a secondary education. They will be free of worrying whether or not they will remain in school for the full year of 2016. The Necessary Arts School team has paid the full tuition and incidentals for each secondary school aged student at JEHO to demonstrate our commitment to and belief in the rights of education for all. We are committed to continuing the drive for this education fund to sustain these students’ tuition fees throughout the years to follow. Part of that commitment involves reaching out to other humanitarians with similar desires to sponsor the education of our global youth, but perhaps with no trusted system through which to do so.

The cost for a secondary education in Nairobi, ranges from $250-350 USD per child per year. Until the Kenyan government can balance the scales of education for their own, we, the privileged and abled humanitarians of the world, must weigh in and tip the scales for those who so deserve this basic human right of education.

If you are one of those humanitarians who wishes to contribute to our Education Drive, please contact us at necessaryartsoutreach@gmail.com for further information about how you can get involved in balancing the scales of education.

A Parent’s Reflection

 
by Paula Peters

A number of years ago, I was asked “What do you consider success to be?”  After pondering for sometime, I responded, “ I will have succeeded if my children leave the world a better place than they found it.” And so over the years, I’ve tried to impress upon my kids the importance of being productive members of a global society.

To some extent I’ve been successful. My children have been exposed to a number of experiences through travel and community service. We have dinner conversations around privilege, carbon footprint, and integrity. But even though my children have both had volunteer experiences, these experiences have rarely gone beyond the traditional “charity” framework. Rarely have they been pushed to become sensitive to the nature and needs of other cultural groups.

For my son Jannick, the Necessary Arts experience in Nairobi was a turning point.  Before he joined Necessary Arts - Reach the Unreachable Nairobi project, his reflection was shaped by the expectations of others. Even though he had had many deeply engaging service opportunities before, he sometimes struggled with making meaning to since many of those experiences were not authentic or organic in nature. He had been able to sympathize with the suffering of others but he often actually compared himself with other youngsters or asked, “ How would this experience shape me had this been my life’s story?”

After joining Necessary Arts Team in Kenya Jannick is better able to engage with social issues outside his immediate experiences and to feel an obligation to help make a difference.

After sharing tea with George, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, writing poetry with Valarie, a Massai teenager who was also 16 and interviewing boys and girls of JEHO, Jannick now has the capacity to imagine someone else's point of view and the desire to establish and maintain supportive relationships with such individuals. He is better able to embrace life lessons, and understand how certain unspoken perspectives, dispositions, and behaviors sometimes reinforce

how we view others and ourselves.

The Grasshopper and the Ant

By Suzzanne Pautler

The shining sun has dried up all the rain, well, most of the rain!  The streets were wet, but completely passable today.  The brightness of the sunshine matched the positive energy and love that welcomed us back to Jeho this morning.  After a few warm up activities, the older children went upstairs to continue working on their monologues, while I stayed inside with the younger children to work with the drama scripts.   

After enjoying each other's laughter and smiles while we highlighted our lines, we put away the markers and got to work. We are performing Aesop’s fable “The Grasshopper and the Ant,” and even though Necessary Arts hasn’t worked with the children for five days, they still remember all of their memorized lines!  I suppose their great success with this activity is that they study under an educational system which supports rote learning.  Likewise, the students are fantastic at choral reading, which is probably a common classroom task.  The morale of the fable is that we must help out our friends by working together.  The morale spoke to these children as it seems to be a life motto they grasp and live by.  

After two hours, the older and younger groups united, and we shared with them seedless dates from Dubai. They had never tasted dates before. I was pleasantly surprised that every date was eaten!  We then welcomed the children to perform their many talents for us on stage.  Since today is December 22, several Christmas carols were shared, including Feliz Navidad, as were various other songs and dances.  The children have no hesitation, nor feel any embarrassment to perform.  Their self-confidence is bountiful, as is their passion for life.  Necessary Arts always enjoys returning to Jeho, as we empower the students to realize their full potential. They are becoming confident, productive, and innovative contributors to society.