- Catherine Hanna, Elizabeth Cunningham, and the girls of KGSA get dramatic.
This summer I had the opportunity to conduct the fourth program of the Seeds for Hope, “For Life” Arts for Empowerment Series with Kibera Girls Soccer Academy. In the summer of 2008 I taught “Poetry for Life“. In 2009 I taught “Creativity for Life” during the summer and Pete Fedak taught, “Music for Life” in the fall and in the summer of 2010 I taught “Drama for Life”, with Elizabeth Cunningham assistant teaching. Each program that we hold confirms for me the moving power of art to stimulate hope, create a vessel for expression, and to bring people together.
During our time together the girls wove between various creative and social activities including: movement, dramatic/acting technique, writing personal monologues, writing ensemble songs with beats, discussion, graffiti free art and team building games among other things. The product of these artistic and playful activities was an original 20 minute performance, written entirely by the girls. They shared the performance with about 50 community and family members. The final performance was a collage piece combining ensemble work, movement, musical interludes and monologues. I leave you with a section of their work now.
This section was created by: Jackline, Faith, Claire, Beatrice, Lynn, Merab, Dushman, Asha, Joyline and Dorine. It’s called, “You Might Think”.
Jackline: You might think I am poor
Faith: that I am very lazy
Claire: shy, quiet, and boring
Beatrice: That I am hopeless with no love
Merab: That I am very serious
Lynn: That I am proud and so wicked to talk to people or interact with people….but I am just a simple caring person, the world has ever seen.
Beatrice: I am really someone who never gives up in life. I am never hopeless.
Claire: I am really courageous, loud and focused.
Faith: I am really a hard working girl so that I can lead my family.
Merab: I am really a joke-maker with people and socializing.
Beatrice: You might think that I am joking, but I am speaking from the bottom of my heart, since my heart is the one thing that tells me and directs me to safer places.
Mercy: You might think that I am shy, afraid and silent, but I am really courageous and talkative.
Dushman: You might think that I am an animal or also something to do with war…but I am really polite and very caring.
Asha: You might say that I am sweet and loving, but I’m really a very angry person and rude.
Joyline: You might say that I am not worthy, loser, and imposter, but I am very honest, ready to give and work hard for what is good for me.
Jackline: You might think that I am poor, but I am really rich inside.
Doreen: You might say that I am very poor, because I camp and live in Kibera, but the truth is that I am not poor, because the almighty God has given me all that the very rich have.
