By Arjun Kohli
This story was published by Reuters in September 2006.
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Raphael Wambua’s family scream at the 18-year-old to come down as he and his two brothers, 14 and 16, perch on a ledge two floors above a communal courtyard.
But instead of walking back down, they jump from the ledge one after the other, landing safely in the courtyard.
“At first we tried to stop them, but we realised that they had a gift from God. We now give them bus fare to go and practise. They can use their talent and get ahead in life,” Raphael’s mother, Consolata Munyasya, said.
The boys’ yellow shirts mark them as members of the Sarakasi Trust, a society of acrobats, dancers, drummers and puppeteers.
In a country where 56 percent of the 34 million people live below the poverty line, acrobatics is an affordable medium of expression — instead of expensive equipment, all one needs is agility and will.
With 4,000 members, the Sarakasi Trust, whose name means “acrobat” in Kiswahili, has become a social movement.
“Sarakasi is like a family to me,” Oneko Arika, a member of the trust, said.
Since the trust’s creation in 2001, acrobats have enjoyed an image makeover. Instead of being labelled “dropouts” or “street entertainers”, those sporting Sarakasi’s distinctive yellow T-shirts are now envied.
In the late afternoon heat in Kariobangi, one of Nairobi’s large slums, a crowd gathers as the Wambua brothers come to practise under the guidance of a more experienced acrobat.
“Sarakasi is really helping a lot in this field of uplifting artists. We go into Mathare, Kibera, all these slum areas, to try and find the talent. You find that most talent in Nairobi is in the slum areas,” Edwin Odiambo, a trainer, said.
Rich Talent
Once dancers, acrobats or musicians are spotted, they are taken under the wing of more experienced practitioners who coach them in social halls, backyards and fields around Nairobi.
Talented young performers can graduate to more intensive training programmes at the Godown Arts Centre in the capital’s industrial area.
Here among the converted buildings, new dance routines are worked out, acrobatic movements are polished and individual talents are harnessed.
A rich variety of teachers from some of the world’s leading acrobatic and dance schools also conduct workshops.
Kenyan performers have gone on to train and perform with the Russian State Circus, the Shanghai Circus School and were invited to tour with the U.S. Harlem Globetrotters. Big concerts also take place each year throughout Kenya.
In February, over 100,000 people flocked to a beach in coastal Mombasa for the Sarakasi Festival which featured 1,200 performers including giant human pyramids, fire breathers, dancers, musicians and gymnasts.
Urban Culture
The Sarakasi Trust raises between $1 million and $1.5 million a year from contracts, a record label and donors.
Some performers, like Michael Wanyoika of the Black-Jambo Group, have been able to help their families.
“When I was performing abroad, I began sending money to my mother and my family and I bought them a house,” he said.
Acrobat Anthony Mutinda echoes this desire to pass on the good fortune provided by Sarakasi.
“When I grow up I will be a person who will be responsible for myself and for other people, for all the community,” he said. “If I gain exposure I will just help street boys to come up, to live, to leave glue sniffing and alcohol and become an acrobat.”
The trust is also changing the way Kenya is viewed.
“We are lifting up Kenya as more than just a wildlife destination. Bringing urban culture to the forefront gives Kenya the opportunity to diversify,” says Rudy Van Dijck, co-founder of the trust.