This afternoon I went to the field with Anne, one of the CHE members (the field refers to going into the communities of Mathare and visiting homes or doing community projects). Today we were to meet with community leaders from Area 2. Despite the fact that I have been here for three months, this was my first time to visit area 2. We walked through a few different communities before arriving at our destination. it always impresses me, those people who can navigate the slums, because it is an intricate maze of twists and turns, small passageways and narrow bridges. But of course, because I travel with a Kenyan, I never get lost.
The meeting place for this particular meeting was different than any other. The building was made of poured concrete floors, cinder blocks for the walls, and transparent sheets of sturdy plastic for the roof. As impressive as the building was, more spectacular were the men inside. They were self trained acrobats who were practicing and exciting routine.
Nothing but pure shock painted my face as I watched in awe. Within this tiny make-shift gym men tumbled, flipped, and contorted their body into obscure positions. Five men jumped through hoops, balanced on heads, balanced on their friends' heads, and built pyramids as high as the ceiling would allow. Amazement lit up my eyes as I watched spectacular displays of strength, flexibility, balance, and agility. Was I really in the middle of the slums right now? What these men had was talent, that was plain to see. But beneath the raw talent, the thing that made their show truly spectacular, was their perseverance and attitude towards a hobby that has changed their life.
I listened as Anne spoke of the type of men they once were -thugs, thieves, drug addicts, but I saw none of the displays of aberrant behavior. Instead I saw joyous faces and easy laughter. These men came together five years ago to instigate a change. And changed they are. They have met to enhance their routines and strengthen their bodies, but in the process they have also strengthened their character.
I marvel at their trust in each-other, the respect they have for one another. There is no way anyone could do those moves without having full confidence in their partner. Men are doing flips and landing on someone's arm. They are doing ariels and back flips with a power jump over the group of men arranged in a pyramid. SMACK! one of the acrobats lands flat on his feet. He doesn't flinch. In-fact, he doesn't even seem phased. A few seconds later one of the men is jumping rope from his back. He is literally bouncing on his back on the concrete floor! Men are jumping off the top level of the pyramid at least 9ft high, and nothing, no pause to grab shins, no massaging of the feet. They just keep going. And I am reminded that their performance is not all that different from their lives -
Indeed, their lives have never been cushioned. They have never had the protection of being padded from every blow. In this one room of concrete and cinder blocks, things are learned the hard way. Every mistake would have hurt, but eventually the sting wears off and you must move on. You have to be tough. Those who stop and feel sorry for themselves get kicked out of the show. You have to move on with the performance and deal with the sting of blows as they come along.
The performance of these men was one of excellence and perfection. Not perfection in the sense of timing or unison, or even body composure, but perfection because these men were perfectly executing life. They had been thrown hardships and instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they decided to turn their lives around. They decided to excel and pursue a passion against all odds.
Is anyone thinking about booking an acrobatics team for their next function? I know a great group of talented guys for cheap hire!
