Helping Kids in Crisis with Laughter - Doing Good for the Vulnerable Youth
By Michael Castro - Good People News
If you have ever wondered like I have, you have thought: how do kids in areas of crisis/war-torn or disaster areas cope with the situation they are in? One can’t help but think, what if this were me as a child, how would I have survived with such stress? An organization called Clowns Without Borders, through comedic performances, help children, who are in crisis environments, such as refugee camps, conflict zones, and territories in situations of emergencies, cope with their plight.
Their mission is to “promote resilience through laughter. They allow the children to celebrate together and find relief from the tensions that darken their daily lives.”
“Clowns Without Borders (CWB – USA) offers joy and laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency.” - courtesy of Clownswithoutborders.org
As part of this mission, CWB seeks to raise awareness of affected populations and to promote a spirit of global solidarity.
I spoke with Naomi Shafer the Executive Director of Clowns without Borders, who aims to help kids like these. Naomi is also a performing clown as well, having studied clowning at the San Francisco Circus Center's Clown Conservatory.
I asked Naomi, how did Clowns Without Borders get started?
Naomi tells me that one of her favorite parts of the genesis of CWB is that “CWB was the idea of children.” A group of children in Spain were pen pals with children in a refugee camp in Croatia in the early 90s during a time of conflict, and they would ask how their pen pals in Croatia were coping with the situation. They said '‘we are safe now and have shelter and food, but what we really miss is laughter.”
The kids in Spain suggested that one of the clowns, who was fairly famous, that entertained them in Spain, Tortell Poltrona, go perform for their pen pal kids. So he did. He drove to the refugee camp, performed his show, and Clowns Without Borders was born. Over the past 25 years since then, CWB has proceeded to expand around the world. Since their inception, the United States org, (CWB USA) has had 148 tours, in 15 countries, and performed for over 500,000 people.
CWB works in limitless settings and communities. They go where the roads may not and go the distance to show up. Sometimes they go into places “where there is only a footpath. They’ve forged rivers, slept under the stars in remote villages with little to no electricity or running water, and transformed the most unusual spaces into a stage where they hold their free performances.” - courtesy of Clownswithoutborders.org
The clowns, who are professional comics who perform all over the world , volunteer 2 to 3 weeks of their time to perform shows for audiences huge and small, sometimes in places Naomi says, “where the whole town could fit under a tree to 8000 person refugee camps.”
Naomi states, “All children have a right to play. The reaction towards their troubling environments can be to shut down. CWB offers a window for a spark to play and to feel good and to laugh and share joy with other children.” She says that before some children have experience with the clowns, “the children played war…after, they play clown.”
Some other powerful quotes on the impact of CWB:
“Our children are used to tear gas every day. They don’t get a chance to laugh, even in their houses, schools, and community. You have brought laughter that is much needed.” Teacher, Aida Camp, West Bank
“I am so happy. I don’t remember being happy like this for a long time.” - Girl, Obediah Village, West Bank
“The show is very important for the camp because even though the violence happened in 2011, people are constantly reminded of the trauma they faced from bombings and being pushed out of their homes. The laughter is healing and necessary for relief from this trauma. It’s a way to move on.” Audience Member, Myanmar
Clowns Without Borders: A Worldwide, True Community Service.
Clowns Without Borders could benefit from donations, allowing them to spread more laughter to children around the world.
For more information about donating and about CWB, visit their website at: https://clownswithoutborders.org/
You can also interact with them on Social Media through their Facebook and Instagram pages.
