Wednesday August 24, 2016
Kabul (BNA) A children’s circus act is bringing hope and joy to the residents of Kabul in the Afghan capital’s annual National Circus Festival.
The four-day festival was initiated 2008. The aim was to bring hope to thousands of Afghan children affected by the country's prolonged war. This is no ordinary circus act. At Kabul’s annual National Circus Festival, a special troupe is entertaining residents with a mix of juggling, acrobatics and music, all without clowns or trained animals. The performers are children from the Mini Mobile Circus for Children, a Danish-supported organization. The Circus in Afghanistan was first established in 2002. It works with children who've been orphaned and traumatized by decades of war. “With beautiful entertainment shows and their talents, Afghan kids can show their abilities, talent and art to others and by doing so, they can bring a smile to people’s faces and show them their talents,” said MMCC local program manager Khalilullah Hamid.
The circus is working with 1,600 Afghan children in 10 provinces. It provides educational and other fun programs to promote and build self-confidence. “When I come here, I play and spend time with other kids. I feel happy, I never have bad feelings,” said MMCC member Shoaib. Security remains a big concern. But the presence of colorfully-dressed children on the streets of Kabul encourages people to forget about violence and bloodshed, if only for a moment. “The security situation is not good, so we can say it is 100 percent tension-free, but we still manage the children to not get scared. We never tell them about the problems or insecurities while we are out in the city, we just boost their morale by telling them that you show your talent to people and teach other kids, so they can feel happy,” said Hamid. As day turns into night, visitors can watch circus members play with fire and not get burned.
