| Project: Theatre performance and fiction movie Location: Accra, Ghana Period: May 2011 till September 2011 Project management: Marieke de Lange Theatre direction: Mike van Wetten Fiction movie: Jenneke Boeijink Documentary: Nadine Kuipers Partner organisation: CAS (Catholic Action for Street children) Financed by: Triodos Foundation and private donations Budget: €17.500 Theme: This is Me! Goal: Raise more awareness locally about the plight of street children and encourage the personal development of the children Number of participants: 20 Number of shows: 5 with an average of 500 spectators per show |  |
| During the months of May till September we have shot a short fiction movie with all the children and staff members of CAS. This movie will be used during the awareness raising visits to schools in the Greater Accra region this coming year. The aim is to make young Ghanaians aware of the life their peers are living on the streets. And ofcourse we have made a wonderful theatre production called 'This is Me!' In five different communities the kids have shown the audience all the potential and talent they have inside of them. And even more important, the children were able to experience what they can achieve when they are motivated and self-determined, 500 people applauding for you instead of treating you badly. An enormous boost in their personal development that will truly support them on their way to a better future. Five of the children who were part of the show have already moved on to the second phase of CAS' rehabiliation programme, meaning they now have a place to stay and a vocational training for the duration of two years. What's next? For Ubuntu doing a project actually means that everything is really going to start after we have left. We have started the fire to burn and created the spirit to continue. And that's exactly what they want at CAS. Everybody got to experience that theatre is a great tool to make change possible on many different levels. They want to continue to perform This is Me! at schools in and around Accra and visit more communities of the city. Ubuntu wants to support them to do this. So currently we are fundraising to cover the expenses for this Awareness tour. Thousands of (young) people will be invited in a creative and positive way to think about a big social problem. For the participating street children is the best opportunity to feel that you are part of something, that you are capable of something and that you are worthwile. During the tour in 2011-2012 more children will get the chance to participate as members of the group will move on to the next stage in their rehabilitation process, leaving a vacancy for new street children to show what they've got! |
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