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Manege free of charge in the holiday program: Duderstadt children practice with artists from Tanzania
Duderstadt. “Do you want to show what we practiced?” Konstantin Krolop from Caritas South Niedersachsen Family Center and Family Schooling doesn’t have to ask the children rushing around the lawn behind the hostel twice: “Pyramid”, it sounds from a corner, “Can I go upstairs?” from another corner. Gradually, the first children kneel down, others bend on their backs, the next ones climb up with the help of adults. A child who initially missed his assignment is waved over by one of the tutors. The man signals the child, and the boy knows what position he is destined for. He climbs into place – and after a short time the children have built the pyramid.
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When a picture is taken, everyone standing on the floor has clapped and all the children crawl down or stand up again with the adults’ help, you hear “cool” and “it worked out well”: evoking the sense of achievement in children is one of Krolop explains the aims of the workshop during the children’s holiday week with the acrobatics team from the Kigamboni Community Center (KCC) in Tanzania. “They should get to know their own strengths and try them out.” The KCC team includes eight young people who participate in a cultural exchange program in Salzgitter for a year. Meanwhile, they regularly train with children and young people in sports, dance and acrobatics.
Presentation for parents on picnic blankets
Among other things, the juggling group worked with ribbons.
© Source: Nadine Eckermann
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Before the children’s holiday week, hardly any child would have dared to do artistic gymnastics. Now, after a week of training, the approximately 40 participants can present acrobatics, dance and juggling: a choreography to a Shakira song, plate juggling and an artistic slapstick interlude with hats, somersaults and pyramids. On Friday, the children’s families were guests to see the results of the holiday week. On picnic rugs and camping chairs, they relax and follow the program that the children have drawn up. Despite the different ages, the group seems to be united. That was also part of the objective, explains Krolop. Each day was structured in such a way that the children could first arrive, find themselves and focus. At a common breakfast around the fireplace, there was an opportunity for exchange.
So no one is surprised when Korlop asks: “Are you focused?” Before the pyramid is built during training: The children have learned to alternate between effort and relaxation – something they can also enjoy outside of sport. They all have a different background – not just in terms of age. Like on the inclusive campus in general, that’s exactly what’s used, the pyramid is a good example of this: if you’re still small, you just climb to the top. In addition, the project pursues a sustainable educational approach. “We want to offer a lot of fun, but also strengthen our awareness of nature and the climate,” explains Vera Rodenstock. And the subject of integration also plays a role. During the workshop, it is hardly noticeable that participants and workshop leaders do not speak the same language, but that is how it is. So hands and feet are used when there is something to “discuss”.
Kigamboni Community Centre
The Kigamboni Community Center (KCC) serves as a focal point for children and youth from the Kigamboni district of the city of Dar el Salaam, which has a population of five million, to learn and play. The offer includes courses in dance, acrobatics, music and handicrafts. Among other things, they address girls and boys whose parents, for various reasons, cannot take care of their children’s education themselves, reports KCC founder and acrobat Nassoro R. Mkwesso in Duderstadt. KCC has offered an acrobatics program since its founding in 2007, and in 2009 a traditional and modern dance group was added. In addition to physical activity, KCC offers guidance and language lessons and teaches about topics such as HIV, child abuse and prostitution, says Mkwesso.
With the performance on Friday in front of the families, the children took another special step and went outside with what they had learned. Krolop is happy that it worked so well: “The children learned a lot, they can be proud of that.” He and the Caritas team, the KCC artists and above all the parents gave a lot of applause.