DAY 20: Join Cirkus Zambia to Discover Home
By Gift Chansa, Kabulonga Lusaka and Chibolya, Zambia, July 2017
In July 2017 Circus Zambia is organizing a Day of Learning as part of the Age of Wonderland.
Circus Zambia is Zambia’s first and only social circus company and works with youth from vulnerable backgrounds, supporting them with circus and life skills and employment and educational opportunities in order to blossom and become change makers in their communities. I and the other founders of Circus Zambia were born in Chibolya, a township that is heavily stigmatized and often seen as a hub for crime and drugs. Through circus and acrobatics we developed, traveled the world and opened our minds. At our home in Chibolya we saw opportunity where others saw hopelessness. We saw a chance for innovation and development and started Circus Zambia. We want to inspire others to see the same; opportunity for a better life within your community. Discover Home.
The goal of our day of learning is to inspire young people from marginalized backgrounds to realize their potential. I will share the idea that no matter where you come from, you can use your creativity and sense of entrepreneurship to make the world a better place for yourself and your community.
We want to
- inspire young people to dare to dream
- stimulate young people to look creatively at their environment and see opportunities for income generation
- make young people realize that you don’t have to be what others say you are
Our day of learning will start with a workshop on creative entrepreneurship.We will also invite guest speakers who started creative organisations. Then we will give our participants a challenge: To go out in their community and come up with a creative business idea. This can be in terms of arts, but also waste recycling, small businesses or anything they can think of. They will document this challenge by making a video. Upon return we reflect on business ideas and give advice on next steps. We will end the day with a circus performance called Discover Home, which tells the story of how we grew up, the discrimination we encountered and how arts and circus exposed our bodies and minds and enabled us to start our own organization.
The Day of Learning will take place partly in Chibolya, while the show will take place at the Circus Zambia hub in Kabulonga, Lusaka. The day is open to the public.
For more information check our facebook page www.facebook.com/circuszambia
or email circuszambia@gmail.com
