By Enoque de Carvalho

It was Wednesday, the 20th of September 2023. It was 09:30, and the sun had already started to shine its mighty light. My 15-year-old brother Mateus was lying in bed, limited by his disability to move from one place to another. Due to an accident, he could not walk anymore. He had stopped going to school. Playing football, his favorite sport, had become an impossible mission. While in bed, he looked straight into my eyes and said: “Mano, (which means big brother) perhaps my life is becoming challenging day by day. I am afraid that people will start devaluing me because of my disability. Please, can you do something to help me achieve my dreams in life?”

I replied: “I will do all I can to help you go through this challenging time. Your life will never be like it was before, but still, nothing can stop you from being what you want.”

Nine Months Later: The Echo of a Promise

Almost nine months have passed since I had this conversation with my little brother, and his words still echo in my mind as a general in front of the troops giving orders that no one should disobey. In fact, that day I understood what it is to live with a disability every day of your life. I used to ignore people with disabilities in the street, but now I couldn’t anymore. Their struggle became my struggle; their crying became mine, and their achievements became my ultimate dream in life.

On the Streets: Connecting with Angola’s Disabled

With a mission in mind given by my brother, who sadly passed away three months after that conversation, I went out to the streets, schools, churches, and neighborhoods to meet people who face the same problem. This has been a very powerful experience; I literally met supermen and superwomen.

Marisa’s Story: Trust and Transformation

One day, I met a woman called Marisa Miguel Major. Initially, Marisa did not want to talk to me because, as she said: “I am tired of people who come and promise support, but nothing happens. I am tired of those who look at me as a loser, and you look like one of them!!” She concluded.

Maria was 34 years old, and she was not able to walk. I understood that Marisa was looking for someone to trust, someone who could give her hope, which is not easy to find in today’s selfish society. Somehow, she decided to open her heart and trust me. We talked for about 30 minutes, and I was very moved.

Life’s Daily Struggles: Marisa’s Reality

“Were you born like this?” I asked, though sadness took over my eyes.

“No, I wasn’t born like this!!” She replied. I guess she had a flashback to the time when she could still walk. Then she continued: “Look, I had the privilege to walk until I was 19 years old. I used to go to school, dance, and perform. I was preparing to start my university studies in Sumbe, my homeland. My dream was to become an actress. But then I got a tragic disease that messed up my body, messed up my life forever. I left school, lost my job, and my family had not enough money to support my treatment!”

I became curious and wanted to know more about her and how she deals with daily life, but I lacked the courage to ask.
“You can ask any question you want; I will answer! You seem to be a good boy,” she laughed.
“Thank you! I just can’t understand how you manage to get through daily life,” I replied.
“Life itself is a challenge!” she started. “But for us who live with limited physical ability, everything is difficult, starting from the moment you wake up and understand that your disability is still there. Moving from one place to another is also a big problem even in my own house. I live with my sister, but sometimes she is not there for me. So, I must imagine having my legs and hands working; otherwise, nothing will move. The other challenge is earning money. I do not have a job. I have applied for many jobs, but because of my physical condition, employers don’t hire me. And that’s very frustrating!”

Small Acts of Kindness:

While we were talking, many people gathered around watching us. I realized that all that’s needed is a small act to motivate others to make a difference.
“Do you think these people care about you?” I asked her.
“I guess not! Maybe now they will care, because they have seen you talking to me!”

When she said that, a young man approached us and offered her a sweet biscuit, which she appreciated a lot. She couldn’t believe it! Right after this man, other people felt touched to help as well. It was a touching moment. When I was about to leave, she held my right hand and said: “Please, son, wherever you go, do not forget about me. I really need your help.”

To this day, I am still in touch with her. I decided to give my best in kanthari so that once I return from India, I will be able to support her. I’m sure I will.

Paulo’s Resilience: Overcoming Adversity

Marisa is just one of the extraordinary people. Another one is Paulo Antonio, with whom I connected while at Agostinho University in Luanda. Paulo is the personification of resilience. He was born with his disability, but his mother played a crucial role in his studies. As a student, he went through all kinds of sufferings; not having food for several days, not having money to pay for medical treatment. When Paulo was ten, his father lost his job, and they were evicted from their house. At the same time, his mother got sick. No one was there to help, and life got really tough. He said: “This was the time I decided that despite my physical condition, I will not accept being labeled as a failure.” He studied art and entrepreneurship, and with hard work and perseverance, he has been successful in what he does.

A Vision for the Future: Enoque’s Ambitious Plan

Enoque’s plan is to start an organization that helps people with disabilities to get access to education, transportation, and job opportunities. It’s a social platform with tools like a taxi app, books, training modules, and business networking. The aim is to make sure everyone, especially those aged 12 to 30 with mobility issues, finds a profession of their choice and can succeed in life.

learn more about kanthari here

The post Turning Pain into Purpose: empowerment for Angola’s Disabled first appeared on kanthari.

A Personal Journey: From Slums to Theatre

His love for theatre led him back to the slums of Delhi where his family lived in a tiny 8×10 square-foot room and all members regardless of age contributed to their survival. Anand juggled jobs as a scavenger, security guard, data entry operator, Uber rider, and hotel worker. Knowing first-hand the struggles of slum children, he uses theatre to help them identify their goals beyond the slum and pursue them. His Theatre initiative Anurvana (A new beginning), is more than just providing fun. It shall open a door to full life opportunities.

The Transformative Power of Theatre

In 2016 while working with The Kutumbh Foundation, I was very excited to be conducting theatre workshops with slum children of Delhi. I started with 30 children who displayed inherent talents. This number, however, became highly inconsistent. On some days just one child would show up. Although this was a great opportunity for them to get an education through theatre; why would they not value it? We visited their parents to get an understanding.

Overcoming Challenges: Pursuing Theatre Against All Odds

“What will they do after getting this knowledge? We don’t even have food to eat. First, they have to eat, then only they can study.”

This response took me back to my past, growing up in a slum area with my parents and four siblings, in an 8*10 feet room. The water was scarce, and the electricity was illegally tapped. My father worked in a copper wire factory for a meagre salary. My mother worked as a maid, sometimes accompanied by my elder sister. While my brother left school at the age of 11 and worked in many odd jobs, my sister and I would scavenge for recyclable items before and after school. On some occasions, we would also be forced to find discarded food. At times, we would even resort to mixing salt with water, which became our meal during those difficult periods.

I was quite young when an old man abused me. Sexual abuse is common in the slums but goes unnoticed.

Later, the factory where my father worked closed down. This change in our lives led us to relocate in 2004 to a place in Delhi called Khan Market, an upscale neighbourhood which housed bureaucrats, MPs, and MLAs. My father started working as a security guard in the area while my mother became a maid for these bureaucrats, and for that reason, we were allotted servant quarters. It was quite an upgrade to a 10*12-foot room. Every few years we would end up on the street for a couple of months when the bureaucrat my mother was attached to would move out.

From Inspiration to Impact: Anand’s Journey of Self-Discovery

In 2006, a significant turning point occurred in my life. I had the opportunity to join an organization that offered a diverse range of subjects, which included theatre.

At age eleven, I witnessed my friend’s performance in a theatre production. At first, I didn’t quite understand it, but as the play reached its conclusion, the audience erupted in applause. That moment planted a seed in my mind, igniting a strong desire to receive the same appreciation and be free to jump into different roles and recognition through theatre.

This initial thirst for applause served as my inspiration to dive into the world of theatre. A year later, I took on my first role in a play, and to my surprise, it was performed in front of the Chief Minister. This experience further fuelled my drive to pursue theatre.

After finishing my schooling to support my family financially, I did several jobs: Data entry operator, security guard, uber rider, and hotel line, among others. My father had opened a tea shop, which I took over after he died in 2021.Despite all these jobs, I always try to find time to be with my friends, together with whom I run a theatre production house where we make theatrical plays, short films, and even ads for corporations.

Theatre as a Catalyst for Personal Growth and Self-Discovery

Over the years, theatre has evolved into much more than a mere platform for seeking appreciation. It has played a crucial role in shaping the person I am today. Through the medium of theatre, I have developed confidence, empathy, curiosity, perseverance, and a heightened sense of social awareness. It has proven to be an invaluable tool for personal growth and self-discovery. Soon, just performance wasn’t enough, and I started conducting theatre workshops in various organizations focused on child rights, women empowerment, hygiene, and education, among others. These workshops served as a means to share the transformative power of theatre with others, inspiring positive change in their lives.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Anurvana’s Learn-and-Earn Model for Empowering Slum Children

The response from the slum children’s parents deeply impacted me. For them, the struggle for daily survival takes precedence over education. This realization led me to found Anurvana, which follows the learn-and-earn model, where slum children can simultaneously acquire essential education and practical skills.

Visit Participant 2023 page to more about anand and his fellow participants.

The post Empowering Slum Children Through Theatre for change : Anurvana’s Transformative Journey first appeared on kanthari.