Acrobatic school for street kids in Zanzibar

Clalence Lutumo and his team are what people sometimes call "street kids". After discovering acrobatics a few years ago in a community shelter, he decided to create his own school on Zanzibar island to teach this discipline to poor young people. Move Zanzibar is now composed of 8 members. In addition to the artistic aspect of this school, Clalence's mission is to help these young people access a sufficient level of education through a second chance school.

Action is now needed to finance schooling, transport to school and food for these young people. Indeed, although Move Zanzibar sometimes manages to offer performances in hotels, this means of subsistence alone is not enough, especially during the low tourist season.

Move Zanzibar's project is simple. It consists in supporting the team's schooling as well as developing the influence of the acrobatics school to attract more street kids. The financial assistance would cover food needs, bus transportation to school and school supplies for a period of at least 4 months.

My name is Clalence Valentino Lutumo. I was born on April 16, 1994 in Irunga, Tanzania. I come from a very poor family.

I started school at the age of 6 and left at the age of 9. From that day on and without telling my family, I became a street boy. I slept in bus stops and ate what I could find. For 13 years I survived day after day in the streets of Dar-es-Salaam until the day I decided to change my life.

I managed to join the Kigamboni Community Centre, which aims to rehabilitate children living on the streets or from abusive families. This centre also supported the development of talent in various fields, including sport. That's how I started doing acrobatics, a discipline that quickly became my passion. Then I learned how to cook in a great Hotel in Dar-es-Salaam and decided to leave for Zanzibar in the hope of becoming a Chef there.

But when I arrived on the island I realized that a lot of young people were left to their own devices. It sent me back to my own story and from that point on I decided to take them under my wing and teach them acrobatics. I was convinced that this discipline could allow them to gain self-confidence, to give meaning to their lives, to learn community life as it worked for me.

That's how Move Zanzibar was born. We are currently a group of 8 boys including me. My ambition is to help these young people to achieve a sufficient level of education and to continue to develop their acrobatic talent. We train every afternoon on the beach at the end of the day where we invite all the children to come and participate with the hope of stirring up ever more passion and making the school grow.

For 8 people for 4 months (16 weeks):