MEET THE CHILDREN
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Abdul Hamza
Abdul was born 17 years ago. He came to the TunaHAKI Centre after the death of his mother and the subsequent abandonment of his father. With no other relatives to take care of him and his siblings, he was forced to live on the street. He and his siblings lived on the streets for 6 months until TunaHAKI found them. They have been living at TunaHAKI for over 6 years now.
"We need a big building with enough space to practice acrobatics and dance, keeping up the animals, chickens and gardening. We also need to build our own theatre stage so that many people can see our performance. We need a vehicle so that we can go and return to the centre in time. I need my acrobatic talents to be sustained and developed. Things which are uncomfortable are the lack of practical acrobatic equipment, like a one wheel bicycle and such. I need to develop my talents by seeing other acrobatic groups in the world. By doing so, I expect to gain experience. I need to learn how to design costumes, props and build stages in the future. Our guardian needs to be supported so that he can take care of us without problems. I like TunaHAKI because it removes me from difficulties and keeps me safe, and keeps my family together. Acrobatics helps me build friendship, and it makes me feel like a star!"
-- Abdul
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"The children at TunaHAKI are amazing. When you hear their stories, and the
traumas they have been through, it is difficult to believe that they are the
same smiling, beautiful and friendly children before you. I know this is due
to the work David does with them. Kids that grow up on the streets have very
low self esteem and learn not to trust anyone, and yet these kids, through
their acrobatic routines, are forced not only to trust one another, but to
work together as a team and a family. And at the end of it all, they have
something to be proud of. It’s beautiful and it works."
Zoe Marinkovich
Assistant Director, TunaHAKI Foundation
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