"NIKAZI JUNDA" - DRAMA AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATION

A voice for the voiceless
In the streets of Kisauni, a neighbourhood of Mombasa, Kenya, there are numerous young talents who have to find a home on the rubbish dumps. Almasi Rama, who himself grew up in the rubbish dumps of Mombasa, is one of them. As a former street kid, he managed to obtain an ID card and a passport - an act that confirmed his existence as a human being in the eyes of the state for the first time.

For Almas, art was the only way to express his call for change and give a voice to all the people who officially "don`t exist". With this motivation, he founded the theatre group "Talent Nikazi", a safe space for young people to express their worries, fears and hopes. This initiative serves to keep young people away from criminal gangs and offer them a space for development and prospects.

Raising awareness through art and theatre
Through theatre plays and cultural projects, "Talent Nikazi" draws attention to the extreme challenges, violence and hopelessness faced by young people in Kenya. One of the central themes is the stigma of "street children". Almas and his group want to show that these children are not criminals or violent, but victims of a system that does not recognise their official existence. Without ID cards, they are invisible to the state, which often leads to abuse and violence against them - with no consequences for the perpetrators.

Working together for understanding and solutions
Through extensive research at the rubbish dumps and educational work in the surrounding communities, we were able to bring together representatives of the communities, eldest, politicians and residents of the rubbish dumps. The problems were addressed openly in forums and theatre performances in order to promote mutual understanding and look for solutions together. This work was very successful and enabled us to set up our first "Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre".

Protection and hope for traumatised girls
We currently offer eleven girls who have been victims of rape a safe haven. In our centre, they can heal and work through their traumas in order to one day become part of a functioning society again. Thanks to our efforts, we have even managed to provide these girls with a school education - a decisive step towards a future of solidarity.