Yoga Session Gift (Digital Download)
The gift of yoga pays for one yoga session for street children in the Interim Care Centre. The yoga sessions help support recovery from trauma, addiction, depression and to enhance self-regulation, self awareness and promote overall well-being. This is the perfect present for any yoga lovers.
How your gift has helped Laughter Africa children in the past:
The children learn yoga in the Interim Care Centre. We have some amazing yoga teachers including Meeky, Sulcut, Barbadee, Frances and Bintu. Hassan is one of the children who learned yoga while he stayed in the Interim Care Centre. Hassan is amazing. Not only was he a natural at yoga but he is also a talented dancer, footballer and actor. Everything he puts his mind to, he succeeds. Most of all he is the most amazing big brother. He lives on the street with his little brother Alpha (10) and his nephew Mohamed (11). He protects them with his life. Although many teenagers would resent the added burden of being responsible for two younger siblings, Hassan sees it as a pleasure. “I love them because they are my brothers. They are all I have left. It is my duty to protect them and keep them safe. I am the man of the house. If I don’t look after them- who else will?”
Hassan is 14 years old and lived on the streets for 6 months before we found him. He turned to the streets after the death of his mother, “My mum died in 2021. She cried that her belly hurt for a long time and then one day she just died. She didn’t have money to go to hospital. I don’t sabi (know) who my dad is. After my mum died we had nobody to provide for us.” With no place to go, Hassan turned to the streets for the survival of himself and his family. He would collect cup cup and scrap metal, just so his brothers would be able to eat every day. He has sacrificed a lot for his family but he never complains. Although Hassan is very bright, he can’t remember when he last attended school.
Hassan, Alpha and Mohamed all suffer from Palmoplantar hyperkeratosis, a condition which affects their hands and feet. On the streets, he was mocked and called names by passers-by, “Some people call us ‘cut cut feet’ or ‘lepers.’ It makes me sad when people are horrible to Alpha and Mohamed or provoke us. I can stand up for myself but Alpha and Mohamed can’t.“
Hassan learned this poem while he stayed with us, "We too are!" and performed it for the International Day for Street Children on 12th April 2022.
Thankfully Hassan has stayed home since his reunification a year and half ago and is making great progress. This academic year he will be sitting the BECE (the Sierra Loene equivalent of GCSEs).
To see some yoga in action at the Interim Care Centre, please watch the Laughter Africa documentary.