| Sarakasi artists launch monthly outreach programs for kids with special needs |
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The Sarakasi Hospital project, a project of the Sarakasi Trust that has been using arts to provide solace to kids in hospitals since 2006 has expanded its scope to include outreach programs in correction centers and day cares for specialized kids in Nairobi and Maai mahiu. Â
The hospital project started off as a pilot project in Mater Hospital before extending to Mbagathi and Kenyatta National Hospital where they now visit the kids in various wards every week. The program aims at helping the kids deal with the pain and provide ‘a meaningful’ stay in the hospital; engaging the kids in a mix of educative, creative and entertaining activities such as singing, dancing, puppetry, clowns, arts and craft activities, reading and interactive games and story telling among others. The 8 member team visits the hospitals everyday of the week except on Mondays ; with Tuesday mornings being dedicated to kids at eye unit Kenyatta Hospital and the cancer ward in the afternoons. The team visits HIV positive kids and pediatric unit at Mbagathi Hospital on Wednesdays, kids at the fracture unit at KNH o Thursdays and on Fridays, the pediatrics and burns unit at Kenyatta Hospital. According to Stephen Otieno, an artist and one of the members of the project, this has brought positive change to the kids and is also a way of exposure to them; because some of them come from less privileged backgrounds where such entertainment as clowning is not common. But its not the kids only who benefits but the artists as well, says Stephen as working with them makes them content , help them develop a lot and also makes them appreciate life and every moment one has. ‘Kids are so kind and accept everything you give them’ he said The move to include the care homes for special needs kids, and the correction center, was because of ‘demand’ says Stephen, and also because they felt these groups were neglected. Now the group runs out reach programs at the Kamiti correction centre once a month, Kabete twice a month ,Mathare once a month and in Maai Mahiu once a month. The Maai Mahiu centre is for kids with special needs such as autisim, celebral palsy and other conditions. For the out reach programs however such as the correction centre, Stephen says it is more of ‘teaching’ as the artists not only entertain them but also teach them some of the artistic skills such as acrobats. There are four artists involved in the outreach program. |
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