Coyoacan Mexico city

The major event of our time in Mexico city was Coyoacan. This is a large plaza in a beautiful part of the city where a lot of young people hang out on the weekends. With the 'insecurities' in Mexico in recent months the municipality  had denied everyone permits to perform in this area. But when the team in Mexico city approached the local municipality for a permit, they happily gave it as they said that everyone had become very depressed with all the recent problems in the country and they needed something to cheer people up and remind everyone to 'love their neighbour' again. So our mission was to bring a message of hope and love to the plaza. We invited all the other youth missions in the area to join us, and ended up with a large group. We started off by going around the plaza and offering 'free hugs' to anyone who was interested..... this spread like wildfire and soon people were reaching out to those around them. During this time we also invited everyone to join us later in the afternoon so watch our show. At 5:30 a large crowd had gathered to watch the show, the audience sat spellbound and silent throughout the program,except to applause at the end of each section. We ended with having the audience join us for some 'camp fire' style dancing. Viva Mexico!
Click this link to watch the new and improved version of the Everything drama performed at Coyoacan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnTvRWuMKVM

                                                          All the young volunteers for the mission.

 Happy recipients.

 The crowd intently watches the box skit.

 The girls performing one of their dances.

 Singing in Spanish.

A member of the audience who used to come to Bible studies with Chris when he was in Mexico 15 years ago, but he had lost contact. He just happened to be there that day, he still does bible studies in the same plaza with the books Chris gave to him. He was so happy to make contact again, and will stay in contact with the local mission center.

The crowd join in with the dancing- Mexicans are such lively people.

These boys some how missed out on the free hugs, we found them later, sadly sitting on a park bench with a small white sign they had made them selves which said ' we need free hugs' in spanish. This problem was quickly solved.

Preparation for youth ministry in Mexico city.

In Mexico city we were able to meet up with some of  our full time volunteers from the Family in Mexico, one of whom is also a dancer. Chloe and Jesse will team up to do a duet for one of our dramas and are at present practising very hard for our show on friday.

Mexico city

 We arrived safely in Mexico city on monday night after a long drive. We did our first performance on Tuesday night at one of our Family volunteer centers in Mexico city. Chris did all the emceeing in Spanish and added 'Jesus the light' in Spanish to our repertoire of songs.

Interview with Santiago TV in Mexico

Today we had the opportunity to do a short interview for a Mexican TV station highlighting our work with HIV/AIDS in Africa and also talk about our the programs we will be doing while in Mexico. The interviewer was of course very interested in the fact that Chris worked as a missionary in Mexico for 10 years, and that we have a Mexican working with us at our center in Johannesburg. We also touched on the programs that we had done during the FIFA World cup 2010 as many fans from Mexico visited Johannesburg. Photographs of our work were also shown during the interview.

The Team goes to Mexico

Today our youth team heads over the border into Mexico, first stop Monterry and then on to Mexico city where we will continue to perform. We will keep you updated.

Teen Challenge

 On Wednesday night we performed for Teen Challenge ( an organization that works with Youth at risk-specifically with drug problems) in a rough area of LA, the crime there actually reminded us of South Africa. Our performance consisted of our band playing songs that cover teen age issues, two dramas- the box skit and the everything drama, and a some videos clips of our work in Africa. At the end we really challenged the audience to do their part to change the world- by starting with themselves. After the program a few individuals came up to us and told us that they had cried throughout the  'Everything Drama' and that it had told the story of their own lives. Many more were visably moved. The whole program went over so well and really made an impact on many lives.

                                                                      The Band performing

                                                                         Triple Fusion

                                                    The Box Skit with Chris and Chloe

The Everything Drama

                              A few young people from the audience after the program

                     Amie and Beth collecting emails from the audience after the show

HIV/AIDS Awareness presentation LA

We had the opportunity to do a HIV/AIDS awareness presentation for the Los Angeles County Women and Children's centre for HIV and AIDS.  Our audience included paediatricians, medical research staff, care givers etc. We were able to present  the work that we have been doing in South Africa and share information about HIV/AIDS  that is unique to Southern Africa. The  staff were very impressed with our work and the success we are having. We also presented them with the  HIV/AIDS book that we have produced for primary school students which they would like to use for the children in their care center and showed them some clips of the HIV/AIDS dramas that we do in schools. A number of the medical staff would like to come to South Africa to help volunteer with our projects. We were also able to glean valuable information and ideas from their care center.

                             Some of the staff during the round table discussion forum after the presentation

A few of the staff after the presentation

                                                                   Most of our team members

Boys and Girls Club Phoenix Arizona

We phoned the local police station to find out where would be a good place to perform for youth-at-risk, and they recommended the local 'Boys and Girls club'.  This club is a 'safe-place' for youth-at-risk to hang out after school. Just during the short time that we were there, we saw too different teenagers being hand cuffed by the police and taken away in police cars. We were able to do a 40 minute program for the teens and at the end of the 'Everything' music drama, which highlights many of the problems that teenagers face today, a few of the girls in the audience were in tears and were saying things like ' we really get it'. We also talked with them about HIV/AIDS and showed them a short video about our work in Africa. A number of them gave us their email addresses so that we can keep in contact with them.

We are now on our way to LA where we will be doing a HIV/AIDS presentation and a program for a large audience of teens at risk.

Family Africa Youth Mission Arrives in America

The Family Africa Youth Mission arrived in Texas on the 17^th of September. As our team had been apart for 6 weeks, due to three of our team members going ahead to a training camp,  we spent the first two days in rehearsals. Today we did our first program in the states which was very exciting for our team. We performed for the congregation of the chaplain who works in the Juvenile Detention Centers in San Antonio.  This was an important performance for us as it meant the door opening for us to perform for the teenagers in one of the local detention centers when we return to San Antonio in October.  We were very well received. We have found that everyone in Texas is so friendly. We would also like to say thank you to the RC Freedom fellowship for your donation towards our trip. It is gifts like yours that make our work possible.  We are now setting off on a 15 hour drive to Phoenix where we will be doing our next program for youth at risk.

Chris Rock's wife collaborates with the Family Africa

http://www.familycare.org/network/family-africa-hiv-aids-program

     Family Africa is registered with the US based Family Care Foundation-  a 501(c)(3) public charity

This Saturday Malaak Compton-Rock (wife of the actor Chris Rock and founder of The Angel Rock Foundation) came to open the playground she has donated for The Family Africa’s Free Day Care Centre for the children of HIV positive women and orphans. We arranged a big birthday party for our children at the same time so that the whole day would be very special with hot dogs, crisps, lollies and toys. Beth ( 15yrs) and Tirzah (14yrs)face painted the children and Chris made balloons and entertained the crowd. Portia(10yrs) worked hard making the hot dogs and organizing the toy distribution. Malaak arrived with 30 teenagers from Brooklyn, New York and thirty mentors.

The children gave a little performance and the women from the HIV positive support group sang and danced receiving a great response from the visitors.  The teens from New York then gave out lucky packets to 85 of our children and we in turn presented the teens with a FIFA 2010 World Cup blanket as a souvenir of their stay in this country.  The event was a big success and we are all absolutely thrilled with our fantastic new playground.   

Above: Chris chatting with Malaak about our trip to the states.

Below: Beth giving out FIFA blankets to Malaak and the teens from "Journey for Change'

Above: Jake displays the blankets with Malaak.

Below: Portia handing out the hot- dogs she prepared.

Our team heads off to America

As we received overwhelmingly positive responses from the many international visitors in South Africa during the World Cup, we are bringing our youth team to the US with the goal of presenting our program at various youth correctional centers across the US and Mexico. The team will be in the US between the 26th of Sept until the 22nd of October.  On the 12th of September 3  members of our team went ahead to Texas to attend a Youth Missionary Training Camp:

For 3 minutes of inspiration for your day watch this music video

:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtdS7S9Qc5Q

Some of our team members, 8 of whom will be going on the trip for the States.

HIV/AIDS Education

HIV/AIDS School programmes:Interactive programmes for Primary and Secondary Schools using music and drama and encouraging active student participation.
The programmes are an audio visual extravaganza covering the basics of HIV/AIDS education through a dramatic fast moving show. It covers information on how the learners can protect themselves, destroys the many myths which surround HIV/AIDS and promotes a positive response to people living with AIDS from a Christian perspective.We also take the programme on the road all around South Africa such as Soweto, Alexandra, The Cape Flats, Bloemfontein, East London etc and into surrounding African countries of Namibia and Zambia.
Beneficiaries: 33,000 students so far.

For secondary schools: A new addition to the show is an anti drug song emphasising how drugs and alcohol are important factors which hinder wise decision making. The teenage programme includes a drama called Captain Condom which hits teenage sexual relationships head on in an unforgettable way .The desperate need for this form of education is underlined by the fact that, sadly, in some of the schools where we run this programme there are pregnant girls as young as 11 years old.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE2hqV2xHgU


For primary schools: Although much of the material covered is the same as in the secondary school programme, the direct approach to sexuality is replaced by the Stranger Danger and how to get help if close friends and relatives are behaving inappropriately towards the children. Puppets are used effectively to tackle these highly sensitive topics.  Poster and essay competitions (with prizes) are used as a follow up tool to reinforce learning and to ensure the students have grasped the basics of the programmes   We have received excellent feedback from students and staff through out the country.   

World Cup 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aapyOu5buOc 

Above: Triple Fusion being filmed for Univision

We recently had the opportunity to do presentations during the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. With the help of a group of our young missionary trainees we put together a values/faith based program presented through music and drama which we were able to perform on the main stages at several of the official FIFA Fan Parks, and we also performed an adapted version of our program within the stadium precincts as street theatre.

Triple Fusion Dance troupe performed over 30 times during the 2010 World Cup

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP460quSi1c 

  

The 'Everything Drama' was performed for thousands of people and had a tremendous impact on many lives.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3AWBjW1FeE 

During the World cup we were able to use creative arts such as Free Face-painting and Stilt walking  to attract Soccer Fans to our outreach and thereby have a chance to minister to them. 

For an overview of some of the street outreach that The Family Africa Youth Mission organised and performed please watch this link. ( Playing2win was an outreach working title during the World Cup)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq93oJgjKzg