Testimonials

Below are some of the important comments we have received that help us remember why we do what we do! If you have comments or questions please feel free to Contact Us!

Having CWB visit Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and home to thousands of street children, was an opportunity that this community had never even imagined. The first day that CWB performed, we took them to a Primary Health Care Unit that IRC runs just south of Aweil in a little village called Kuom. I watched 2 little girls, maybe 3 and 6 years, obviously sent out to collect firewood, stumble in from the forest, drop their wood bundles from their heads and stand there cautiously giggling at the clowns. A month after CWB left, I paid a visit to Aweil Civil Hospital, where the group had spent an entire day passing through wards and courtyards performing for everyone and anyone. Two little boys approached me, one had been a victim of something like 50% burns to the body. Still recovering and being accompanied by his good friend, they ran up to me and tugged on my arm. I looked down and the little boy pretended to fall asleep and began to fall over as if someone needed to catch him. He was re-enacting a scene that Gavin had done a month earlier. He then pretended that he was pulling something out of my ear, remembering yet another scene, laughing uncontrollably all the while. At the end of the day, I think that was what this trip was all about, and Gavin, Gwen and Elisa could not have done a better job. The clowns saw thousands of faces during that week, but these boys saw 3. Their recovery days in the hospital are spent remembering, accompanied by a giggle, the laughter and happiness the clowns brought to them. Children here are endlessly remarkable, and to be able to give them an experience like this was something that none of us will forget and are extremely thankful for.

I had been slightly hesitant about CWB’s arrival, particularly because I did not know how the community would receive them. Mostly, I was unsure how children would perceive them and if the humor would catch. In the end, I think the clowns did an outstanding job of reading their audiences and being able to tailor their acts to the humor of those attending. I would love to see them come back and extend their trip to some of the more rural areas throughout the state. -Lisa, International Rescue Committee (Liaison in Kenya/Sudan, May 2009)

Dear Clowns Without Borders,

We had a wonderful experience today, I have not seen smiles on childrens
faces like today, and not just that, there was a lot to learn from the
experience. The attendace was much bigger than we had planned at such short
notice: with number getting closer to 600, with students age between 4 and
19 years coming from the neighbourhoods of Kibera and other local schools
on the Langata…. Liz, Kenya (Liaison in Kenya/Sudan, May 2009)

I have to admit…my first reaction to “clowns coming to Haiti” was very
negative. I was thinking clown suits, make-up, and big shoes. Instead I
saw young, energetic, talented people giving joy and moments of respite to
many Haitians young and old.
To observe the patients in the hospital and see the smiles and wonderment as
the clowns moved through the wards was amazing. Wow! How did that coin come
out of an ear…what happened to the red handkerchief…poof it was gone and
then reappeared later…MAGIC! Moments of relief from pain and hunger given
in such a simple manner was also magic…
Jerry, Florida, USA (Observer of Project Haiti 2006)