zwnews.com Community Reporter
Street children in Zimbabwe’s capital city have adopted new strategies of begging, instead of just asking for alms from the passersby, the kids are now into performing gymnastics on the city’s roads, much to the amazement of the crowds, who would in turn offer them money as a token of appreciation.
The street kids are performing wonderful acts of gymnastics, leaving on watchers mouths open with ewe, as to where, when, and how they have learnt such acts, some of them as young as six to seven years old.
They perform different acts like spinning, balancing on top each other, creating a human tower, as well as making dreadful acrobatics. What surprises many is that they did their acts on the hard tarmac surface, where any awkward landing could be fatal.
One such include spinning up many times mid-air and landing into a chair, in the proper sitting position.
Upon arriving at a scene they want to perform, they start singing and making flash displays, as the crowds gathers around, they would then send one member to go around with a hat begging for alms, while they make the displays people would them offer them money as a token of appreciation.
This zwnews.com Community Reporter yesterday noticed people in the balconies of tall buildings in the CBD tossing coins from above into the streets, for these street entertainers to collect.
After performing at a place, they would carry away their things and head for another location; where they repeat the displays to the new audiences, collecting tokens.
People who spoke to this writer expressed pleasure on the displays saying such talents could be nurtured, and create a database of acrobats that would perform at the world platforms of sports like the Olympics.
Harare’s street kids have over the years earned bad names for themselves, as they would snatch food from passersby, who in turn because of fearing to create an embarrassing scene by running after in attempt to take the food back, would just let go of the food, drink, or ice creams. Some of them would turn violent to the extent of attacking especially females for refusing to offer what they would be eating upon being approached with a request for food.
pictures by zimnews.ent
