PLAYING OUT THE FEAR FROM THEIR SOULS
by Frank Mischo
They were
humiliated, used, and treated like animals. For many of these Philippine
girls and boys, after doing 'business" in shabby hotel beds and
backstreets, life seemed to be practically at an end before it had
really begun. They had seen too much, given too much, had too much fear.
Some of them had begun to try to deal with what had happened in their
childhood. In the therapy center PREDA (Peoples' Recovery, Empowerment,
and Development Assistance) supported by Kindernothilfe, these girls and
boys learn to live with the fear, rage, and mourning in their souls. The
center's Street Theater, which is assisted by professional actors from
the PETA association, works for a creative handling of all these
experiences. The Theater toured in Germany last year with its program
"Masks Behind the Dreams". The interjection of dance and pantomime
scenes help to carry the ideas beyond the barriers of language.
Kindernothilfe asked the volunteers from its working groups to help, and
offered support in this tour of Germany - and with success. The youth
theater group could not just be seen in the Pavillion of Hope at the
EXPO, but thanks to the great commitment of the working groups in
Berlin, Karlsruhe, and Bremen, could also perform in those cities. In
the nation's capital the young people made their presentation in the
cultural portion of a city project for children, designed to allow them
to make all decisions themselves and briefly fill positions even up to
the mayor's office. In Karlsruhe the performances were presented in the
auditorium of the youth center and in front of city hall in the town
center. The people of Bremen saw the Philippine girls and boys in the
Habenhaus Church and in a school performance. The members of the working
groups and their families played host to the young people. Personal
friendships were formed with the guests. The German hosts people's
exhuberance and strength. Likewise, worries about the young people
possibly experiencing culture clash were completely unnecessary. The
group had been exceptionally well prepared for their trip to Europe. The
performances of the PREDA youths really moved audiences of every age
group and motivated them to deal with the subject of violence and abuse.
The young people also made a real connection between Europe and the
Philippines. After all, sex-tourism and child prostitution can and must
be fought against also in Germany.
