DR Congo children turn to acrobatics to survive
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KINSHASA — Jonas, 12, finishes his performance balancing on a tall tower of large jam tins, his arms stretched out and his feet wrapped over his head.
“This pose is called ‘the end of the evening,’” announces his assistant, 11-year-old Richard, moving into the crowd of amazed onlookers on a shabby Kinshasa street to collect a few Congolese francs.
In the hustle of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, these boys are among about 10 groups of child contortionists who support themselves and their families through a startling routine of twists and tricks.
“They are athletes of a top level,” said Guy Nkita, technical director of the Congolese Federation of Athletics.
Several days a week, Jonas and Richard set out after school with their tin cans under their arms and trawl the bustling city of 10 million people looking for a willing audience at open-air restaurants and other relaxed places..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101004com9.html
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