'Every time I fly my kite I feel free.' That is a quote from a young Syrian refugee in Jordan, recorded by photographer Pablo Tasco. The striking thing about this quote is the reminder that young children in many places are forced to grapple with the concept of freedom; but also how incredibly resilient kids are and how effective something as simple as a kite can be transporting a young mind to "freedom."
The purpose of this project was to connect children from our communities with those in Uganda and Rwanda. For cross-cultural learning, but also for the important soul exercise of taking our time and talents and engaging them in the care of others.
There were many partners for this project including Kites In The Sky, LLC and Color the Wind organization. Individuals donated resources; teachers and classes from Illinois colored kites; and strangers in the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia) supported the mission by posing with the kites.
The elation these kites created in the children in camps and neighborhoods in Uganda and Rwanda transcended our imagination. Because, not only did it bring the intended joy and encouragement to the kids that received them, but we watched it lift the spirits of the surrounding adults as well.
David Puryear plays his saxophone everyday on 4th and Market street in Philadelphia. He plays with the hope of reaching the ear, the heart, the soul, of people as they cross his path - to bring light and love into their lives.
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"Our names are easy to remember, two Mikes and two Johns. His name is Frank."
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"God sent you here to take our picture!"
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"Just don't let anyone else know we're cool." — Olde City Tattoo.
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I thought we were going to show these kids how to assemble and fly kites. But when we brought out the kite components, half of these kids didn’t wait to figure out the instructions. With minimal help, they engineered their own plastic cloud invaders.
There are over 120 boys living at Les Enfants de Dieu (The Children of God) in Kigali, Rwanda. All of them have "hard knock" stories that boil down to not having families and communities to care for them. But they’re resilient. Brave. Playful. And thanks to mentors like Uwineza Jean Claude, who grew up at Les Enfants but now serves as staff; they have a place to live, to learn new skills, and to get an education. And they have a community of brothers and a few sisters to lean on.
One such engineer covered his kite with inspirational messages in English. I wanted to track it down, but it took flight and got lost in the chaos of kids climbing on roofs and storage containers. Part of the message transcendently and prophetically stated:
“Going places.”
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“Here. You hold the kite and throw it in the air as I run, ok?” The boy released the kite as I ran and, predictably, it took a nose-dive, kicking up dust as it hit and skidded across the ground. The boy, who I practically begged to help me, seemed to lose the little interest he had.
But then, a South Sudanese flower standing by with a posture of elegance, graciously extended her hand, as if to say, “Here, let me show you.”
She took hold of the string handle, thrust the "Hope Kite" into the air, and sprinted off. And, as if it recognized a familiar hand, the kite followed closely behind, and it danced.
Kids poured out into the streets after “Hope Kite” took flight. And my friends (pictured) were propelled by compassion into an assembly line of production, distribution, and air traffic control of kites. Although, my hands were too busy to capture the path of the kites, like I had hoped, I assure you all the kites found good homes.
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