DREAMS, IN FRUITION and BIRTHED

When dreams become reality...
UPon leaving South Africa, my dream was a simple one, to connect and build a relationship with Risaterapia and bring MAfrika's joy across the seas.

How could I possibly have expected the huge amount of everything that I'm experiencing here in this beautiful, rich and deeply passionate country.
I believe and must express, that I feel as though part of my soul lives in precioso Mexico. My greater Care Clown family, the international brothers and sisters of light and laughter live here in this wonderful place, this very alive country. I can only grow with all this sharing. Dreams make for possibility and I'm here because a year ago it was my dream to be here, a living example of attracting what can be in my life and on this planet...

So right now, this gift of presence, leads me on the journey of dreams and I'll categorise them for easy sharing...

THE UPLIFTMENT PROGRAMME

The UP is as blessed as I am, to have connected and shared time with the team of Risaterapia and especially my hosts Andres Aguillar & Ana Cecila, has been an injection of soul fuel and inspiration.
The sharing dream has lead to an official alliance with Risaterapia.
How excited I am to come home and share these awesome, very powerful galactic systems with Southern Africa.


Risaterapia is the most inspirational organisation. There are over 1000 active Clown doctors (Care Clowns) all varying in experience and training.
When you begin in the organisation, you create a group (constellation) and after 33hours training you all graduate with White Stars... after 10 visits you UPgrade your training (10more hours) and become a Red Star and then finally for community work and after 25 visits you complete one final UPgrade and graduate to Blue Star. All the constellations have their own names and the connect with the Risaterapia base. These constellations exist as inspiring Clown Doctor families, they all dress, warm UP and visit the hospitals together, then when all is done for the visit, they return to their base and de-brief (or shower -as they call it) and there's bigger gatherings where all the constellations meet, they're called BIG BANGS.
I was treated to such a BIG BANG at the Angel de Independencia on Saturday the 29th of October. 88 Clown doctors gathered with great excitement and family reunion type energy and this was all looked over by the famous Independence Angel, I'm sure she was smiling to see such joy and awesome examples of human-kind gathered with Red Nose Risas (smiles).
It's this inspired family energy, great connection that has UPlifted the journey of Clown Doctoring into self sustainable groups.

MAfrika
From Switzerland, to Malta and now in Mexico orale (Right on)...
The character, the clown, the care clown, the motivational speaker, poet, story teller, singer is being truly birthed...
She will travel, she will share and she will grow with the interactive experiences of living change, possibility, hope, love and laughter as she enlightens souls and shares the healing of Mother earth, MAfrika's coming soon to a stage, festival and or conference near you...

RED NOSE ALLIANCE
Inspired by the huge experience of sharing that has touched both Andres Aguilar (my host and founder of Risaterapia) and myself; we're both very excited to lead a world-wide connection of joy givers on this planet. Imagine a portal where you can access information of this magical, healing, UPlifting work around the planet... imagine it was as easy as clicking a few buttons to connect with your local UPlifting, Red Nose, Smile
 organisation and become part of the world-wide movement of bringing joy to this precious planet of ours... The RED NOSE ALLIANCE will be this space
and don't worry you'll all hear about it... hee haaa !!!

Here's to the dreams, here's to deep soulful, life altering connections, here's to being alive in one of the most exciting times this planet has ever experianced and here's to magnificent beautiful change !!!!

Days pass like traffic, without the hooting

One of the most noticable things about the general masses here in Mexico City, is their expressive, passionate nature, extremely noticable with their frustrated, incestant hooting, in traffic. My dear soul family of clowns, however, are not this type and we spend much time laughing and sharing the days away, so this awareness is only obvious in the few quiet moments. I must add, I've been very blessed to have my special new friends drive me or aid me with taxi catching, so I haven't had to drive anywhere in the loud chaotic mass of cars.

Along with the great blessings my precious family of clowns bestow on me, with their loving natures, constant besitos y abrazos (kisses & hugs), I too have been privy to a few shows... including the above pictured "Miss Understood", the 3 pictured here are part of four talented pajasos (clowns) heading off to China tomorrow to perform their very funny show and my nuevo amiga precioso (new precious friend) and house host is the lady on the left (Ana-Cecilia).
I also had the joy and surprise of watching my other house host and other amigos preciosos in "NORVAK", a fab show about a very useless magician... the sneaky guy (Andres) didn't tell me he was in the show, so I got a big surprise... My precious, talented family of clowns uplift and enrich my spirit with the great love in their corazsons (hearts)...

The days seem to be running away and I've just managed to get over my mild case of Altitude Sickness, I had no idea I could be effected after so much travels, but hey sometimes I too have to admit, I'm human... tee hee... The days have been as full as the most delicious tacos, with salsa verde, pollo y gardin... (a treat always, the food, as much as the experiance of learning and sharing so much)

Risaterapia and The UP have so much to share and the boundless flow of possibilities for future projects is an inspiring process to be part of.

My dear friends and fellow clowns and sUPporters enjoying these UPdates, I must share with you my overwhelming gratitude to you all for believing in this work that is taking hold of the world and spreading the magic of joy. When I return I'll be emulating Risaterapia's very effective systems for volunteers, mentors and facilitors alike, so brace yourselves for the connection to the stars, the constellations and the galaxies.



I too have done some touristic exploring and below is me in fornt of the Angel de Independencia... What an amazing trip this is and I will shortly be traveling to the Circus convention and next week to Tijauana and Baja california to connect with other clowns up there and tomorrow.... I'm to have my first Mexico Care Clowning (Clown Doctores -their called here).... yipeeee!!! ****

1st Day Mexico

Mexico has officially begun - Yipppppeeeeeeee !!!!

Es Stupendo... esta pias es moei linda (translated " wow - this place is so beautiful")
What a soul, what heart and what a welcome from my gracious hosts, Andres and Ana-Cecile (founder & operations director of Risaterapia repectively)... how blessed I am to be here in the land of tortillas, the surreal mix of cultures and soul. I have found part of my family here, my soul family of Clowns. I feel not only welcome in their comfy home, see my new room, but also into the hearts of all of the precious lights here...




I've been talking the hind leg off a burro (donkey) and I can tell this connection between the UP & Risaterapia, is just the beginning of a grander scheme of creating a web connection with all the other joy givers on this planet... Yahhhhoooooo...
I have found an organisation of awesome beings who equally share the message of bringing joy to the world and the Corazon (heart) is the true centre for both of our organisations.

Seems like this blog will be a source of edutainment as my dear amigo and fellow Clown Doctor, will be introducing me to a few more cities in this interesting land as together we explore the super STARS of Risaterapia... so my dear friends and sUPporters watch this space for regular UPdates & giggles...
Besos para las todos... kisses to you all... Nikki aka MAfrika

What a gift, what a blessing, what an amazing time to be alive on this planet.

MAFRIKA

Mafrika was conceived as a dream a few years ago, she was Nikki Jackman's* dream, of an UPlifting, joy giving, Mama Africa, Mother Earth, loving care clown. A celebrate all that is wow of Africa character, who would inspire laughter, positivity, love and purposeful existence around the world.

Now Mafrika's a reality, a Care Clown of African roots, a little beam of light who UPlifts not just the lives of the children she connects with, but also teaches other wanna be UPlifters (Care Clowns) to keep positivity and purpose on the UP & UP.
She's grown in the hospitals and institutions of South Africa and Namibia, into this bubbly character with a great love for Jiva Jiva (a very hip dance style from South Africa, which celebrates individuality) and a heart almost as big as the African Continent.
Now she's taking her first steps across the borders of her land, to share her love and light with Mexico.

*(Cheerlady of the UPliftment Programme, a South African Public Benefit Organization dedicated to UPlifting all corners of all mouths, by training UP volunteer Care Clowns to UPlift the children in need. )

BIG news in Switzerland

YIPEEE!!!!
1. The UP has published its new Swiss (fundraising) Bank Account on www.up.givengain.org- Yippeee (attached pic is the official signing at UBS)

2. Urs Koller, my dear friend and fellow artist, continues to help me develop the awesome MAFRIKA and the puppets are coming...

Thought I"d take the sneaky route of this UPdate and give you all the translated version of an article just published in the local newspaper here in Rorschach, Switzerland, about our work together. (for the origianl Swiss German article, cut and paste this URL - www.tagblatt.ch/.../stgallen/rorschach& jahr=2007&ressortcode=&ms=hauptseite - 36k -)


Moved faces for South Africa

The Clownin “Mafrica” UPlifts South African children with Urs Koller, who assists the UP

Rorschach. The Rorschacher artist Urs Koller creates figures for a South African organization, which wants to give a reason to children in hospitals and orphanages, to laugh.

Corina Tobler

Urs Koller closed its hand at something, which looks like a foam material ball. Then it opens the hand - from the crushed somewhat a ever more largely becoming face develops. The blond woman, who sits beside him, laughs bright at this sight up. Nikki Jackman, in South Africa a well-known actress, is to be regarded still until Monday with vest to attendance, among other things in order the mobile faces, which he creates for her.

30 seconds and everyone sang
Began Swiss-South African co-operation before approximately two years. In South Africa Jackman and Koller met for the first time. They were on first attempt on the same wavelength, say Jackman. It told it of its organization “UP”, which operates so-called “Care Clowning” in children's homes and hospitals. Koller accompanied a visit with Jackman and The UP people twice into children's homes. The memory to the moments in the Townships, the poor quarters of South Africa, affects him until today strongly. “We moved forward before a home, Nikki stepped out in their clown costume and began to sing. Within thirty seconds all children sang also, the hands in air”, he expresses emotionally.

“Mafrica” as symbol figure
When they one evening were chatting together-they sat, laughing and, then suddenly the idea had come to create a new Clown, says Jackman. SHE (the Clown) represents “Mafrica”, which brings the children with speaking faces to the laughter. The name, a mixture from “mA” and “Africa”, is located in purchase to the many orphans in South Africa. “Mafrica” is not however only used with the “Care Clowning”. Jackman wants with it also on the stage, in order to make attentive on the problems of South Africa. “I hope that a symbolic figure becomes.”

For a long time experiments
“Mafricas” equipment, the “alive” faces, are Urs Koller creations. A way to the production to find a considerable Tüftelei was, says it. “The material, which I use, is a special, flexible plastic, at which I experimented for a long time.” It is often to be found a “Materialfreak” and on technical exhibitions, says vests. He regards his art as mirror of the moment and works therefore gladly with new materials.

Astonishing genuine Mimik
The work for Nikki Jackman fits the direction of its momentary art. “I wanted to argue anyway with moved faces”, explain he. Besides the work on the figures prepares obviously large pleasure for it. Break out again and again it and Jackman in laughter, if it gives a spontaneous clown number to the best one. The aliveness of the faces surprises. Holes in the material make it possible to change with the fingers their Mimik. The very lifenear faces can express so as desired recent or old, mürrische, crying or laughing tendencies. Also the mouth movements do not only see with the experienced Clownin Jackman from and with the joy and the Schalk, which them radiate, bring it very truthfully children to the laughter.

Some joy to pass on
Koller and Jackman spend much spare time on “Mafrica”. For both that is natural: They estimate themselves as very lucky humans, because they can live on their art. “There it is the most beautiful, if we can pass on somewhat of that joy.” Koller does with its sculptures, Jackman with Care Clowning courses. Both are itself united: “The laughter of these children is simply priceless, counterbalances everything.”

COMING soon... adventures of the Cheerlady

Yipppee yippee yay
There's an UP & Coming day
The beginnings of an UPlifting journey
and the travels... the MAfrika way

MAfrika, is Ma (mother) Africa,
a celebration of nurturing, care and love
and Africa, the land of soul healing, stories and hearts as rich as the earth.
Coupled with her pure intention to give joy, love and laughter
this soon to be traveling Cheerlady
will be in Mexico
playing with therapy of Clowns
the RISATERAPIA
and being the clown of Care she is...