Jabari Ashe: Brooklyn artist
“My breaking walls experience in Cape Town, South Africa was a once in a lifetime experience. It is hard to come across an opportunity like this, but Fran Tarr made it all possible. From the adults to the children everyone had a great time. We learned that, as people we should be more peaceful. Also to humble ourselves more because there are people in the world who struggle more than we do.
“In Cape Town 25 ids from different countries such as Germany, Palestine, and South Africa made an everlasting bond with each other. No matter where you were from, you were treated with the same love and respect from everybody. Being in South Africa with kids from different cultures helped me get a better understanding of how things work in other places. We all learned little bit of words from each others’ languages and, shared stories about life back home. Aside from interacting with only the children, the adults were very open and enjoyed giving us advice.
“Learning about South Africa and its many custom, was amazing. We had fun engaging into all the activities. We played music on African drums and other instruments that were brought by the instructor. We also went to the Holocaust Museum that explained the similarities between apartheid and the holocaust. Last we stopped at the District Six Museum we learned about the struggles of not only Africans, but people of color.
“Cape Town Africa was a learning experience for all of us. Everyone took a little piece of Cape Town with them. We all hope to go back one day and continue the same work we started, and perform in front of a bigger audience to show people the change we are trying to bring.”
