Wow... it's been quite a while since our last post. But be assured that work has been ticking along busily, with lots of exciting developments...

BRAZIL

Another trip was hosted to Brazil in July, with UK Capoeirstas visiting the project in Salavador to support the work and train with the kids, who continue to put us to shame with their moves. The local workers leading the project have now have attracted funding in the region and are able to operate more independently, which is the real aim of any good development work. The 5th Batizado (annual celebration and grading ceremony) was held at the project, with lots of new children gaining their first green cordao. And more and more opportunities are springing up for those attending the centre - English classes, percussion, dance, arts...



SOUTH AFRICA

Our teacher in Hamburg, Tigres, is doing a fantastic job and we're now able to pay him a proper salary in partnership with the local Keiskamma Trust. He is leading regular classes for children, adults, teaching in schools and performing at local festivals.

Capoeira has ignited real enthusiasm amongst the local young people, whose plans include -

• A new class in a neighbouring town
  
• Partnering with a local charity to develop HIV and drug-based educational projects through Capoeira
  
• An exhange visit to Cape Town, where one of the original group members has started university
  

One of the original members is now attending university in Cape Town and has launched a sister group there.

See a full report from Tom's recent visit.



FRIGHTENING FUNDRAISING

The Trust were invited to run a bar at a huge Halloween party in South London. We applied our spookiest make-up and knocked-out the Caipiroskas all night, raising an incredible £950! A big thanks to Jonny, Tom, Anna and other organisers. And of course, thanks to those who drank. And drank. And drank. For charity. We've spotted a new fundraising strategy, so watch this space for more merry events...

BATIZADO

It's that time of year again, when Oxford Capoeiristas limber up and prepare to be booted (in the friendliest way...) by Brazilians... Abolicao is hosting it's 10th Batizado, with students and teachers from Brazil, Italy and the UK converging on East Oxford for four days of training, new belts and Brazilian-style partying. This is a great opportunity for the Abolicao Trust to promote our work and we'll be there all weekend, sharing success stories and collecting funds to continue the work. We will also be helping run the party on Saturday night, with income from tickets and the bar heading straight out to our projects.

If you're in Oxford, come and check it out...

The dreaded cuts are proving very tough for small charities, with few opportunities from grant-giving organisations. We will depend more and more on regular donations, fund-raising events and the hard work of all those fine volunteers who support us. So a big thanks if you've been involved in any way.

South Africa report from Tom, who visited the Hamburg group recently...

Molweni!!

Greetings from South Africa!! Whilst the World Cup dominated the headlines this summer past, plenty of other exciting events were happening in South Africa…

The Abolicao Trust has been supporting the capoeira group in Hamburg, Eastern Cape since 2003. Now the group, entering its 8^th year, is moving from strength to strength. Tom Georgiou, one of the group founders and Abolicao Trust trustee, travelled with instruments, capoeira kit, CD player, and a goat skin to spend a month lending his support and seeing how the group has developed.

The group has matured over the years, and the ‘old skool’ of original students have now matured into young adults. As the cycle turns, these students have become teachers, and there is a fine new crop of youngsters filled with enthusiasm who come to train.

The Abolicao Trust has paid a salary to the group leader, Msindisi Mva (Tigre), for the past year. These costs have been shared with local NGO, The Keiskamma Trust (www.keiskamma.org) who support the development of the community with arts, health, HIV/AIDS awareness, after-school education, music and heritage projects.

Tigre has taught daily classes from 4-6pm, and due to extra demand has started teaching early classes for adult beginners at 8-9am twice weekly, and also teaches up to 3 times a week in local primary schools. The stipend salary we have been able to provide has enabled him to save for his family and given him some security in an area of 95% unemployment.

The group were invited to perform at the Gramhamstown Arts Festival, the largest celebration of creative arts in South Africa. They featured in the festival newpaper, and were very well received by excited audiences. Other performances, at a number of local festivals and venues have made the group well known in their local district. Having an outlet to showcase the progress of the group has helped fuel their enthusiasm, and generated requests for them to teach capoeira in various different localities. While logistical difficulties limit their capacity to take on new projects in different areas, this is one of the directions in which the group is looking to expand.

Other projects we hope to embark on in the near future include -

• An exchange visit to Cape Town – one of the Hamburg capoeiristas now studying at university has begun a new group, associated with the student union

• A new regular class – in a recently opened youth centre 16km away in a village called Lovers Twist

• Youth education schemes – to involve the capoeira group in educational initiatives relating to alcohol, drugs, HIV and healthy living

• More kit for the kids – having sourced an appropriate fabric for capoeira trousers (£1.50 per metre), women from the arts project can make trousers of all sizes

• A passport and trip to England – for Tigre, to develop his leadership and IT skills and train with the Oxford and London groups

Thanks...

Cocktails drank, money raised and a good time had by all. Big thanks to those who came along. We've been offered a monthly slot in 2010, so watch this space!

BRAZILIAN PARTY IN OXFORD

Beat the winter blues with some warming Brazilian vibes (and cocktails...) and help raise money for the Abolicao Trust, working with children in Brazil and South Africa.

CHEAPEST COCKTAILS IN OXFORD!
CAIPIROSKAS - £5 FOR 2

6 - 11pm - Cafe Bar Brasil, Friar's Entry, Oxford

DIRECTIONS

All proceeds from the cocktail/beer offers go directly to the Trust.

Download flyer here

RUPI, TEIMOSO AND ABELHA have arrived safely!

It's so great to have them here. Safely wrapped in several layers, they braved central Oxford during their first day here. In the evening, we all bundled into cars and went bowling. In addition to capoeira, football and dancing, they now seem to be better than us at this too...

Great news for this November...

The Trust are bringing three people from the Brazil project to England next month to take part in the 10th Abolicao Oxford Batizado. Professor Rupi - our teacher in Salvador - will arrive with two students, Teimoso and Abelia. This is the first time they've travelled and we're delighted to have them. Wooly hats and big smiles await their arrival...

Check out the clip from this year's Batizado at the project in Brazil. Abelia is the girl playing the first game.

The Trust are in Brazil...

Abolicao Trust - Salvador, July 09 from The Abolicao Trust on Vimeo.

Ola from Salvador...

The Trust are currently hosting a Brazil trip for UK capoeira students. We've been training with all of the wonderful kids at the project in Abaete and getting ready for the fourth Batizado, the annual celebration and changing of belts. We've also joined in the with the percussion and Afro-dance workshops and the lady in the ice-cream shop knows us all pretty well...

Check out some of the pics and watch this space for videos very soon.

BRAZILIAN SUMMER PARTY

Saturday 20th June, 4 - 12pm
The Africa Centre
38 Kings Street, Covent Garden

• SAMBA/PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS
  
• CAPOEIRA DEMO
  
• LIVE MUSIC/DJs
  

£9 on the door
Free cocktail and workshop with every ticket!

ALL PROCEEDS TO THE ABOLICAO TRUST

More info: events@abolicao-trust.org or 07708 225850

Dragon School show




Abolicao Capoeira were invited to perform at the Dragon School in Oxford on May 15th. Negao has been leading workshops for pupils and the school recently awarded funding towards our exchange event planned for November. Pupils led a presentation on the history of Capoeira to an audience of 250 and joined us on stage for a roda and samba!

Big thanks to everyone who turned up to perform (Maculele grass skirts with no prior warning) and to the school for having us.

CAPOEIRA TRIP TO BRAZIL THIS JULY



Contra-Mestre Negao and the Trust are hosting an amazing trip to Salvador, Brazil this Summer.

If you're into Capoeira, regardless of your level, this is a great chance to visit and train in the place where it all began. There will be regular classes, rodas, music/percussion workshops and close involvement with our Capoeira project for the incredible kids of Abaeté.

If this doesn't tempt you, maybe the ocean, fresh fish, beachside hotel, samba rhythms and capirinhas will.

The trip runs from 13th - 27th July and there are still places going. Download full details here

Please get in touch if you have any questions -

braziltrip@abolicao-trust.org

Latest images from South African exchange




Click image above or here...

New images by Jonathan Hyams

CDs + DVDs



Big thanks to Tom/Dourado, who donated DVDs of last year's Abolicao Batizado for sale at this year's event. Another big thanks to Tom/Mosqueteiro and Jonny/Xaruto who produced the CD of music from the South African group, also on sale. We made £100. We sold out, but get in touch if you're interested in the next batch.

SAMBA BONANZA

Abolicao Oxford Capoeira are performing with Sol Samba at St Gregory's School, Oxford on Dec 5th. 'Samba Bonanza' kicks off at 7pm and a share of the proceeds will be donated to The Abolicao Trust.

Click here for more info...

South Africa – Brazil exchanges, by Linda

How many 18-year-olds would be excited about travelling to Brazil? Most if not all! Now, think about 18-year-olds who live in a small town in South Africa and have been training capoeira for five years without meeting more than one Brazilian capoeira master: imagine what a big event Brazil would be for them!

In the summers 2007 and 2008, the Abolicao Trust made it possible for four promising capoeiristas from Hamburg to spend two weeks in Brazil, training, travelling and learning. The Hamburg project has been running since 2003, with the students making stupendous progress. With very little input from outside, they run classes and teach themselves the acrobatics, game and music of capoeira. The chance to train intensively with lots of top masters, see capoeira “in its element”, see the range of styles and the depth of the capoeria culture are invaluable experiences.



In 2008, Wanga ‘Besouro’ Afrika and Axola ‘Lampiao’ Avril had their chance to do the first part of the Brazil exchange thanks to a grant from the Prince Claus Fund, a Dutch foundation that supports culture and development. The boys took full advantage of the capoeira teaching, taking the culture shock in stride, spending time with the younger kids at the Crianzas Raizes do Abaete project in Salvador, Brazil.

After this, the second exchange took place: 17-year-old Jair ‘Teimoso’ Santos and teacher Valmir ‘Rupi’ dos Santos travelled to Hamburg on the 6th August. Rupi is the full-time childrens' capoeira teacher at the Crianzas Raizes do Abaete project. Teimoso, is the oldest student in the Project: one of the best capoeiristas, a model student in school, and a good ambassador for the Project. Teimoso was the first of his family to travel abroad, and they let us know that they took the trip very seriously. Rupi and Teimoso arrived to inject some Brazilian capoeira style into the annual grading ceremony, the Batizado – despite the Portuguese-Xhosa language barrier. Visiting Africa is a rare opportunity for these capoeiristas, but it is also invigorating to see the spread of capoeira worldwide.

We hope that the exchange has done something to spread links between capoeiristas worldwide – and to keep repeating the exercise!

* Watch this space for images and video soon*

News from South Africa

Ruanda and Dourado from Abolicao Oxford Capoeira both spent 2 weeks out on the working holiday in South Africa. Here is there news about their trip.


Dourado: ' It really was a fantastic experience. After a very long (and sleepless for me) journey from the UK, we rolled directly up to the Capoeira hall in Hamburg just in time to catch the end of the group's daily training session. Still in the same clothes we'd spent the whole day and night travelling in we had our first roda with the kids of Abolicao Hamburg. As soon as the bateria and the singing started I realised how dedicated those kids are to Capoeira. I couldn't believe how much energy they put into the music and their game.

I had the pleasure of teaching several classes in Hamburg before Negao arrived and I was really amazed how well the kids were able to absorb just about anything I tried to teach them - even the youngsters around six years old.

The batizado event was a particularly special day. Traditionally in a batizado, the one receiving the belt gets a rasteira or some kind of trip from the higher ranked Capoeirista. In this batizado there was a real risk of it going the other way - we really had to watch ourselves. These kids train every day and put everything they've got into their games.
They really really love Capoeira.A couple of times during our stay we helped out the kids by travelling with them to do demos around the area. One of the things that made me realise what a difference Capoeira has made to Hamburg was seeing how much everyone in the neighbouring villages want it too. Everywhere we went people were asking us when we were going to start teaching in their village or town. They could see how much it has benefited the kids of Hamburg and now they all want their own kids doing it too.

Hamburg itself is a beautiful place and when we weren't helping out with the group, we did get a chance to have a look around and enjoy some relaxation time. We were looked after really well by the wonderful people working with the projects there (we even got our own pet dogs for the duration ).

Although an amazing and Beautiful place, Hamburg obviously has its problems which have been mentioned here already, but the work that we are supporting there really does seem to make a difference.Thanks to Baila and everyone that looked after us so well there.x


Ruanda:' First of all I'd like to say that there were plenty of reasons why we shouldn't have gone, but I won't go into those now, because I feel so priviledged to have gone. Like Dourado said, we stepped off the plane a day after we stepped on and straight into a roda: in fact the kids had actually already finished their class when we rolled into Hamburg but they didn't need asking twice if they wanted a roda! I was a tad anxious about meeting these kids, not quite sure what to expect of them (and not just of their capoeira ability: what if they didn't like me?!) But their welcome was so exuberant, I felt like they totally accepted these strange, tired-looking foreigners who had arrived at their doorstep!

Dourado's lessons went down a treat, the unofficial ones after the class had finished perhaps a tad more so but these kids assimilated so much - moves, music, and more besides so quickly! I had the pleasure of giving a quick demonstration of belly dancing, again I was a bit anxious thinking that the guys would feel left out when I was handing out the sparkly colourful hip scarves to only the girls but I was well informed afterwards that the guys very much enjoyed spectating the belly dancing The girls picked up the routine very quickly.

The Batizado was great fun - and incredibly exhausting: y'know these kids age between 6 and 19, and they've been training like EVERY day for the last three years and Negao took us aside before it started and said it's ok to give them one rasteirinha... Ha! Nevermind the vengativas and tesouras that they could dish back at us These kids were such an inspiration. Their dedication to capoeira is almost unbelievable - and right at the beginning I could spot a little bit of Mosqueteiro in all of them.

We also accompanied the kids to demos at neighbouring village schools and also to the children's festival auditions at which we were treated like VIPs by the organisers. We watched some traditional African dances performed by kids from all around the local area, and then 'our' kids performed their hearts out in a roda of ten. I was so touched when Zumbi asked if we would help with the bateria and singing. I had suggested that they enter the audition hall in single file berimbau first, followed by pandeiro and then everyone else with some kind of au - totally shocked to see folha secas, mortals, au sem maos, and martelo voi dors And almost as quickly as we had been accepted by the kids and the community, the two weeks were up and here we are.

I'd like to thank to Negao and Baila for organising the trip, and also thanks to Carol and Graeme and Jackie and Florence and Lulu and Dobby (aka Doggy ) for welcoming us so warmly and making it such a truly memorable trip.'

3rd Batizado at the Capoeira project in South Africa

Contra Mestre Luis Negao, Bailarina, Dourado and Ruanda from Abolicao Oxford have just come back from a working holiday in South Africa, where they organinsed the 3rd Capoeira Batizado with the local children in Hamburg. They have many stories to tell so watch this space, and by all accounts they had a really amazing time and experienced some fantastic capoeira.

Many thanks from the Abolicao Trust for your time and energy and for going such a long way to show the kids out there that we care about them here in Oxford and haven't forgotten them.

Axe.

Thank you Dr Ethel Frater

ABOLICAO OXFORD CAPOEIRA SAYS THANKS DR ETHEL BARROW


Recently a donation of R10 000 (£700) was made by Dr Ethel Barrow. The intention is to raise HIV/Aids awareness.

In order to get hold of some of this money every month the sports groups will have to do 2 things:
1. Hand out condoms to their team members!
2. Do something to educate themselves or others about HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The meetings organised by the Abolicao Trust were received very well. Four local Hamburg football teams attended, along with the capoeira group and the boxing team. The sports teams were so delighted to have the time spent on them, and several people told us that the information they heard was among the first comprehensive information that they had received about safe sex.

Completely separately, a group of African charities have begun a scheme called "KICK AIDS OUT OF AFRICA", aimed at football groups. If our project is a success, we will attract funding from this program, and they have said they will happily incorporate capoeira into the scheme. The boxing could also be incorporated, but perhaps more aptly called "KNOCK AIDS OUT OF AFRICA".

To give us an idea of the remarkable woman who made the initial donation of R10 000 here is what was written by her son:

"Mrs Ethel Barrow, known locally and affectionately by her carers as Dr Barrow (her maiden name), celebrated her 102nd birthday during July with a quiet gathering of friends from the community, her son Charles and grandson George who flew from England for the occasion.

"Born in 1904, Dr Barrow lived in Cape Town from 1928 until 1969 practising primarily as a paediatrician (especially of new born babies). She met and married Paarl-born Dr Ken Frater when they were both fellows at the Mayo Clinic in the USA. After the birth of her sons Robert and Kenneth, she pioneered birth control clinics when she saw the plight of the people of the Cape Flats in the 1930s . In her work as a bacteriologist at the Cape Town Medical School she worked with early samples of penicillin sent to Cape Town by Fleming and during the war she helped at the Castle with medical screening of recruits for the forces. Among the people who visited the household in those years were Leonard Cripps (brother of Stafford Cripps MP) and Louis Leipoldt. It was a dinner table with a broad spectrum of guests from all walks of life.

"Dr Ken Frater died suddenly in September 1950 leaving her to run a household with 3 sons (Charles was born in 1941). She took up her profession again and became the Medical Superintendent of Saint Monica's Home, a maternity hospital on the slopes of Signal Hill. After retirement she returned to her birthplace, England. Unable to cope without some active interest she worked at the Linnean Society Library sorting and cleaning books. She wrote a paper on the Tea Collection, a library within of books documenting the cultivation and processing of tea. For this she was granted a Fellowship of the Linnean Society an honour of which she was very proud. Her grandson George is doing a summer job at the same library . "Until she was 96 she continued to read her British Medical Journal from cover to cover and, although it was a struggle, lived on her own. The loss of her son Kenneth in June 2000 was a major blow. Since February 2003 she has been living in Glentana cared for by people in the community."

Her son adds: "I hope sincerely that the money is put to good use and in the spirit of the old lady who worked so hard for a multiracial community in the Cape", and we really feel that this money is going to go a long way. Currently an African charity is trying to get a big scheme of the ground, entitled "kick Aids out of Africa", targeted at footballers, and if it is a success then our scheme will receive long term funding




Local football Team involved in the HIV awareness sports program.

Batizado in Brazil

Better late than never...

Just wanted to post a quick word about the Batizado (grading ceremony/celebration) for the group at the projecto in Brazil.

The 1st Batizado for the capoeira kids group (Criancas Raizes do Abaete - Abolicao Oxford) was an amzing event and one of the most vibrant displays of capoeira and community in general I've had the pleasure of being part of! There was a great turn out from kids, supportive family members, respected local teachers and mestres, and the usual mix of enthusiastic capoeiristas (all of us from the UK in this last catergory). It had tipped it down the night before the Batizado, but Negao and Prof Narcisso had made sure there was a gazebo type structure up in the outside area so there was no fear of 'rain stopping play'.

The event opened with the usual thanks to all involved and introductions of all the respected mestres and teachers who had given up their Sunday to attend. There was a lovely selection of old and young faces in the line up, and a fantastic display of capoeira prowess from the visiting mestres. Then the batizado began in earnest and we were entertained, amazed and delighted as the children from the projecto played their hearts out to show their skills and receive their cordas (capoeira belts). I was overwhelmed again by how good they are, how naturally they make the movements and how fearless some of them seemed in playing the mestres.

There were a small group of more advanced students who were mostly a little older (10-14) and showed real commitment to training, to the group and to capoeira, and these 5 or 6 boys played for their second level (green/yellow) belts. They are a determined bunch and for them this event was an opportunity for them each to shine - which they all did. There were some tears along the way as the intensity of the situation and the pressure they put on themselves to perform 110% was all a bit much, but the teachers at the projecto dealt with it all real grace and no child went away feeling they had done anything less than brilliantly!

I don't think I'll forget that batizado ever. It was such a privilege to be there and to be a part of that day and to enjoy seeing how far the group has come since the projecto started.

Others have taken better photos, but this one is just a little insight into that day:

Abolicao Oxford participate in the Elder Stubbs Festival

Abolicao Oxford capoeira students were busy last Saturday participating in the Elder Stubbs festival in Rymers Lane. Many thanks to Dourado and Ruanda for organising the stall and the publicity on behalf of the Abolicao Trust. There was a great roda, led by Contra-Mestre Luis Negao, despite the threatening rain and a collection box passed round for members of the public to contribute to the Trust.
Many thanks to the joint efforts of everyone involved.