[ad_1]
– I can’t bear to think about what will happen if there is a crown outbreak in the camp. All children are always cold, cough and constantly sick, very tired in the first place. No, I can’t think about that.
Clowns create elusive joy
But in the midst of misery, Bendik and his colleagues transform into colorful clowns and go to work. That is the sound you hear first. A loud sound that seems completely absurdly placed in a refugee camp: a bagpipe. Music does the job
It works like a magnet. Before we know it, children come from all directions. They run as fast as their feet can carry them, and often even faster, with big eyes and even bigger smiles. Smile like we’ve barely seen
with someone here in Moria before.
Children know that clowns are on the way now.
– For children, the performance becomes a time when the refugee camp ceases to exist. Instead, everyone looks at the circle where we are standing, they just see us smiling and doing things and doing magic. Then all the horror around him is gone.
He is convinced that such interruptions are crucial for children in crisis.
– If you don’t get a break from pain, then you go down.
The performance lasts half an hour. So the energy of the children is to touch and feel, and the clowns are almost overwhelmed by their eager followers.
– Parents often come to us and ask us when we return. They explain that their children constantly ask about clowns. It’s a good sign because it means that performances create excitement and give children something to look forward to.
It’s hard to be a clown
It’s hard to be a clown. At least it’s not worth it. All the clowns release Bendik. You only get food and accommodation. For the past six years he has survived by taking some small jobs in Norway.
– I’ve never understood the point of making so much money. If I work for three weeks in Norway, I can survive half a year abroad.
He travels most of the year. So it is important to stay as cheap as possible. He likes to share a caravan with the other clowns.
– Won’t it be a little tight then?
– No, it’s fine, Ete. Surely cozy too. Also, we work almost all the time independently.
Caravans are all you can afford at home in Norway too. He had to park it behind his brother’s stables at home in Stjørdal.
– Honestly, you don’t need anything anymore! I have fewer worries than those with an expensive house and car and many things. I understand that not everyone is created to be cross-country like me, but there is much more
here in life than material things, says Bendik.
He adds that the flying gull is based on donations. No donations, no clowns.
– I want all the money to go to the children, not that I have a salary. I have never needed the money either. Although some may disagree, he hums.
– Yes, do you have any clue?
– Well, some parents sometimes wonder if I shouldn’t get a suitable job, they laugh out loud.
– Addiction work
Bendik’s life could look completely different. Originally he was a musician. At age 20, he also studied theater in France.
“I loved acting!” He exclaims, but says the transition to the theater scene in Oslo was difficult.
– I couldn’t bear to speak so well. After all, you must do it as an actor. Therefore, I finally realized that theatrical life in Oslo was nothing to me.
He happened to run into the flying gull project and has never looked back since. Rather, he looks forward.
– I’m a little glad my brother takes care of this with his grandkids. I don’t think I will contribute on that front.
– What do you mean, you’re still just youth?
– Haha, yes, thanks. But I’ve seen that everyone with children ends up being a traveling clown, and who will entertain the children who need it most?
– But how long can you continue with an unpaid full-time job?
– How can you stop smoking when you can do something so important in other people’s lives? It’s addictive, so it’s not about quitting smoking.
But this week Bendik received a surprising joy: a work grant from the Council of Culture for the next two years. It will assure you an income to live.
– Now I have an excuse to continue and work for The Flying Seagulls for free, Bendik smiles, adding that he sees the scholarship as a great recognition of the work clowns do for children in crisis.
– Will you stay in the caravan even if you now receive a fixed income?
– of course! I am happy to have a bed of my own. It is luxury after all!
Crown Ready
Finally, the painting on the “Blåmåka” bus has dried and the donation is ready for a crown match. Bendik and his colleagues should have been in Moria throughout April, but due to the crowned borders, the Norwegians enjoy
from your Ablegus.
Bendik and the gang pull the wheels. The first objective is the Havsteinekra Health and Wellness Center. When the bus wall slides down and the clowns appear, the escaped scream comes from the many balconies. Residents smile from ear to ear below
The whole show.
– The residents have lost their daycare, an offer that was very important to them. But it had to close due to the danger of infection. So it’s great that this troop comes and lights up, says security officer Jan Martin Johansen.
Bendik and his colleagues are delighted.
“We are incredibly happy to start, and we are committed to visiting as many people as possible in the future,” says Bendik.
^
[ad_2]
