Introduction:
MMCC, Mobile Mini Circus for Children, is an international non profit NGO that has been working in Afghanistan since June 2002. The main objective of MMCC is providing educational and informative entertainment for children. This aim is achieved by identifying, training, and applying the Afghan talents and potentials.
For more general information on MMCC please see the attached brief summery. Elaborative pictures and further information is available on: www.afghanmmcc.org

The idea:
Based on the creative educational methods and activities developed since 2002, MMCC wish to establish permanent activities in Bamyan. The main idea is to establish a base for cultural educational activities in Bamyan city that on a longer term can be utilized as a base for providing children and teachers of the entire region with joy, fun and education through creative methods of teaching and learning.

Background:
MMCC’s strategy is to introduce and stimulate self sustainable educational and entertaining systems that will be followed and practiced as community based activities. Since 2003 MMCC’s educational entertaining performances, workshops and teacher trainings have successfully reached more than half a million children and teachers in 16 provinces. However, though we often hear that the activities are continued at the schools, where they have been introduced by MMCC’s mobile artists, it naturally needs more attention to become long lasting community based activities as such.

The overall aim of starting a small scale MMCC in Bamyan, is to capacity build and provide facilities that will enable children and local community members of the region to implement and sustain cultural educational activities as an integrated part of the children’s daily life.

Why Bamyan?
In the process of rehabilitation of Afghanistan, the Bamyan region has been underprivileged in the cultural, entertaining and educational fields. As a large number of MMCC children in our main center in Kabul originally belong to Bamyan, it has been natural to look into this region for establishing the first sub-branch for a more permanent and sustainable implementation of MMCC activities in the provinces.
The officials and Governor office of Bamyan has shown a great interest and support of the idea of implementing MMCC activities in the region.

Strategy:
In April 2006 MMCC made a one week pilot project in Bamyan. The main objective of the pilot project was to gain interest and support from the local community to the idea and activities in the here described long term project. The pilot project was very successful with more than 600 local community members participating as audience for the final event where children of Bamyan made a joint performance with MMCC’s professional artists. Please find below photos from the activities.

The local community’s support is essential for a successful project. In order to further build up a local network and ensure a positive interest to the new activities, MMCC is planning to visit Bamyan two more times within this year. The main objective of the visits this year is to gradually make the local community familiar with the idea of starting permanent MMCC-activities in Bamyan and to obtain contacts for the following phases of the project.

The estimated timeframe for the full project is two years.

For details on the planned phases of the project please refer to the description below.

Expected outcome:
The hereby proposed project aims to build up a sustainable structure for permanent educational entertaining activities for and with children in the Bamyan region in close interaction with the local community. The expected outcome is:
1) Local capacity and a system for continuing creative and cultural activities for children in Bamyan
2) A local team of trainers who are qualified to provide teacher trainings on creative teaching methods in the region

Budget:
The hereby described two year project includes a large part of research on the local capacity and logistic frames and opportunities in Bamyan as well as the region as such; a number of workshops and activities in Bamyan conducted by MMCC’s Kabul based staff; employment of Bamyan staff; trainings of Bamyan based staff in Kabul; a joint Bamyan-Kabul children workshop and event; establishing of a base for the activities in Bamyan including equipment for running activities; promotion of the project.

To make the project possible a total amount of estimated 42,000 USD that can be utilized on a flexible base is needed

The budget includes: Research, conceptualizing, salaries and per diem, administration, communication, accommodation for participating trainees and MMCC-staff, rent, equipment, props and workshop materials, refreshments for participating children, food and refreshments for staff, transportation, promotion, joint Kabul-Bamyan children artist workshop, one or more larger events

Partner- and/or sponsorship:
The initial pilot project made in April 2006 as a preparations phase of the hereby proposed project was financially covered by MMCC’s own contribution. To continue to the next phase and start the hereby described implementing project one or more partners and/or sponsors are needed.

The budget above covers the described project that last for two years and includes capacity building, training and establishing of permanent activities in the Bamyan region.

We welcome any information and contacts that can lead to potential partners and sponsors that may have the interest of supporting this project.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information

Best regards
David Mason and Berit Muhlhausen
+93-(0)700-280-140 / +93-(0)700-229-975
E-mail: circus@afghanmmcc.org

The planned phases of the Bamyan project include:

1) Summer 2006: A short follow up visit on the initial pilot project, including a minor children workshop and 1-2 performances to promote the activities

2) Autumn 2006: A one week visit including workshop activities plus one or more performances made by children of Bamyan. The aim is to include a number of local adult community members in the workshop-activities. In the end of the visit an audition will be made in order to select 2-4 adults from Bamyan for training in MMCC’s center in Kabul during the winter – see below.

3) Winter 2006/07: The selected adults from Bamyan will be invited to Kabul to get practical training by participating in MMCC’s winter-program that consists of 40 different classes for 350 children. As they learn they will gradually be handed over responsibility for some of the activities and thereby become part of the MMCC-staff group.

4) Spring 2007: MMCC’s mobile artists together with the new Bamyan MMCC-staff will conduct a joint workshop for and with children in Bamyan city. The workshop kick-starts the following activities for which a schedule and plan will be made before MMCC’s mobile artists leave. A logistic frame for the activities as well as a system for use of MMCC-props and equipment will furthermore be established

5) Spring 2007 and ongoing: Based on the local feedback and experiences gained from the previous activities, the new Bamyan MMCC-staff will run regular MMCC-activities for groups of children in Bamyan city. Most likely the activities will be part time – for example 3 afternoons for boys and 3 mornings or afternoons for girls weekly. However… it all depends on the local frame, needs and interest.

6) Summer 2007: A group of Kabul-MMCC children artists will visit Bamyan for a joint workshop with the Bamyan MMCC-children. One or more larger events will be made as part of the visit.

7) Summer or Autumn 2007: MMCC’s mobile artists together with the Bamyan MMCC-staff will conduct a teacher training workshop for one or more selected partner organizations in the region

8) Winter 2007/08: Bamyan MMCC-staff will participate full- or part time in MMCC’s winter program in Kabul in order to get further training and inspiration.

9) Spring 2008 and onwards: Activities will be continued by the Bamyan MMCC-staff – assisted by MMCC’s mobile artists when needed. Teacher trainings for local partner organizations will be conducted according to agreements.

Note: Phase 6-9 may be adjusted according to the experiences and feedback gained from the initial described activities in phase 1-5.