Capoeira Alafia

Qui sommes-nous

Capoeira Alafia is a Jamaican based non-profit, non-governmental-organization promoting peace and non-violence through the afro-brazilian culture and martial art of Capoeira. Through our main implementer Grupo Cativeiro Capoeira – Jamaica and other independent contractors we realize community interventions, workshops, displays and regular training for disadvantaged children and adults all over Jamaica. Our projects motivate, educate and encourage individuals, groups and communities, creating a positive impact in their lives by empowering them physically, psychologically as well as culturally.

Offering an attractive, effective and new approach of promoting peace in Jamaica we see our goals in socializing and uniting persons, regardless of their social, cultural or religious backgrounds, in order to help create an educated and peaceful society.

Projects:
• Diffusing the Trash Time Bomb: This project aims at improving the knowledge, attitudes and practices of youth around the proper disposal and reuse of waste materials. Through solid waste "re-production" youth will focus on income generating activities.
• EcoPots: Capoeira Alafia encourages personal and community transformation by teaching children and youths from volatile Jamaican communities how to manufacture useful and marketable items from tires.
• Berimbao Workshop: Ten students from the New Haven community received a Berimbao Workshop, teaching them how to build and handle the main instrument used in Capoeira.
• Capoeira at the park: The goal of "Capoeira at the Park" encounters, meanwhile organized regularly at different parks in Kingston, is to build up inter-community relations by engaging members of various communities in playing Capoeira with each other. As a result many friendships among students from different areas arouse and fears and prejudices of residents of former ´unknown´ communities decreased.
• Mammee River and Mountain View: Capoeira classes have been offered twice per week to the residents of the communites of Mammee River and Mountain View.
• New Haven: A great group spirit has evolved among the participants of this Capoeira-projects in New Haven and resulted in many positive behavioral changes as well as increased discipline and self-control.
• PDHP: At Programme for the Development of Human Potential (PDHP) Capoeira is taught to a group of special needs students, some with down-syndrome others autistic. Remarkable results occurred for some students, who have been rewarded with the first and even second Capoeira belt.
• Peace Wall: Capoeira Alafia assisted German graffiti artist Julian Vogel during his stay in Kingston. The artist seeks to raise awareness for the social and political situation in violence and war stricken countries around the world and chose Jamaica as venue for the 3rd World Peace Wall.
• Spanish Town: While Capoeira Alafia engages children and youths from both communities in weekly Capoeira classes members of Blue Star Jamaica provide assistance for local teachers and encourage ´backyard gardening´ as a income generating activity among residents.
• Trench Town: In Trenchtown Capoeira has successfully been used to access the community and create interest in the (Capoeira for Empowerment and Peace) CEPP, which initially offered different components such as literacy training and counseling.
• WROC Summercamp: Capoeira has been taught as a non traditional form of conflict management and the students have been encouraged to utilize the learnt techniques and strategies in their daily lives.
• XPressions: XPRESSIONS seeks to encourage inner-city students from Kingston to express themselves through drawing. Many students have difficulties articulating themselves verbally and are often too intimidated or afraid to talk about personal issues.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.