History of The
Mighty Jambo Acrobats

The Mighty Jambo Acrobats have their humble beginnings in one of the densely populated Ghettos (slums) in Nairobi- Kenya known as Mathare Valley.

Life in the famous Mathare slums is never smooth and changes every minute as different events unfold. Survival for the fittest is the daily norm. Every moment in a ghetto is like a scene in a fictional drama, this minute you are sober next minute you are high from all sorts of ilicit liquors and drugs.

Shelter in slums is composed of house-like structures made of Cartons, pieces of iron sheets, timber, concrete and any other construction material that one can easily lay his hands on.

Sanitation is almost non-existent as people use public toilets built during the colonial days with no sewage system . Garbage litters all over with no one to collect and as it accumulates day by day the stench replaces the fresh air so taken for granted elsewhere. To crown it all, violent robberies, murders, prostitution, rape and child abuse have become common activities.

Poverty and unemployment levels in the slums are so high that most parents cannot afford basic necessities like food and clean water for their families. Education is more of a luxury than a necessity. Consequently, most street boys and girls known as "Chokora" (A Swahili word meaning scavenger) who roam and beg in the city centre originate from the Mathare slums.

It is from the above background that The Mighty Jambo was started: at the Mathare Social Hall. All the acrobats were born and brought up in the slums-enduring all the hardships that the slums so abundantly provide. The young acrobats would train on weekdays and then provide much needed weekend entertainment to the ghetto people.

The first major achievement for us came when some young boys and girls developed a desire to be like us. They thus discarded their slum and street routine and joined our training sessions and slowly started developing basic acrobatic skills. New artists were born through hard work, self determination and perseverance. Out of that we have formed seven troops that perform independently countrywide. They have since left their street life and become self-sustaining acrobats.

From our hard work and perfection of the art we became popular in the entertainment industry. We gained recognition among nightclubs, hotels, individuals and the government. From our humble beginnings, we have been invited to perform in various hotels and clubs, which include the Grand Regency, Intercontinental, City Cabanas, Wida Highway Motel and Hillock Inn. We have also been honoured to perform during Kenya public holidays like Jamhuri, Madaraka and Moi Days and also the Agricultural Society of Kenya events. We also entertain the President of Kenya and his guests at the State House during these occasions.

We are currently stationed at the Butlins Holiday Camps under Buorn Leisure in United Kingdom in conjuction with Sarakasi Trust.We have also performed in Haven Holiday Camps all over United Kingdom , Primrose Valley, Blue Dolphin and Golden Sands . Back in Kenya we performed daily acrobatic shows in conjunction with the famous Safari Cats who specialise in Ballet Dancing and African Traditional Dance at the Nairobi Safari Park and Casino. From this podium we have promoted, launched movies and a wide variety of products to multinational companies and organizations. We have also been active members of Sarakasi Trust Objectives having performed at Mambumbum and Sarakasi Festival.

Our dream and ambition is to improve life in the ghetto through provision of the necessary skills and training to the street boys and girls who are talented thus helping them gain self confidence and realise their full potential. We hope to improve their attitude, reliability, industry and focus as well as reduce drug abuse and idleness.

Our biggest set back in life is lack of adequate funds that will make us realize our dream. We are aiming at a world tour to perform for the less fortunate street boys and girls, introduce our idea and culture to the world and create an international response to this problem.

We know that you exist out there, please help these slum boys and girls realize this dream.