Kenyan coach aims to nurture more talent in Africa, inspire new generation
Little did Mathias Kavita, a 14-year-old Kenyan boy, know that after completing two years of rigorous training at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe in South China, it would take him four decades to return to the country he had come to consider his second home.
From 1983 to 1985, Kavita, together with 23 other Kenyan teenagers, spent two rewarding years of intense training marked by both hardship and joy. This unforgettable experience profoundly influenced him, who has since become a respected acrobatics coach in Kenya, training more than 1,000 acrobats.
For almost 40 years, Kavita dreamed of returning to China. That dream became a reality last year after his story captured media attention and he performed at an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya. With support from the Chinese embassy, Kavita made his way back, not to Guangzhou, but to Wuqiao in Hebei province, a county known as the birthplace of Chinese acrobatics.
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"Coming here to Wuqiao reminds me of my first trip to China. What I've found here is fascinating because almost everyone knows something about acrobatics," said the now 53-year-old Kavita, his excitement evident.
Xu Yang, a coach with more than 20 years of experience at Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School, shared the excitement over Kavita's visit. "The other day I mentioned an acrobatic move in Chinese, 'Gu Lu Mao', which means front flips, and he immediately understood it," Xu said, noting that despite Kavita's reduced fluency in Mandarin, he still remembers all the key acrobatic terms in Chinese.
This year, about 70 acrobats from nine countries, including Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sierra Leone, have come to Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School for training. In addition to working closely with his four Kenyan students, Kavita also assists in training beginners, including young children. Witnessing their tears has evoked memories of his own experiences as a child at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe in the 1980s.
"I see my younger self in these kids. I believe that one day, they will be so proud of China and the skills they've learned here. This knowledge will make them travel all over the world and meet different people," Kavita said.
Since 2002, Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School has trained about 700 foreign acrobats from more than 30 countries, with a majority of them hailing from Africa.
"African students often blend the acrobatic skills they learn here with their rich cultural heritage, which helps spread Chinese acrobatic arts across the continent in a more diverse form," said Liu Chunxiao, the school's office manager. "I hope these students will continue to foster the traditional friendship between China and Africa."
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Before the two-month training program in Wuqiao concludes at the end of this month, Kavita plans to visit his former teachers at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe. The troupe is thrilled to learn that the Kenyan students are still very active in acrobatics after all these years, he said.
"This is not the end of my acrobatic journey. I hope to open a school when I return to Kenya to tap more talents. It's challenging but this has always been my dream," Kavita said, adding he believes this is all about creating a shared future.
