Colombia suffers from an internal conflict that generates violence and forced displacement, especially in regions such as Chocó. According to UNHCR, the country ranks first in the world for the number of internally displaced persons, with more than 7.8 million people affected.
Txetxe, Rosi, Isa, and Tatiana, dedicated clowns who are part of our organization, traveled to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó. There they combined clown and circus performances with Trauma Recovery Techniques (TRTs) to reduce post-traumatic stress and improve the well-being of displaced children and their families, fostering resilience and community cohesion.
They themselves share their experience:
“From the very beginning we knew that the aim of the project entrusted to us was to reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and improve the mood of displaced and refugee children who had suffered the effects of conflict and forced movements in the Chocó region.
To achieve this, we brought together two dynamics of different origins: psychology, with the TRTs (Trauma Recovery Techniques) developed by the UTCCB (Trauma, Crisis, and Conflict Unit of Barcelona) and applied by the teachers of Quibdó schools, and the performing arts, through comic shows carried out by Clowns Without Borders. To make this possible, we had the support of UNHCR Colombia and the Nous Cims Foundation. Without fully realizing it, this was already the sixth tour of the project.
After this introduction, it is hard to describe the experience, full of inner contradictions that constantly make you question the place of human beings on this planet. A land of immense wealth like Chocó (gold, mining, food, ecological beauty…) alongside the violence and exploitation imposed on its people, who live in poverty and under the pressure of decades of armed conflict.”
Arrival in Chocó
From Bogotá we flew in a small plane for an hour and a half over the Chocó jungle. We observed the endless green stretching beneath us. We saw the Atrato River winding like a vital artery, full of life and nourishment.
In Quibdó, Don Luis, our driver, was waiting for us. He soon became an essential part of the team, taking care of us and accompanying us with kindness and safety. From his car we watched in fascination: thousands of motorbikes full of people, furniture, objects, entire families… without helmets, without traffic lights, and yet without accidents. Adding to all this was the music blasting from speakers on every corner: exotic rhythms or voices announcing fresh fruit, tasty, delicious, and sweet as honey.”
Our First Steps
“Our host, Tatiana Torres, the clown Petisa, reassured us from the start: the first days are for introductions, and afterwards, everything will flow. And that’s exactly what happened.
After a few shows, the teamwork was perfect. The team understood each other without words.”
Shared Flight
“With my beloved companions from Valencia, Rosi Cózar and Isa Navas, we formed a bond of complicity and trust that gave us absolute freedom on stage. We soared, in every performance, through laughter, mischief, and giant strides.
Each show closed with a farewell song adapted to the audience, accompanied by the banjolele, maracas, and the rhythm of calypso rock.”
Overflowing Laughter
“The shows at the schools were pure energy: 500 children all at once, hugging us, seeking us with their eyes, wanting to keep playing. A tenderness that left us exhausted and marked by love.
We would love to perform for them every week. And even then, it would still be necessary. Because in an environment shaped by violence, laughter changes gazes and transforms the atmosphere.
Magic tricks, juggling, the surprise of a disappearing handkerchief or a floating rope became a collective breath. Among infinite jungles and noisy routines, we learned that humor is both resistance and tenderness.
Now we need a few days to process our minds, our souls, and our hearts—vibrant, emotional, and transformed.
We can only feel grateful for this land and its generous people, who ask us to come back soon, tomorrow even, and to teach them magic—even though they are already ready and are the ones who truly know how to perform it.
Clowning does not heal the world, but it does make it more livable.”
Txetxe Folch
“To the 6,738 children of Chocó: each of your smiles is a river flowing freely between mountains, a spark that lights up the jungle, a ray of light breaking through the rain.
Thank you for teaching us that joy cannot be bought, that shared laughter is a bridge, and that in the midst of everything, there is always a reason to shine.”
Isa Navas
“Play, presence, and listening. We are welcomed with rice and tomato, eggs with everything, and a glass of milk with panela. They care for us. At every step they shout, ‘¡Sí, se puede!’ They approach the suitcase and are amazed by magic.
Thank you, boys and girls, for your awake smiles and your present games.”
Rosi Cozar Navarro
