Laughter, Washboards, and "Girl Power" – Halfway Through Zimbabwe Tour with Clowns Without Borders

Laughter, Washboards, and "Girl Power" – Halfway Through Zimbabwe with Clowns Without Borders

We're a little over halfway through our tour of Zimbabwe with Clowns Without Borders, and I know this trip will live with me for a long time. The days have started to blur together—packed with dusty roads, vibrant smiles, connections, and spontaneous joy. 

Yesterday's show was electric, and the schoolchildren's audience responded beautifully. There's something magical about that moment when the line between performer and audience dissolves. You stop "doing a show" and start having a shared experience. That's what today felt like.

After the show, the joy spilled past the edge of the performance. Josie led a dancing mob of students like some pied piper of rhythm. Tsungi had a crowd chasing bubbles. Llyod, one of the Zimbabwean artists, gave me a new name: "Baba Harare" (which means Father Harare). Baba Harare was surrounded by a pack of curious and energetic boys, all taking turns ringing the bell on my washboard.

Then I saw her: a young girl standing slightly apart from the group, wearing a bright shirt that read "Girl Power." I made sure to invite her in to enjoy the fun. Her smile beamed like sunlight. Sometimes, a moment is small, but it's everything.

A boy asked me what my instrument was called. When I told him it was a washboard, he nodded as if filing that detail away for future mischief. Later, another child came up as we were leaving and said, "I will miss you." That's the kind of goodbye that hits you in the ribs. It's a reminder that even brief moments can leave lasting impressions.

Another moment that stayed with me from the show happened during the performance. I spotted a nun in the crowd as we played, clowned, and danced. She was sitting toward the back. But then I saw it—a laugh. Not just a chuckle but a full-bodied laugh that lit up her whole face. After the show, music played, and she stayed in her seat and danced—shoulders swaying, feet tapping. Her joy was unmistakable. 

In our show today, we did something different: we performed for adults with mental challenges. Most of our shows here in Zimbabwe have been for school-age children. But this audience required a different kind of attention. We had to listen more closely and adjust more deliberately. And yet, even in that space, laughter found its way in. Our show is built with flexibility—something that paid off today. There were moments of hesitation, but they gave way to connection, presence, and joy.

Tonight, we prepare for a long travel day. Tomorrow, we drive six hours from Harare to Chimanimani. That means packing up and getting ready to greet a new location with open hearts and red noses.

Our time in Harare has been full of laughter, dancing, and unexpected beauty, one washboard bell ring, one bubble, andone shared dance at a time. I'm excited for what lies ahead in Chimanimani. 

Mark your calendars: Thursday, July 24, is our Second Annual Fundraiser for Clowns Without Borders USA. It will be in Atlanta at the home of our dear friend Tim Cunningham. If you've ever wondered how to support this work—how to bring joy, laughter, and healing to communities worldwide through the universal language of clowning—this is the event for you. Laugh, eat, connect, and help us make sure this work continues to reach the places that need it most.  A link to the fundraiser is here. 

Touring with Clowns Without Borders is about so much more than performance. It's about building beautiful relationships. It's about bringing joy to places that carry weight and hardship. It's about showing up fully, with a red nose and an open heart. Proceeds will bring laughter to children and families in Lebanon and Gaza.

From Harare to Chimanimani and beyond, I'll keep ringing my bell, chasing bubbles, and dancing with whoever's willing. Laughter still has a place, even in the face of great challenges.

Hope to see you on July 24.