Unfortunately, it is not always possible for children to leave the hospital due to various different circumstances - sometimes the children are too ill to leave their beds and sometimes they are connected to medical equipment. It is in such circumstances that the need arises to be able to provide a hospital entertainer called Jabulani. Each of our fifteen AmaJabulani, having a special name of their own such as Jay Jay Jabulani or Cheeky Jabulani, are professional magicians and clowns who are highly skilled and trained by our Foundation to work within a hospital environment with ill children. Our Jabulani visit the children in hospitals, both state and private, around the country. Based on the ‘Patch Adams’ concept, they enter the hospital wards with their humorous nature and entertain the children for more than two hours per session. They perform magic tricks, sculpture balloon characters, tell jokes, tease the children and nursing staff and generally cause fits of giggling and laughter throughout the hospital corridors.
What is the purpose of Jabulani?
- To allow hospitalized children forget about their illness for some time while undergoing treatment.
- Laughter is a universal language and therefore everyone comes together and enjoys time laughing and having fun in a uncomfortable environment.
- To pacify children undergoing painful medical procedures.
Their yellow jackets are well known in the hospitals and some children patiently wait all morning for a visit. Medical and hospital staff have verified that the presence of clowns in a hospital has a positive effect on the children. For hospitalised children, entertainers and clowns increase patient cooperation and decrease parental and patient anxiety. Other benefits of a clown visit include pain reduction and the increased stimulation of immune function in children.
