Empower Refugee Youth Through Dance

The Jim Bell Center in Nyamirambo, Kigali was bursting with excitement as MindLeaps' students and staff gathered to celebrate the end of the Rwandan school year and the end of 2019. MindLeaps' junior trainers (high school students) along with staff were responsible for the day's successful events.

The main highlight of the day was, of course, dance performances by MindLeaps' students. The six current student groups: J, K, L, M, O, and P spent seven weeks creating, rehearsing, and preparing dances that were performed for MindLeaps' staff, parents, and fellow students. The pieces ranged in style from ballet and contemporary to hip-hop and afrobeat.

Another highlight of the day included a poem written and performed by former MindLeaps students, Ally and Jean de Dieu, entitled "Street Kid Rise Up." The poem, written in mixed language, English - Kinyarwanda, spoke about the ways in which a street kid's life can shift in a positive direction if their "hands are firmly held upward and given opportunity." Ally recently finished Primary School Level 6 and will be starting Secondary School in the new year. Congratulations Ally!

Also at the event, Rwandan staff members Salama Numukobwa (Community Facilitator), Eugene Dushime (International Coordinator), and Roger Ikuzwe (Program Manager) spoke congratulating the students and teachers on a successful year. They acknowledged the amazing effort involved to make the day's programs so successful and encouraged students to continue improving the self-esteem and teamwork skills they have been developing this year. Ikuzwe continued, crediting the 2019 success of MindLeaps Rwanda to the kids', parents', and staff's, "dedication, inspiration, and professionalism in addressing the social challenge of at-risk youth."

Thank you for your generous support of these vulnerable children in 2019. You have given them the chance to develop life skills that can ultimately lead to new opportunities and an improved life.