By Rebecca Davis | Executive Director
You are receiving this Project Report since you are a current supporter of MindLeaps (formerly RDDC) GlobalGiving Program: “Street Scholars – From The Streets to The Classroom”.
What’s new?
RDDC has officially changed its name on GlobalGiving to “MindLeaps”. Same mission – same organization – same page…just a new name to better reflect what we do: use dance and vocational training to develop children’s minds and skills so they can leap forward in life.
Passy’s Story
Passy and his younger brother Jean di Dieu have been attending the MindLeaps’ program in Rwanda for nearly one year. Unfortunately, they have no father and their mother, a genocide survivor, is HIV-positive. Luckily, both boys are healthy but they have not been able to go to school and gradually became street children in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. They found the MindLeaps Center and started attending the dance class open to out-of-school youth.
Passy quickly developed in our program, showing tremendous curiosity and asking some of the most insightful questions we have heard: “why do I feel like I have more energy after dance class than before?” “What skills do I need to have a job when I grow up?” “How can I get health advice for my mother?”
Within three months, Passy was our top student in the dance program. As you know, the MindLeaps’ dance program develops out-of-school children’s cognitive and non-cognitive skills while teachers grade students’ progress through a data application system. (You can see how Passy’s skill development exceeded the class average in attached graph.)
Having strengthened his learning skills, Passy continued to thrive in our computer training program whereby he learned typing, Internet usage and basic email.
In January, Passy was selected to attend Sonrise Boarding School in Musanze, Rwanda. He is thriving at school – both academically and socially. He is doing well even though his peers are “regular children”. Passy is no longer a street child and his mother is so proud of him.
What’s next?
Jean di Dieu, Passy’s little brother, is now starting to excel in the same way as his older brother. He works diligently in the MindLeaps’ program. Our goal is to get this little boy into boarding school too. In this way, a family damaged by the 1994 Tutsi Genocide can finally recover from the atrocities that left them as innocent victims.
Thank you!
Thank you for giving Passy a chance at life and supporting the ongoing dance and technology programs at the MindLeaps Center in Rwanda. Now let's try to help his little brother!
We would be grateful if you also considered sharing this project on Facebook and Twitter.
Warm wishes and many thanks.
By Rebecca Davis | Executive Director
By Rebecca Davis | Executive Director
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