Rwanda is a small country in East Africa. Devastated by a history of war and genocide, there are an estimated 2,000 children living on the streets, struggling for food and shelter.
Many of these children are victims of abuse or neglect. But now, an organization called MindLeaps is slowly working to change their lives through dance!
Out of the ten non-profit organizations in Rwanda that works to help homeless children, MindLeaps is the only one that incorporates dance into their program. The children they serve are given a structure and curriculum that helps them learn to navigate their bodies and work with other dancers as a team.
The program offers other educational classes as well, with the goal being to eventually put each child through school and become self-sustaining members of society. The dance program, directors say, helps the children develop cognitive skills; many of their children who go on to school perform in the top 20% of their class.
In the last 5 years, MindLeaps has helped almost 1,500 children between ages 8-9. To learn more about the incredible work this organization is doing, visit their website