On August 10th the GYC delegation visited Mind Leaps

Mind Leaps is a dance company that gives street children in Rwanda a chance to develop and create a better future. It was founded in 2009 by a GYC alumni, Rebecca Davis and was called the Rebecca Davis Dance Company. The dance company consist of 7 staff members, three being the dance teachers and the others consisting of a cook, gate keeper, janitor, and a manager. Two of the dance teachers also teach IT classes. The dance company mostly recruits young boys but will be in the coming months recruiting girls. The process of recruitment starts with the dance teachers going out into the street and talking to the children, seeing who are interested in becoming a part of the company. The recruited children are based on three groups, the first is group A where it is older children who sleep on the street, Group B consist of children in the middle age who are on the streets but may sleep at home. Group C is the children who have dropped out of school and stay at home but spend more than 12 hours on the street.

Children dancing

 All of them are not hosted but instead stay at least 4 hours at the company. While at the company, they are given porridge, they gain computer skills through IT classes, they learn English, and learn to dance (ballet, modern, and contemporary). However, before they start they are given a chance to wash their clothes and cut their nails. The Mind Leaps Company works to also get some kids into boarding school so that they are not going from school and back to the street. When there are holidays for the boarding schools, the company helps to find families to host the street kids or find relatives of the children.

While visiting Mind Leaps the GYC delegates was given a tour of the company. After the children were finished dancing the delegates sat down to talk with them. We asked the children question along with the children also asking us questions. The dancers then showed us some of their favorite moves from their favorite dances. Two dancers even showed us their own choreographies. Before the team left, two delegates Toni and Nick showed them a famous American dance called the Dougie and then everyone joined in a short dance party. 

Tonyi and Nick dancing American dance called the Dougie.

The visit to Mind Leaps was amazing for us in seeing how dance can be used as a form of learning.

If you want to learn more, donate or planning a trip to Rwanda you can donate at www.mindleaps.org or stay at the company where there is one master bedroom along with two other bedrooms that you can rent.