By Susan Pasley | Communications Coordinator
A fundamental component of the MindLeaps program is of course the core structure of dance classes leading to entry into formal schooling. Our dance program develops the cognitive and social emotional learning skills necessary for success in school, but we know that the overall health and well-being of our children and their families are equally important to achieving success and self-reliance in life. To promote overall health, we run a range of programs at our locations for the children, youth, families and communities we serve.
To begin with, our dance classes are not only crafted to foster cognitive skills and social emotional learning, but involve a great physical workout as well. Kids have fun exercising their dance moves, keeping active and energized.
To provide support for personal hygiene, at our centers in Rwanda and Guinea, each child entering the program receives a personal sanitation kit including a towel and soap, a toothbrush, and sanitary napkins for girls. This starts them out with good hygiene habits. The centers also provide access to clean water for the children to wash their clothes, as their living situations often lack easy access to soap and water.
Our meal programs offer an important source of nutrition that may not be so regular at home. The children and youth at MindLeaps are supported with a variety of meals and snacks. Our Jim Bell Centre in Kigali, Rwanda, currently serves over 1000 meals weekly, including porridge, rice and beans. The MindLeaps Center in Conakry, Guinea, also averages around 1000 meals weekly, including breakfast and lunch. In Uganda, local favorites like chapatis and mangoes are served daily to the children in our programs. In Mauritania, meals for girls and boys include porridge, spaghetti and bread. Nutrition they can count on is essential for children to have the energy to focus on both dance and their studies.
As our students move toward adolescence, MindLeaps knows that it is important to address issues and provide learning opportunities centered around sexual and reproductive health. To serve our youth, we offer Sexual and Reproductive Health Education for both girls and boys through classes and workshops. Topics covered range from pregnancy and prostitution, to self-worth and cultural expectations that affect both girls and boys. There is a focus on healthy relationships, as well as hygiene and disease prevention. In Guinea, for example, weekly sessions are attended by up to 40 girls and 20 boys. The aim of the program is to help our youth navigate puberty and learn healthy practices leading to reproductive health and well-being.
Promotion of health awareness extends to families as well. In Rwanda, as part of our Family Strengthening/Self-Help Groups Program, parents of MindLeaps children receive financial training, which includes facilitating their pooling of resources to create a medical insurance savings fund.
At MindLeaps, health and fitness are vital to positive growth and success!
By Susan Pasley | Communications Coordinator
By Susan Pasley | Communications Coordinator
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