By Mitch Lewis | Executive Director
To bring some much needed joy into the lives of children living in the Faladie IDP Camp, ATEG ran a program to teach the children their traditional Malian dances. The program was such a success that after the dance instruction was over, and the sun was setting, the children refused to stop and kept dancing under the stars. Most of these children have never before experienced the joy of dance and certainly never received any instruction. One of the ATEG Board members is Souleymane Solo Sana, who is a professional dance instructor in Bamako. Solo ran a program that included lessons every week for 2 months.
Over 200 children participated in this program. Although it was originally intended only for residents of the Faladie Camp, when word got out, children from all over came to join the fun. In the words of the children this actually gave them the opportunity to come together and have fun. This is very rare for children living in this environment. An 11 year old said “it is important to us because it allows us to forget certain worries.” Children were also treated to water and cookies. This was also a chance for some children to learn their numbers. It also freed up time for some mothers to devote to domestic activities.
Because of the huge success of the program, and with the understanding of the importance of the arts in the lives of children, ATEG is planning to continue it.
By Mitch Lewis | Executive Director
By Mitch Lewis | Executive Director
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