UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
04/25/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/25/2024 06:49
Rhythmic Pedagogy: Educating Through Dance in Kenya
This article is part of the Young Trailblazers series. In this series, we feature youth and students who are transforming education on the ground and driving progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).
By Raquel Armendariz Sucunza
For Francis Odhiambo, an award-winning young leader and an SDG4 Youth & Student Network member, dance is more than a pastime. "Dancing saved my life," he states. Growing up in one of the largest slums of Kenya, the only thing Francis could focus on was dance. Dance allowed him to express himself, find a sense of belonging, build a community, and eventually receive a scholarship to return to school. Since then, he has been working to use dance to empower children and youth and support their mental health and well-being. With this intention, and following his passion and unique approach to education, he co-founded the organization ChezaCheza, meaning playful in Swahili.
In recent years, mental health has become one of the most pressing concerns among young people. Globally, 13% of children and teens ages 10-19 experience a mental disorder, and specifically in Kenya, this translates to over 1.9 million people. In light of this, ChezaCheza's therapeutic dance sessions aim to reduce these figures by combining socio-emotional learning and providing child-friendly, fun, and culturally appropriate mental health services in marginalized communities.
Francis Odhiambo
By partnering mainly with schools, the organization's biggest beneficiaries, ChezaCheza has developed a specialized curriculum focused on three modules. Students first begin their journeys by exploring self-awareness. This is followed by the second module, where they learn how to engage with others. The third module empowers them to act. This educational plan enables students to build skills of empathy, teamwork, and self-esteem, among others. As Francis affirms, they are key abilities of global citizenship that will allow them to "believe in themselves and become changemakers."
In addition, the foundation established an All-Stars Academy for the extra uniquely talented. Through this program, selected students are connected to meaningful opportunities and supported throughout their educational journey to become professional performers. This initiative carries forward the foundation's mission of using the power of dance to advocate for the most pressing issues facing communities and to also educate others. Francis's focus on providing students with a better future is exemplary, as he is deeply involved and driven for them to have education opportunities. When asked about his proudest moment, he replied, "It keeps happening again and again, but my proudest moment is seeing how member students of ChezaCheza finish school and graduate."
Dancing Towards a Global Education Movement
Since its foundation six years ago, ChezaCheza has reached over 3,500 students in Kenya and has provided over 1,100 classes and established 18 venues in the country. It aims to engage 20,000 students by 2027 and expand to different countries and institutions, including refugee camps. Efforts have already started by engaging with sites of internal displacement in Kenya and Uganda. Asked about his goal, Francis replies, "we want to create talent centers across all of Africa and reach vulnerable communities."
The rhythmic pedagogy led by Francis is reaching beyond borders. He was recently invited by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development in India, to take the stage and discuss the transformative power of his holistic approach. He was also a featured speaker at the World Conference on Culture and Arts Education from 13 to 15 February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates that brought together Culture and Education Ministers from around the world and concluded with the adoption of a new UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education.
Francis Odhiambo
Recently, Francis has been greatly involved with UNESCO's #DanceForEducation campaign. This global initiative challenged everyone to dance along to Goodwill Ambassador Asalfo's internationally acclaimed Ivorian band, Magic System's remake of their hit song 'Magic in the Air. The new version entitled 'Education in the Air' promotes the message that education is key to unlock Africa's, and all other continents' economic and human potential. For him, this campaign represents the perfect moment to demonstrate the changes that dance can bring to the community and opens up a whole world of possibilities to continue advancing education.
As Francis' story shows, this new rhythmic pedagogy is an example of the transformative power of education and living proof that not all education needs to adhere to traditional forming classroom settings. Learning through the Arts has been shown to have many benefits as is indicated in the 2023 UNESCO publication, Arts education: an investment in quality learning. After all, to achieve the 2030 Agenda and create global citizens who can implement it, innovation must be at the forefront of our efforts. And for that, there is no doubt that ChezaCheza's dynamic efforts are exactly what education needs.