MINDLEAPS where to begin? This program offers dance to the poorest of the poor and to street children who have lost family or for other reasons have ended up homeless wanderng the streets of Rwanda. Please look at the web site to get a background to this progam that includes family stregnth services that try to heal families, teach families, teach youong people about all aspects of life and encourage them to continue their education. Some children who have graduated frfom the program come back to give back. This is vacation time yet the kids were there, their instructors ( little more than children themselves) were there to teach, to play, to share. The head master , who is amazing with his ideas and work told us that they have 8 specific items in which the children are assessed:
Teamwork,Motivation,Discipline,Grit, Language, Memorization, Self esteem and creativity, The head master has a lap top- one of few- that he has detailed asessment grades for all the students and those in several other Mind leap countries such as Uganda. He uses the data that helps to support the claim that dance can enhance learning and promote success. They know that for 500$ a year one child can b e supported for school, food and supplies. Larry- one of our particpants- has supported 4 children and today got to meet one of them- Erik- for the first times. Larry gets updates on Eriks grades. He is 20 years old , looks younger, and is determined o be a mathamatical engineer. He has 14 subject tests coming up soon and still have several years of HIGH SCHOOL to complete. He told me quietly that he lived on the streets for a few years and had it not been for Mind Leaps he would still be there or be dead. He aslo told Larry that he was now his new son and how much his support has impacted him,
The kids demonstrated their dance prowess and they range from 6 to 20 years of age- the older kids having taken on the teacher roles. After this we were going on `home visits' Some of the families have agreed to allow us into their homes. These families have children in the Mind Leap programs. We broke into small groups of three and four accompanied by a `guide` to go to the village of Nyamirambo. A little girl named Anika ( 9 years old) accompanied us. Erik- Larry`s `son' was our guide. The walk took over 30 minutes the likes of which are too indescribable. We were told NOT to take photos as we walked and in the home- only outside with the permission of the host. Anika was shy at first and Erik held her hand A short while after we turned a corner from a paved street and entered into a world I can only describe as the shanty towns of South Africa during apartheid. The road was dirt, with rocks, huge step downs, gravelly, slippery, often on the edge of a drop and singlefile. I stopped and realized there was no way I could navigate one of these downhill rocky areas so Anika took my hand and never let go. When we did have to go single file she looked back at me to see if I was ok. At some point I needed both Erik and Anika to help me cross wide ravines and steep inclines. It was not just me- even Kiel and Michelle much younger than I, had moments that needed assistance. The walk was far more challanging than yesterday`s climb if you can imagine that.
We arrived at the `home` how can I describe this hut made of mud with a sheet as a door way. Anika is the daughter of Appolina and sister to Daniel (5 yrs)and this is the family, There was no male present as is the case with most of the households. We were warmly yet shyly greeted. Inside was a bench, a bed, and a sheet covering up what was probably a make shift toilet. I did not see a refrigerator let alone any electricity. No stove, nothing. The room was about 10x10 thats it. Some of us have closted that are bigger.
I really never saw such poverty. During the rainly seasons these dirst roads and mud huts are ften washed away,/yet they do actually pay rent in these ramshakled huts. Appolina said through Erik translation, she ws 30, had no parents- which we assumed were killed during the genocide- she loved looking at all our family pictures, including/photos of snow- which she had never seen. We were the first visitors she has ever had. It was hard for me to keep it together and not cry and say how grateful we all must be for what we have,
She is happy Anika is part of Mind leaps and her son is too young to go right now. The huts were very close together and many children regardless of this poverty were playing, smiling and very curious to see these visitors from America. When it was time to leave Appolina said we could take photos - we did so outside the hut. When it was time to go back, I never expected Anika to once again take my hand, check on me and walk all the way back to Mind Leaps only to have to walk back again. There are no lights leading the way if it gets dark.. Once we got back with tears and lumps in our throats what greeted us was all the children spontaneously dancing and running up to us to dance with them, It certainly brought joy to my heart and lessened the heavyness of the home visit, We danced, clapped, held hands and no one wanted to leave.
So in this pit of poverty was the small hand of a little girl who had nothing but her heart to give to me.
Every day Carl asks us to find the good. We get together and find our own good in each day, Today for me it was that small hand
notice the mud hut walls- Apolonia with her children Anika in the black
Our visit to the home
The head of family stregnth at Mind Leaps
Children studying algebra
one of the dancing students
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