Will You Dance With Me?

“When you’re dancing, you’re not so concerned about your troubles. You’re asking, ‘Am I in sync with everyone?’ It’s a momentary break from your problems, and you get a bit of joy,” said Grace Flavia Ibanda, one of our team members in Uganda.

Joy is what Grace wants for the families in Kiteezi, a community next to the garbage dump of Uganda’s capital city. The majority of families are led by single mothers, who have labored at the dumpsite, collecting recyclables to earn money to support their families. It’s back-breaking, dirty work, only taken on by people who have no other options as “pickers” are typically looked down upon.

As for dancing, “They had an attitude of ‘I’m not good enough. That’s not what I do,’” Grace explained. They had “a sense of unworthiness.”

Last year, when Grace began working with Kiteezi Samaritan, our local team in Uganda, her first thought was “How do I shift this dynamic?” How could she encourage these women to believe in themselves?

For Grace, the answer was in creative movement. She formed a Performing Arts Club, focused on using music for healing, building confidence, strengthening community, and relaxation. Then the children in the community, our Samaritan Scholars, provided a perfect confidence-building opportunity when they asked for their parents to perform at a family day.

“The mothers were shocked!” Grace recalled. Only two of the mothers had ever done any kind of dancing before the Performing Arts Club.

Grace, on the other hand, has been dancing since the age of 13. She has a university degree in dance and literature and has worked as a dance teacher. She told the mothers, “We can do it! We can show the children we’re not that old. Show off a little!”

Though shy at first, the parents danced for their children, who cheered them on. The mothers also played the drums, something they didn’t even realize women could do. “People don’t expect women to drum,” Grace said. “At first the women said the drums are big and heavy. I told them, ‘Guys, we can do this!’”

When the tragic landslide occurred at the dumpsite this past August, this community lost friends and loved ones. While the dumpsite remains closed, they’ve lost their main source of income.

Through the performing arts, many community members have found healing and support. They found the courage to hold a benefit concert at the prestigious National Theatre. The club became the Kiteezi Samaritan Performers.

While practicing for this performance, Grace saw a sense of hope in their conversation, their demeanor, and even in their posture.

“They can stand up taller and say, ‘I’m a dancer,’” Grace said. “The women went out to the market to sell tickets to the benefit concert, looked people in the eye, and eloquently explained what they were doing.”

Not only have the performers gained confidence, but they’ve learned teamwork, time management, and organizational skills that will stick with them. And they raised the dollar equivalent of $1,620 through the concert!

The benefit concert, titled “We are Kiteezi,” was held on October 8 and 9, and was part of Uganda’s 62nd Independence Day celebrations. For these performers, it would be fair to say that the celebration wasn’t just for their country, but also for their newfound freedom to dance.

International Samaritan is a Christ-centered organization built on Catholic Social Teaching. Our mission is to walk hand-in-hand with people who live and work in the garbage dumps of developing nations to help them break out of poverty.

We provide holistic scholarships for students from kindergarten through college, and we’re currently supporting nearly 1,000 scholars in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa.

Would your church or school group like to partner and travel with us? Learn about our Learn, Serve, Grow program.

Empower our scholars to change their lives. Become a monthly supporter.

Your church, school, or community group can support Samaritan Scholars this Advent season by setting up a Samaritan Tree. Learn more and request your free kit: intsam.org/samaritan-tree.

Mike Tenbusch, President

Mike joined International Samaritan in 2018 after two decades of leading social change in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. He’s a University of Michigan Law grad and author of The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty. He and his wife, Maritza, have three children who keep them young.