Overall targets
“Network of live grassroot culture in East Africa” will enable cultural organisations from three countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) to meet for the first time in Dar es Salaam and share experiences and to establish durable relations. In addition, they will have input from a representative from ‘Cultura Viva Comunitaria’ (Bolivia), as well as from European partners involved in the organisation of cultural encounters with youth in Europe. (The Bolivian and the European partners will be in Dar es Salaam as part of an EU financed project). We expect this first meeting to be the beginning of a process of change that will strengthen the participating organisations and become the basis for a wider network in East Africa.
Immediate targets
Carrying out the first network meeting of “Network of live grassroot culture in East Africa”
Target groups
In first instance the trainers (60) and the adult artists (30) of the three organizations, Kigamboni Community Centre (KCC), Nafsi Africa (Nafsi) and Sosolya Undugu Dance Academy (Sosolya), will benefit from the intervention, but the most important target groups are the children and youth (about 1.000 children and youth (5-25)), who are the current beneficiaries of the three cultural organizations. If the network becomes durable many more youngsters will benefit, as the organizations can develop their activities and hopefully start exchange programmes. In a longer perspective the network should also include cultural grassroots organisations from the whole subregion (e.g. in Ethiopia there is a group training young people in similar skills).
Resume
This intervention will enable the founding meeting for a new network for organisations working with live grassroot culture (acrobatics, music, dance). The meeting will include KCC from Tanzania, Nafsi from Kenya and Sosolya from Uganda, as well as count on the experiences of a similar Latin American network represented by Compa from Bolivia. The cultural organisations involved in the project share many problems and challenges. Coming together will strengthen their ability to face obstacles and make strategies for advocacy in the region and in their respective countries. Combined with the experiences from the Latin American network, the participating organisations consider the meeting a much needed ‘boost’ to continue their efforts to empower children and youth from underprivileged families and neighbourhoods.