NDPT moves SOS Children's Villages in Tanzania
National Danish Performance Team started their World-Tour late September and after a stop in Germany the cultural meeting was really cemented when gymnasts and the management team hit the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.
A lot of adventure was waiting for the team and for most of them, it was their first meeting with the African continent.
One of the highlights during the two weeks in Tanzania was a series of workshops, organized in collaboration with SOS Children's Villages.
Wild workshops
I will definitely remember Tanzania for the wild workshops we had. The kids were so cool and full of energy
Jacob Lund, gymnast at National Danish Performance Team
The air was loaded with energy and expectatoins, when the first workshop organized by SOS Children's Villages took place. It took place at a school just outside the center of Dar es Salaam. The school is part of the SOS Children's Villages family program to prevent families from breaking down, and child abandonment. In the beginning the children and students were a little reluctant, but as soon as the music began and all were invited to participate, they were more that ready to join. They were dancing, singing, playing and jumped on airtracks, which was the winner among the hundreds of children.
Next stop was the SOS Children's Village in Dar es Salaam, where the team spent an afternoon with some of the children and the mothers who looks after them. It was a very intimate moment that allowed a more quiet and personal interaction with children through play, dance and a little show from the show IMANI. Although the capital is Tanzania's most developed city with economic recovery, slums have grown over the recent years and many children need a safe home. It was obvious that they had found just that in the SOS Children's Village in Dar es Salaam.
"Healthy body, healthy mind"
Marie Pilely and kids from SOS Children's village
"I hope that the children remember to take some of the idea into their daily life and use them. Although they do not have so much it is still possible play and dance almost everywhere. So I hope that they take each other's hands and join occasionally and I hope this has been an inspiration to them".
The last workshop took place at SOS Children's Village in Zanzibar, which was established in 1995 and is the first of its kind in Tanzania. Meeting children and the group of the city's mothers through physical activity was something special.
Marie Pilely, gymnast on the team don’t think it can get much better.
These children have SO much good energy and after a few hours in the sun with them, we are blown away – they are great
Marie Pilely, Gymnast at NDPT
Program Director at SOS Children's Village in Zanzibar Ms. Asha Salim Ali has been very excited about the visit of National Danish Performance Team. She knows that there are parallels between children's physical activity and their learning abilities, creativity and humor. She puts it this way: "Healthy body, healthy mind." She hopes that National Danish Performance Team has the opportunity to come back and continue to inspire and delight the many children in Zanzibar, but also elsewhere in Tanzania.