A group of local students are putting on their dancing shoes to help build a better future for schoolchildren in Uganda.
Forty five children between the ages of six and 18 will be giving it their best moves for Al Yasmina School’s first-ever dance show, ‘So You Think Ugandance’.
The event has been organised to help raise funds for the World Challenge project in Uganda on 12th June, which will see 11 Year 12 students visit the eastern part of the African country to help build schools in an impoverished village.
“The most amazing thing I’ve seen is the team effort and the amount of work from the students,” said Liza Whitmore, the school’s dance and drama teacher. “The older students are taking time to choreograph dances for the younger ones and are coming on a regular basis. I’m not doing anything really; it’s all their own work.”
The World Challenge students have been busy fundraising all year in order to buy materials such as desks and sports equipment once in Uganda. The money can also be used to sponsor the Ugandan students by paying their annual school fees. But this is the first time fellow students have helped contribute to the cause.
“I was really touched when they said we’ll put the proceeds towards it,” said Catherine Stephens, coordinator of World Challenge at Al Yasmina School. “We do a lot of other fundraising events but they’ve never given the proceeds itself to us. It’s very selfless.”
This is the third year Al Yasmina School is participating in the World Challenge in Uganda, having previously helped build accommodation for teachers and rendering buildings to use as classrooms.
“Students that go to Uganda grow up over their time there,” added Stephens. “They see a different world. Students here are very privileged; they lead a sheltered life so this helps them see the reality of people who struggle. It’s nice for them to feel they’re giving something back.”
So You Think Ugandance is open to the public, with tickets sold for AED 20 at the Al Yasmina School reception in Khalifa City A. Audience members can enjoy a variety of dance styles from a theatrical version of Frozen to contemporary street dance.
For more information, call: 02 501 4888
