Nairobi, Kenya – Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement, is often reduced to images of poverty – rusted tin rooftops, open sewers and overcrowded homes. But a community project is using ballet as a means to build the confidence of the children living there.
Hidden within Kibera's maze of alleyways and makeshift homes is a modest studio space, where a group of children don second-hand leotards and ballet shoes to rehearse with the quiet discipline of dancers preparing for the stage.
This is Project Elimu, a community-based initiative using classical ballet to build confidence and open up opportunities for the children living in one of Africa’s most challenging urban environments.
Founded in 2014 by Mike Wamaya, a former professional dancer, the project offers free ballet lessons. Beginning with 10 students, it has grown into a weekly programme training more than 100.
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But the project’s ambitions stretch far beyond the barre. In addition to dance, it provides academic support and digital literacy training, addressing the broader structural challenges that young people in Kibera face.
“People often say ballet is for the elite,” says Wamaya. “But beauty exists everywhere. Why not here?”
'Allowed to dream'
For many participants, the programme has had a transformative effect. Twelve-year-old Zawadi, tying the frayed ribbons of her ballet shoes, says: “I used to be shy. I never raised my hand in class. Now, I’m confident.”
Alongside learning to dance, she is learning to believe in herself.
Project Elimu promotes values such as discipline, teamwork and leadership – skills that students carry into school and everyday life. Parents have reported notable changes in their children’s behaviour and focus, while local teachers speak of improved academic performance and classroom engagement.
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“These children carry heavy burdens,” explains Wamaya. “Some are caregivers, others deal with hunger or domestic challenges. In this studio, they are simply children – allowed to dream.”
The programme’s success has not come without struggle. Ballet gear is prohibitively expensive, and funding remains sporadic. Space is limited, often forcing the programme to turn away new applicants due to a lack of shoes or room to practise.
“The demand is heartbreaking, but it also shows we are doing something that matters,” says Wamaya.
Sowing the seeds
To date, more than 200 students from Project Elimu have secured secondary school scholarships – a significant achievement in a community where access to quality education is often limited.
Elizabeth Njoki, a teacher at a nearby primary school, describes the initiative as “a game-changer".
According to her, the programme fills critical gaps left by the formal education system, which is often under-resourced and overcrowded. “At Project Elimu, the children are seen. They are nurtured. They are given hope."
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Njoki notes that the programme has also contributed to shifting social attitudes, particularly regarding girls. “We’ve lost many to early pregnancies,” she says. “But in ballet class, they are protected. They are just girls, free to be children again.”
Despite the challenges, Wamaya remains clear-eyed about the project’s true purpose. It is not about producing prima ballerinas for international stages, but about sowing seeds of possibility.
“Even if they never dance professionally,” he says, “they’ll carry the lessons with them. That’s success.”
