abandoned children saved by dance

Aleva Ndavogo Jude, a professional dancer, invites street children to dance on the sidewalks of N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. It has set itself the goal of helping these abandoned young people, who are often orphans, mistreated or rejected by their families for lack of means. “When we dance, we forget all our worries, we only think about moving together”rejoices a young girl. “We make them dance to gain their trust, so that these children can confide in us”Explain Aleva Ndavogo Jude, delighted to see “these smiles” and “this joy”.

In the city, more than 3,000 children are said to be on their own. The dancer created the “Dakouna Espoir” association to identify and take care of them. A 10-year-old child tells them that he begs and tries to collect leftovers from restaurants. In Chad, more than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. To reintegrate abandoned children, Aleva Ndavogo Jude has opened a reception center in which 60 young people, aged 6 to 20, are fed and housed for up to a year, the time to regain their footing. Every day, he teaches them to dance coupé-décalé, hip-hop or even ndombolo.