Talent centre gives hope to slum children through dance

On a weekend, in Mathare Area 4, Nairobi, you meet children playing joyfully on the roadside. Some are barefoot, with little worry about the dirt and the heat from the ground.

The area is crowded with people, with electrical wires hanging loosely, with tin shanties with rusty roofs overlapping, concealing much of the true slum life. 

As you cross a bridge on the Mathare River, you see many houses lining its banks, stretching far and wide on both sides.

As you walk deeper into the slum, you notice small shops and stalls lining the alleys, selling various products. 

At a distance, you hear lively music playing, and upon arrival, you find a group of children dancing vibrantly to hip-hop songs. With carefree and joyful moves, their laughter fills the air.

This is the Mathare Kids Talent Hub.

Situated within the vibrant community of Mathare, the hub stands as a beacon of hope, transforming the lives of young people through the power of dance.

The children are lucky to escape the poverty matrix courtesy of their exceptional talents, honed skills, and inherent capabilities.

Established in 2015, the Mathare talent hub is a place from where young dancers aged six to 17 have gained recognition on social media for their passionate and dynamic performances. The group comprises 21 boys and 20 girls.

The children use their artistry not only to provide an outlet for self-expression but also to address the challenges they face in the slum.

Emmanuel Ngushu is a beneficiary of the talent hub. At 10 years old, he was already abandoned in the street to fend for himself. 

His life began in the slums, and, sadly, he lost his parents at a young age and found refuge with his grandmother. Striving to overcome hardships such as access to food and education became the norm for him.

After enduring years of poverty and hunger, he faced another blow when his grandmother died when he was only 10 years old. This forced him to seek shelter with his aunt in the hope of a respite in his struggles. But it was not to be.

One evening after school, he found himself homeless, as his aunt had vanished without a trace. He had no one else to turn to, and this pushed him to the streets.

He had to put his education on hold and focus on how to secure his next meal and get a place to live.

Two years later, while still playing cat and mouse with the tough city life, refuge somehow located him.

The group performs at the Asmara Festival. (Photo: Handout)

Tony John, the founder and manager of Mathare Kids Talent Hub, spotted him.

Ngushu had seen him with his group performing dances on various occasions, and since he was good at dancing, he approached John, and that marked the beginning of his salvation.

“I honestly found a haven in the organisation after all the suffering I went through. Being here enabled me to go back to school and I’m currently at Ruaraka High School,” Ngushu said.

His story is similar to those of many other children at the talent hub, the majority of whom said they have been offered a reason to dream of having a good future.

Musa Abas's exceptional dancing skills also rescued him from the unforgiving streets. The nine-year-old had been roaming the streets of Nairobi, and the experience was tough for him.

Life took a different path when, one afternoon, in the company of his parents, he visited Uhuru Park in Nairobi. Unknown to him, this was the last time he would see his parents. They vanished without notice.

“For one year, I had to roam the streets without a proper place to lay my head and something to feed on. To survive, I was at the mercy of other street children,” Musa said.

Despite being in the streets, he was always well-groomed, and this made him stand out from the rest. It never took long for people to notice the extraordinary stunts he performed during his free time. On one occasion, well-wishers approached him and wanted to know more about him.

“Some random people approached me and offered to support my talent. They promised to cater to my basic needs. With no alternative, I couldn’t resist the offer, so I took my chances. I had nothing to lose after all,” Musa said.

Gabriel Odhiambo’s narrative was also similar. 

Growing up under the care of a single parent, he faced numerous obstacles. There were days he would miss school because his mother had to make a difficult choice between putting food on the table and paying for his education.

Despite these challenges, Odhiambo’s talent for dancing has been a source of stability for the past seven years.

He attributes his ability to find shelter, food, and emotional support to his passion for dancing, which has also alleviated some of the financial burdens on his mother.

“Thanks to dancing, I have found a place to sleep, eat, and receive emotional support. Additionally, I have relieved a burden from my mother who now has a chance to at least care for my other siblings,” Odhiambo said.

Aggrey Tony also shared his experience and how he benefited from the talent hub. 

One day as he was out searching for food, he saw at a distance a group of children gathered, dancing joyfully and sharing meals.

Mathare Kids Talent Hub members at a training. [Photo Handout)

Despite the gloomy picture of many homeless children roaming the streets, community organisations like Mathare Kids Talent Hub are determined to reverse the fate that often befalls some of the orphaned children in society.

Tony, the organisation’s founder, who grew up in the Mathare slums, said it was the challenges he went through that motivated him to form the centre, which he runs together with his close friend Antony Odhiambo.

He said the problem of homeless children may not end soon as there is not much support from the government and other private organisations.

“Organisations like ours do not get support from anyone; we are left to do everything on our own. I primarily use the money I get from my work as a dance and gym instructor to run the group,” he said.

Currently, in its ninth year of operation, Mathare Kids Talent Hub seeks to see the homeless lead a somewhat decent life that will encourage them to dream big.

The group mainly focuses on growing the children's skills through dancing, a choice Tony said is doing enough to keep the children visible. It is also a strategy to protect their lives, make them count, stimulate their growth and education, and positively change their social conditions.

John strongly believes that children are the expression of the need to convert historical weaknesses into strengths for the whole community.

“They are dancing for their education and survival, and I strongly believe that soon they will succeed,” he said.

The children at the Mathare Talent Centre dream of gracing big platforms like America's Got Talent, a televised US talent show.