From Scholarship Recipient to AIA Hero: Brian Safeguards Young Futures with Dance

Feb 12

The worst “villain” for young people is anything that threatens their future. From the communities they live in, to the opportunities they cannot access, young people are challenged by their evolutionary desires and sometimes the merciless communities they dwell in. Recently, we wrote to you about how our holiday program exists to protect children from dangers like drug addiction, teenage pregnancy and dropping out of school by guaranteeing their protection during school breaks. Today we shall share how one AIA scholarship student has taken the reins to help safeguard his peers through dance.

Not all heroes wear capes, but Brian Kalema wears the proud cap of being our Urban dance class facilitator. Brian came to the Action in Africa Centre in 2015 after his primary school education when he saw some Action in Africa students perform at his school. He became interested in our dance program and immediately joined the Action in Africa dance classes. In 2016, Brian applied for the Secondary School scholarship program. He still vividly remembers his application process because it meant so much to him; from the time he picked the application form to the day his name was picked as one of the students that would be getting the scholarship.

He was supported by our secondary school scholarship program from his Senior Two in 2016 to his Senior Six when he graduated from high school in 2020. He then applied and was awarded the AIA University Scholarship. He is now pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Art and Design at Ndejje University because of his amazing talent in art. On top of all that, Brian’s passion for dance has always been steadfast, at a time when The Centre did not have a dance coach, Brian stepped in and led the program, choreographing and training his peers even when he was just a high school student. And despite his busy school schedule now, Brian still comes to The Centre to facilitate the AIA urban dance program as he did during this year’s holiday program.

Although his role is voluntary, Brian is very passionate about helping those young people learn skills that sharpen their minds and build their social abilities. Through such programs, Brian says he can practice his talent while giving back to a community that gave so much to him.

Although we serve thousands of community members and children in Nakuwadde, unfortunately, Action in Africa programs are still not accessible to as many people as we would wish. So, we find great satisfaction in seeing our students and alumni like Brian extend our ideology of empowering communities through education and creativity. Brian is an AIA hero because he has managed to pursue his academic dreams while remaining true to his passions, but above all, Brian is a hero to his community, and we celebrate his amazing work.