KIBERA – Working in the slum of Nairobi (Kenya)
In August 2019, Catherine Habasque and Pier Giorgio Regazzo travelled to Nairobi to work with the young ballet students of Project Elimu, founded by Mike Wamaya in the Kibera slum.
This encounter became a profoundly moving and transformative experience — one that revealed not only the challenging living conditions of the children, but also their strength, kindness, discipline and extraordinary inner light.
Each day, DFW worked with around 200 children, providing separate ballet classes for boys and girls. With a selected group of thirty students, intensive rehearsals focused on precision, discipline, responsibility, teamwork and artistic presence — values at the core of dance and of DFW’s mission.
Together, a short ballet piece was created to help support fundraising for the centre and its classes. The children themselves chose the title:
“Finding the Future.”
The work stands as a symbol of hope, courage and the belief that art can open new possibilities.
The piece can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/Fib1Xwz4U-c
Supporting Talent — Eugene’s Journey
Within the talent development program, DFW began supporting Eugene, a gifted 12-year-old dancer from Kibera, enabling him to continue his ballet education outside the slum at Dance Center Kenya in central Nairobi.
His dedication, perseverance and artistic commitment have taken him far.
2025 update:
Eugene is now studying at an arts university in the United States, pursuing his dream and beginning his professional path as a dancer — a powerful testimony to what opportunity, guidance and resilience can achieve.
Looking Ahead
DFW remains committed to this beautiful and life-changing project and plans to continue developing its work in Kibera, supporting access to artistic education as a force for confidence, structure, dignity and hope for children of the community.
Many of the photographs from this project were taken by
Catherine Habasque and Pier Giorgio Regazzo — and some of the intimate portraits were captured by the children themselves, offering their own perspective on their world.
