How IT STarted
Mr Dominico Tungaraza is a community educator with Pastoral Activities and Services for People with Aids Dar es Salaam Archdiocese (PASADA). Through his work he was alarmed by the number of street children and youth infected with HIV or living with AIDS.
In 1999 he established the Tabata Educators Association (TEA) that provides education on life skills, health, personal safety and HIV/AIDS counseling to street kids in Dar-Es-Salaam. TEA is based in Tabata which is a highly populated low socio-economic area in Dar es Salaam.
TEA established an African traditional dance group composed of street kids who found someone who believed in them irrespective of their public image as ‘dangerous, untrustworthy and misfits in the society’.
Mr Tungaraza engaged the youth through dance and drama to disseminate information and education about HIV/AIDS. The dance group and the life skills education and training give the street children self-esteem, hope and opportunity to participate in a legitimate economic activity. Their association with TEA gives them a different status in the community and an exciting activity to keep them off the streets.
For many years Mr Dominico Tungaraza has put in enormous time and resources to support the group. Dominico works full time with PASADA therefore he has been conducting free dance and theatre classes every evening and use the opportunity to educate the youth. The numbers of youth attending what he calls ‘edutainment’ classes have increased dramatically over the years. There are success stories where some of the youth have gained employment in established dance companies and from time to time they come back to Tabata to assist with training other youth.
Dance classes were initially conducted at the CCM premises which were hired for a fee however this could not be sustained. The classes are now conducted outdoors, at Mr Tungaraza’s backyard, in Tabata.
Through youth commitment and hard work, TEA has become a professional dance group that has gained good reputation in Dar-Es-Salaam.ACHIEVEMENTS
The traditional African dance group has captured the hearts and minds of many street kids in Dar-Es-Salaam. TEA dance group has changed its name to Ubuntu Edutainment Dance Group and continues to operate under the umbrella of the TABATA Educators Association (TEA). Mr Dominico Tungaraza is the founder, teacher and Chairman of the Group. The youth he works with call him Teacher.
In addition to nurturing youth to become responsible adults through positive character formation, the Ubuntu Edutainment Dance Group performs for a fee at various functions including weddings and different Official Public events.
For example, they performed at a function in Dar-Es-Salaam when the USA First Lady Mrs Laura Bush visited Tanzania. They also performed at the opening of the prestigious Zanzibar International Film Festival in 2007.
Some of the events that the organization has participated in and performed through dance, drama and choreography include public national events, fun events and beauty contests. Some of the major performances that gave the participating street kids a lot of pride and gained them community respect are listed below:
2005: Miss Tabata Beauty Contest; Dance choreography - Dar es Salaam City
2004: Inauguration of the Niverapine drug in Tanzania; Dance and Drama – Dar es Salaam City
2003: Inauguration ceremony for the opening new buildings at PASADA funded by the Ireland Embassy: Among the guests present were the Cardinal, ambassadors and other honorable guests.
Meeting of the Tanzania ruling party C.C.M.; Dance – Dar es Salaam City
2002: World Health Day; Dance and Drama - Dar Es Salaam City
Malaria Week; Dance - Dar es Salaam City
Environment Day; Dance and Drama - Dar es Salaam City
The Day of the African Child; Dance and Drama - Madale street children camp, Madale Province
Farewell party of the Managing Director of PASADA; Dance and Drama, Dar es Salaam City