Empowering children with music and dance in Rwanda

The Sherrie Silver Foundation is training children and teenagers to dance and sing in Rwanda, as well as providing essential support to parents. 

Sherrie Silver is a distinguished philanthropist and dancer originally from Rwanda who has dedicated her life to showcasing African dance on the global stage. Her journey started with dance videos on YouTube which captured the attention of major international artists, including Donald Glover (otherwise known as Childish Gambino).

In 2015, staying true to her commitment to helping her community and those less fortunate, she launched the Sherrie Silver Foundation. 

It aims to provide dance training to children and teenagers, as well as essential support such as housing, healthcare and vocational training for the parents of her students.

The foundation operates in Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana but hopes to establish a permanent facility and talent development centre in Rwanda. 

Silver is in the initial phases of fundraising to establish the centre within the next five years. "We believe that anyone can be empowered," says Silver. "If they are not able to sing, they can try dance, they can try and play instruments and then, we teach them how to be leaders."