Scroll down to see pictures, videos and press releases from the event!

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Background: From the first moment I landed in Uganda, I was on the hunt for dance classes to fill my soul and keep me moving. The search didn’t take long at all! In fact, I was stunned by ultra-hip, ultra-talented, ultra-booming dance scene here in Kampala. I meet crazy cool dancers everyday and am proud to call them my friends and teachers.

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One person in particular just blew me away. He’s called Abramz Tekya and he is the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), a non-profit organization that uses hip hop as a way to empower Ugandan youth and create social change. Abramz has been running BPU for nearly ten years — it is his life, it is his passion. As a young boy, he lost both his parents and was forced to live in the slums of Kampala. Feeling disconnected and hopeless, Abramz found joy in watching old VHS tapes of the Rock Steady Crew, A Tribe Called Quest and other influential dancers and hip hop moguls of the time. Abramz found purpose through the way that movement created expression, in the way strengthening his body strengthened his mind and relationships, how a common goal of creating art brought him together with so many other people.

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Now, Abramz is giving that same sense of purpose — the same exhilaration and love and passion of dance — to hundreds of youths in Uganda (from the upper class to the street kids). And it’s not just about the movements, it’s about giving back. BPU helps send kids to school, provides mentorship and education, gives networking advice and exposure to different creative and professional outlets. The work Abramz does is truly incredible and, from the moment I met him, I knew that I had to be a part of his community.

On January 31st, Abramz and BPU hosted the 9th Annual Hip Hop for Society event in Kampala. It was a platform for b-boys and b-girls to learn about community initiatives and social responsibility, a place for networking and relationship building, a place to learn and develop as Ugandan youth of the future. Abramz (who works completely for free) footed the bill himself because he believes an event like this should be open to the public regardless of income, race, age or tribe.

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But because I believed so much in his work, my dear friends and I raised nearly $700 (or 2,200,000 Ugandan Shillings) to put on the event. Scroll down to see pictures, videos and press releases from the event!

Want to learn more about BPU and Abramz’s work? Click through!

Bouncing Cats (www.bouncingcats.com) – a documentary about BPU featuring Abramz, The Rock Steady Crew, Common, K’Naan, Mos Def and Will.I.Am.

BPU Facebook (http://ift.tt/20tVpm7) and Instagram http://ift.tt/1ocA8Sd (the photos and videos are incredible!)

Shake the Dust (http://bit.ly/1ID5uui) – a documentary presented by Nas featuring BPU and Abramz

Photos from the event!

PHOTOS: HOW IT WENT DOWN AT HIP HOP FOR SOCIETY FESTIVAL, 2016

by : Pat Robert Larubi

Originally posted on chimpreport.com

“I am having fun meeting new people, fresh faces and learning a lot about art and culture,” said Mathius Onen at the end of the 9th annual HipHop For Society event organized by Breakdance Project Uganda on Sunday at Sharing Youth Centre, Nsambya.

“Hiphop is really inspiring when it is packaged like this, especially with so many youth who are so talented and vibrant.”

The sentiments by Onen summarize the mood at the end of yet another successful event organized by Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU).

Yet again, the event was a mix of entertaining dance, rap and beat-boxing performances, competitions, and educational workshops and talks by partnering NGOs.

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“When one sees people from all walks of life in one place, sharing together and cooperating, it is amazing. I attend the Breakdance Project Uganda events because they are youthful and so full of energy and also because most of my friends are involved in the breakdancing and rap,” said Henry Newman.

The year’s theme was cooperation, and it attracted a mixed crowd of different ages, races, economic, cultural and educational backgrounds. Not only did Hiphop For Society entertain the crowd, but it gave people an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

“The most important part of this event is not hiphop,” explained Abramz Tekya, Founder and Director of Breakdance Project Uganda. “We want to make sure people get access to information. We partner with organizations that youth do not think are cool, because they are important for development.”

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“This has been a wonderful experience for the children. The children love it and training was just awesome with people like Nina [Breakdance Project Uganda member] helping a great deal,” said Nichole Zweigler, Save Street Children Uganda volunteer.

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to have been given a table in the tent, because we got to talk to a lot of people about what we do and the response was generally good. On top of the entertainment, there are great forces going on here.

For example, there is energy, communication, more action, and so many new people from different cultures with different experiences to share. Everyone is happy or just having a good time and this kind of environment is important to our children. The kids like it here.” Zweigler added.

Sharing hall was filled to capacity for the annual Hiphop For Society, which presented a mix of entertainment and eduction. The theme was cooperation, and it gave people an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

WINNERS OF BREAKDANCE BATTLES