Cheza Nami
Bio
Cheza Nami is Swahili for "Come play with me." Cheza Nami Foundation, founded in 2011, is a California based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with headquarters in Pleasanton, California, whose mission is to promote cultural education and diversity awareness to learning institutions, corporations, and communities that focus on fostering a more congenial relationship among its members. Cheza Nami envisions a culturally diverse world where individuals of all ages can embrace the concept of global citizenship and understand the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. We aim to preserve and encourage the appreciation of African culture by inspiring and educating the American public about Africa’s extensive and unique attributes, regardless of their heritage of origin. We encourage diversity awareness through African culture and use art, dance, play, and movement to deliver a unique learning experience. We offer activities to community organizations and schools while addressing educational and social needs that help foster community building, global citizenship, and personal enrichment. With over five years of successful programming experience, Cheza Nami has implemented drum and dance workshops, community drum circles, an annual cultural enrichment and diversity summer camp geared towards 6-8 grade students, an annual community festival "Taste of Africa" with a 7th event scheduled for October 6th, 2018 in Livermore, and multiple community outreach and enrichment programs.
Collectively, Cheza Nami’s programs have kickstarted the Bay Area community’s global awareness and brought a heightened sense of self-expression and creative thought processes. Cheza Nami prides itself on its small, but effective size. Even with its short existence, the organization has been able to establish a solid presence in the Tri-Valley and is now positioned as a partner to the local school districts as well as to cultural organizations. Cheza Nami is now also considered a thought leader in cultural, diversity and global citizenship issues for public and private institutions alike and is sought for community engagement.
Cheza Nami has served over 30,000 people of all ages from around California since our founding in 2011. We have brought our innovative programming across northern California, reaching out to communities in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, and Santa Cruz. Our numbers have steadily increased over the years: in 2013, we serviced 3,200 individuals and in 2014, 7,900 individuals. In 2015 alone, we served over 10,000 individuals, an increase attributed to the success and expansion of our Cultural Arts and Learning (CAL) Assembly program, which brings African music, dance, and facilitated discussions of diversity awareness and inclusion to schools in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. We served over 15,000 people in 2016, as we continue to bring our programming to childcare centers, K-12 classrooms and schools, community colleges, public libraries, and other education and community sites.
Classes
Cultural Arts and Learning Program
The Cultural Arts and Learning (CAL) Assembly program is a curriculum-based youth cultural arts education program developed Cheza Nami Foundation. CAL is intended tovbring the music, culture and dace of Africa and the Diaspora as well as of diversity and global citizenship awareness and inclusion to K-12 schools. Youth benefit from the CALvprogram by receiving educational enrichment in cultural performing arts, especially underprivileged children with limited access to multicultural programs and students with special needs. Students will gain increased knowledge in conjunction with teacher curriculum and state academic standards in the areas of social studies, history and performing arts. CAL program is a 45-minute long school assembly for K-12 grade students.
The CAL assembly program was developed to help schools bring discussions of diversity awareness and global citizenship to their student body while also meeting state academic standards in the areas of social studies, history and performing arts. Cheza Nami works with local professional partner artists that practice the cultural art forms of Africa and the Diaspora to bring African Cultural learning and education to K-12 students throughout the school year. These 45 minute assemblies can be provided in multiples back-to-back assemblies to schools with larger student bodies. Assemblies cover greetings, dress, drumming and dance, games, cultural activities, schooling etc, and gives students a tangible opportunity to explore the cultures, music, dress, instruments and dance of Africa and the Diaspora and enhance diversity and multicultural awareness.
Details
Fees: $2850 for two back-to-back assemblies each 45 mins to 1hr long
Grade level: K-12
Requires: Multipurpose room, large open space
Available for after school
Core Programs
Community Assemblies
Cheza Nami artists visit schools, community centers, libraries, museums, and private corporations to expose individuals to African culture through dance, music, games, instruments and art through active participation. These assemblies typically last 1-2 hours.
Drumming & Dancing Workshops
Cheza Nami artists lead 6-8 week workshops that use drumming and dancing to teach about African culture, songs, language, games and African themed stories. These workshops, which include ‘Mommy and Me’ classes.
Drum Circles
Cheza Nami artists facilitate community drum circles, allowing children and adults to experience first-hand the power of drumming and community building.
Summer Camps
Cheza Nami artists introduce Children to African songs, language, games, music, drumming and choreographed rhythmic movement in programs that span a number of days to provide a more in-depth experience of the African culture.
Teacher Trainings
Teachers are introduced to a wide range of activities that can help music become a fun part of the classroom environment. Most of the tools and instruments used are African; however, most of the tricks apply to any type of music program
Other Special Programs
Special tailored programs for your organization that aim to engage your community to African culture. These are available upon request, and we will work with you to design