ChezaCheza was founded as an innovative solution to communities and schools, resulting in declining student and teacher well-being, rising rates of out-of-school children, school violence, learner disengagement and early school leaving, heavy workloads for teachers and students, and teacher burnout and shortages.
ChezaCheza integrates Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the schooling ecosystem through movement-based activities. We believe that when children experience happiness and joy at school, they feel safer, more engaged, and more open to learning—laying the foundation for them to become lifelong learners.
We train and coach teachers to integrate dance and movement into their classrooms, helping students strengthen emotional regulation, confidence, and resilience. Alongside this, we connect schools with a ChezaCheza coach who delivers a structured, dance-based SEL program as an extracurricular activity.
ChezaCheza adopts a community-centric, dual approach by identifying and training talented local youth from disadvantaged communities to become Dance Educators. These youth bring energy, relatability, and fresh perspectives into schools while serving as powerful role models. By supporting both teachers and youth leaders, we ensure SEL is embedded across the school environment—creating safe, joyful spaces where every child can grow, express themselves, and thrive.
ChezaCheza has built strong community partnerships through our community-based SEL programs across six underserved communities in Kenya. Our consistent presence has sparked growing interest from schools, leading to the expansion of our Happy Schools program into more educational settings.
Our approach to spreading the program includes:
Identifying Schools: We identify potential partner schools through national education databases and referrals from the communities we already serve.
Outreach and Onboarding: We engage school directors as the first point of contact, sensitizing them on the value of integrating Social-Emotional Learning through movement. We then onboard interested schools into the program through orientation sessions.
Building Partnerships: We work collaboratively with schools to integrate the ChezaCheza curriculum into their existing frameworks, making movement-based SEL an accessible, sustainable part of school life.
Through this strategy, ChezaCheza is steadily expanding its impact, bringing joy, resilience, and emotional well-being to more children across Kenya.
In 2025, we have been intentional to reach out to public schools and creating connections to government officials to bring Happy Schools into the public school system.
Reach out to our ChezaCheza team and start the dance journey with us.
