How Emmanuel Nvule beat odds to become a skilled African traditional dance performer

Born and raised in the suburbs of Rubaga division, Kampala, Uganda’s Capital, Emmanuel Nvule, a second last born out of seven, waded his way through the ghetto to become a ghetto ambassador.

He started out as a junior performer with the Ndere Troupe in the suburbs of Rubaga Division while simultaneously attending Lubiri secondary school.

He later on went to lead the school’s Music Dance and Drama group and was able to horn and harness his skill.

“Growing up in the suburbs especially in Africa is a setback for youngsters because getting by the days is a struggle. Joining Lubiri S.S opened up a number of opportunities, most importantly my recruitment into the Ndere Troupe set the benchmark for me to come all this way to the top,” he reminisces.

However, with this opportunity came some heartache as Emmanuel was required to relocate from his parent’s house and move into the boy’s shelter at that time where he was kept away for five years. The nostalgia that came with this was unfathomable but the desire to change home kept his spirits high.

Six years later, Emmanuel was now an adult and could later move back home where he was still able to perform with the group as a professional and also train the youngsters of the group. At the same time he had the opportunity to train and also took on a number of roles independently training performers from other organizations for a fee and some local youngsters in his community freely.

The prevailing poor conditions of life for the youngsters in his community with no end in sight pushed him towards the realization of his childhood dream of a Community Based and later Non Governmental Organization Creek for Christ Foundation https://creekforchristfoundation.org/ which he did through the best way he knew; African Dance Performance.

The new local trainees performed alongside him for a small pay to which he committed a significant portion of it to their welfare such as food, school fees and clothing. Realizing how paltry and inconsistent the proceeds from the trade were, the organization has cast the net wider to source more funds for their cause however; African performance remains central to the organization’s strategy.