Break dancing breaks boundaries in the streets of Kampala

In a slum in Uganda’s capital Kampala, a break dance session is underway.

This intricate moves involve acrobatic movements, a style Hamisi Ahmed has mastered.

Crowds gather around Ahmed popularly known as ‘Future’ performing with a group of young men.

Future believes this form of dance promotes positive social change and social responsibility.

The 29-year-old b-boy was introduced to hip hop culture at the Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), a youth centered project that focuses on empowering and inspiring the young from different walks of life.

breaking me up: Uganda's break dance culture pops and locks into perfect form https://t.co/FWisgCmQAK

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“Whenever they hear music, of course they will go see what is happening at that place so we use that to sensitize them about different things about life so that they can help their community, the community will benefit from them as they develop the community,” said Future.

Future also takes his time to teach children in the slum to give them a sense of purpose and hope.

“I get my school fees from break dance, there are other needs of life that I need and I get them also from break dance. So I always tell them that if you keep focused doing what is right and what you want, you will be where you want to be,” Future explained.

Breaking dancing is one of the most popular hip hop art forms in Uganda. BPU regularly holds events that bring together the best b-boys and b-girls in the country.

“We will transform a number of lives or we have transformed a lot of them already, even including mine, hip hop transformed me and it gave me self esteem as someone who dropped out of school and had no money for further education but now to see that hip hop we are actually helping people go to school for me it’s more of an example,” said Tekya Abraham “Abramz” Founder and director of BPU.

BPU is dedicated to empowering and supporting the youth across the country. They organise free workshops on various art forms.