The Mesgana dancers are an Ethiopian dance troupe with incredible skill. In conjunction with Ethiopia Reads and COEEF (Children of Ethiopia Education Fund), they tour across North America to help to raise funds to promote literacy and cultural growth in Ethiopia.
The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing quality education to young girls in Ethiopia. The funds for the program are provided through sponsorships and grants from generous individuals and corporations throughout the United States, Canada, Switzerland, England, Israel, and New Zealand. Currently over 600 girls are being given the opportunity to attend high quality private schools in 4 regions of Ethiopia. The girls in the program, because of their lack of financial means to go to school, are provided with uniforms, tuitions, books, and all supplies needed.
‘Mesgana’ means ‘Gratitude or Thankfulness’ in the Ethiopian Amharic language. The girls are all COEEF students and range in age from 7 to 12. Meseret Defar, Olympic Gold Medalist in Athens in the 5k and current world champion, is the honorary director of the ‘Mesgana Dancers’.
Here are a few videos. The first two are a montage of the dancers, kids and scenes from Ethiopia. The third is a message from the Director of COEEF and and a profile of one of the girls. The fourth is a live performance by the girls.
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