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 The Gisamba Project

The Gisamba Project

The Gisamba Project

GiSamba is Odoyá’s flagship social program, launched in 2025 at Gisimba Memorial Center in Kigali.

It offers free weekly drumming classes to youth aged 14 and above, using a dynamic, ensemble-based approach rooted in the energy of Brazilian carnival.

Over the course of each year, students learn multiple instruments, build ensemble skills, and prepare for public performances — including the Kigali Carnival Parade, where they join 100 percussionists from Odoyá, led by the Gisimba kids in costume.

The program goes beyond music:
  • It teaches discipline, focus, teamwork, and expression

  • It brings joy and pride to students and families

  • It creates new spaces of belonging and celebration


But this is more than music and fun. This program offers a pathway to professional development.

Selected participants will be mentored over time to become musical directors — trained not only in percussion, but also in leadership, coordination, and artistic direction. These young leaders will be given the opportunity to join the Odoyá team as professionals, delivering artistic team-building sessions and live performances for corporate clients in Rwanda and beyond.


By investing in rhythm, we are investing in talent, dignity, and long-term employment.