The Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre offers over 250,000 refugees in Africa’s largest refugee settlement a space to sing, play, and dream of peace.
Once a gathering place under an old fig tree, the centre, built in 2022, now nurtures young talent. Many young refugees struggle with trauma, sometimes turning to harmful behaviours. Ceaser Godfrey, 21, once engaged in fights and substance abuse to escape painful memories of war. But through music, he found healing.
The centre, run by the Ugandan NGO Sina Loketa and supported by Swiss and global donors, uses music and dance as tools for healing and unity.
For South Sudanese refugee and musician Moses Modi, music is a powerful force for change. “If there is no peace, I will sing about peace. If there is hatred, I will ask why,” he says. When not performing, he sells street food, determined to rewrite his country’s story through peaceful means.
Beyond music, the centre drives social transformation. Its innovative design harvests rainwater for refugees and locals.
Photo: (c) pexels.com/Askar Abayev
