Worried by the spate of health challenges leading to loss of lives among Nigerian dancers, stakeholders in the industry have converged to proffer solutions at a two-day virtual conference tagged: ‘Dance2Health’ initiative.
Organised by Kreative Arts Foundation For Youths (KAFFY Foundation), an NGO established by popular dancer, Kafayat Shafau-Ameh aka Kaffy, in collaboration with other stakeholders, the summit was birthed in response to growing concerns about health challenges faced by members of the dance community.
“More than 98% of dancers lack health insurance and self-awareness. The majority leads a lifestyle of drugs, peer pressure, poor mental wellbeing, and personal irresponsibility. This is the bane of the industry. Until every corporate dance leader is shouldered with the responsibility of ensuring that every dancer has a valid health insurance cover, this industry lacks a heart,” she noted.
To feel the pulse of the industry on the project, Kaffy revealed that a survey that was conducted to measure the interest of dancers in a healthcare deal recorded an encouraging number of over 250 responders within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, plans have been concluded to kick start the first phase of the project with an initial 500 dancers, who would benefit from a comprehensive healthcare insurance plan at an affordable rate.
