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FLOTUS Travel Journal: Baba wa Watoto

July 1, 2013 at 5:52 PM ET by First Lady Michelle Obama
Summary: 
I just watched the most extraordinary group of young people sing, dance and perform gravity-defying acrobatic feats – and they did it all with rhythm, style and grace!
First Lady Michelle Obama and Salma Kikwete, along with daughters Malia and Sasha, watch the Baba Watoto performance

First Lady Michelle Obama and Salma Kikwete, along with daughters Malia and Sasha, watch the Baba Watoto performance at the National Museum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 1, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

I just watched the most extraordinary group of young people sing, dance and perform gravity-defying acrobatic feats – and they did it all with rhythm, style and grace! 

These kids are part of the Baba wa Watoto (which is Swahili for “father of children”) Center, an amazing community organization that gives kids the opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life. Many of you might participate in programs like this – such as Girl Scouts or 4H or the Boys and Girls Club – in your own communities, so you know what a difference they can make. Like these programs, Babawatoto teaches kids about the power of hard work, discipline and leadership, skills they can apply to every part of their lives. And seeing the talent, energy and passion these kids brought to that stage today, I’m confident that they’ll be successful wherever their journeys take them.

More travel journals from the First Lady:

First Lady Michelle Obama

First Lady of the United States