Originally intended for 10,000 inhabitants, the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi now hosts over 60,000 people, with new arrivals exacerbating already strained conditions. A majority of residents suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, with daily life characterized by relentless stress and anxiety.
Yet despite these challenges, thousands of refugee children and teens here are finding hope through the practice of yoga. “In numerous instances, we have witnessed the profound impact of yoga in fostering peace, enhancing physical well-being, and alleviating post-traumatic stress and anxiety among individuals,” says Dharmajyoti, Founder and President of the Yoga Pura Vida Foundation (YPV). In 2023, we received a Contemplative Changemaking Grant from the Mind & Life Institute, allowing us to create a dedicated space within the camp to facilitate yoga sessions for people of all ages. In addition, 11 yoga teachers trained through the initiative have already reached roughly 2,600 children and teenagers, who benefit from weekly yoga classes conducted at schools within the camp and host communities.
Bringing Yoga to Underserved Communities
Eleven years ago, Dharmajyoti came to Africa from India determined to teach yoga as a lifestyle within marginalized communities. Recognizing that the practice of yoga around the world had become associated with privilege and affluence, he aspired to make it accessible to people of color in Africa who faced financial barriers and discrimination. By making yoga available free-of-charge, he sought to bring about healing and transformation within vulnerable communities.
Starting in Malawi, Dharmajyoti organized yoga seminars, and soon began training teachers from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. His immediate goal was twofold: to address mental health issues and promote prosocial communities. “We train people who are marginalized, excluded, and even threatened as yoga teachers,” he says. “In this way, they can become positive agents of social change, who champion solidarity regardless of differences in ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender, or race.”
“We train people who are marginalized, excluded, and even threatened
as yoga teachers… In this way, they can become positive agents of social change.”
–Dharmajyoti
One example is Xani, a YPV trained yoga teacher at the Dzaleka Camp. Himself a refugee, Xani fled his native Cameroon after experiencing unspeakable violence when he identified himself a homosexual. Xani became acquainted with yoga through YPV and got inspired to become a yoga teacher to serve others. He says his struggles have only increased his faith in contemplative practices and their potential to foster more compassionate communities.
In addition to supporting Xani and other trained teachers residing in Dzaleka, YPV is collaborating with community members in neighboring villages, who are teaching yoga to an average of 500 children and teenagers weekly in multiple schools.
Empowering Future Leaders
At the YPF Foundation, we believe that the benefits of yoga transcend mere physical postures and breathing techniques, constituting a way of life aimed at unlocking human potential. “Through our programs, individuals not only cultivate greater independence and resilience in facing daily challenges but adopt healthier habits and amplify their experiences of happiness,” says Dharmajyoti. “They emerge as champions of positivity within their communities, embodying the values and principles of the yoga system we teach.”
Over 11 years, YPV has trained 87 yoga instructors in six African nations, who have, in turn, reached over 39,000 people, including 33,000 children and teens and 6,000 adults. In each country where we operate, there has been a significant upsurge of yoga as a viable livelihood option for newly-trained instructors. In addition, we transfer knowledge related to the practice of yoga to grassroots organizations and communities more broadly to:
- Strengthen the self-management and self-healing capacities of local communities;
- Address mental health challenges with innovative solutions;
- Support the role of participants as changemakers, who are not only better able to care for themselves but transmit knowledge for the benefit of others;
- Reinforce bonds among participants, especially children, youth and women, who are more likely to experience isolation and who benefit from new opportunities for personal improvement;
- Collaborate with local communities and facilitators to design small, high-impact projects, allowing us to engage in mutual learning.
Ultimately, we seek to empower participants in places like the Dzaleka Refugee Camp to become community leaders, exemplifying the ethos of healthy and peaceful living through the principles they have embraced. In this way, the foundation is spearheading a silent revolution in Africa.
*Please note that the names of the refugees mentioned in this article have been altered to protect their identities.
Daniela Camargo Rodríguez and Víctor Restrepo Rivera are volunteers at YPV Foundation. She supports communications and he coordinates research and grant writing. Follow YPF Foundation on Instagram at @yoga.pura.vida and Facebook at Yoga Pura Vida. Inquiries can be emailed to: Info@yogapuravida.org
