The Teshei Brothers Emmanuel Ayiku and Kotei Evans Djani are co-founders of the AHWEHWE YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE of Teshei Accra, Ghana.
The Teshei Brothers had a tough upbringing because their mother was rarely there and their father never seemed to be around. The brothers essentially raised themselves.
As young boys, the brothers endured great hardships since they lacked access to necessities such as food, water, housing, education and other necessities.
Not many parents could afford to send their children to school, and education was considered a luxury. Although the Teshei brothers were not orphans, they were certainly part of this brutal reality along with many other orphans and less fortunate kids. Evans clarified, saying, “If you do not work hard, you will not even attend crèche talk more of going through nursery or primary education.”
The brothers valued education, so they put in a lot of effort, made the most of their dancing talent, and performed. Evans made it to junior secondary school, but lack of funds prevented him from finishing.
However, Emmanuel overcame junior secondary school due to his performance and dancing in class, as well as the support of his late principal, Mr. Vegleku who, impressed by his talent, liked him and agreed to let him attend classes even if he didn’t pay his tuition on time.
They believed they were the change they wanted to see, hence, the Teshei brothers didn’t let their lack of schooling deter them. The brothers began dancing and giving performances in different places and the people of Teshei eventually came to love them.
Gradually, they emerged as the Teshei dancing phenomenon, and shortly after, they established the AHWEHWE YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE.
In Teshei, Accra, Ghana, in 2018, Evans and Emmanuel joined forces to form the AHWEHWE YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE. Giving the kids in Teshei a better life than their coach and teachers. The Teshei Brothers are the primary goal of this dancing company.
They seek out and remove from the streets kids who are less fortunate and orphans, teach them to play various instruments, dance, and perform; just demonstrate to them that life is more than just Teshei’s street life.
In our conversation, Emmanuel states, “We aim to include these kids—not just orphans but also those with challenging circumstances—in our dance group. We welcome students who possess skill as well as those we instruct in dance; we send them to school and provide them with opportunities, and by doing this, we divert their attention in a constructive way and lessen the amount of crime that occurs on the streets”.
The AHWEHWE YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE has acquired social recognition and performed on large stages in Accra. They hope to play on more international venues. They want to be recognized globally and receive sponsorship from all across the world in the upcoming year, solely to ensure that Teshei’s children get the life they deserve.
Originally consisting only of the Teshei brothers, the AHWEHWE YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE now includes 80 children, ages 7 to 25 years. Twenty of the 80 youngsters have been given employment and skills by The Teshei Brothers, and 60 of them have been successfully enrolled in various schools.
The Teshei Brothers provide for their family as well as the children under their care, lending support monetarily when needed.
The dance group, who performed without any instruments or costumes at first, now has nearly all of the instruments they’ll need for their cultural show in addition to a useful costume wardrobe. The dance troupe is acknowledged as the best in all of Accra.
Since its inception in 2018, the dance trope has appeared on stages like the Accra International Conference Centre, the National Theatre of Ghana, the Kumasi Preper Hall, and numerous other locations.
