Founded in 1996 as an initiative of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, Badenya attained independent, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) status in 2003. Over the last two decades, Badenya has brought West African artists together and provided African immigrants the opportunity to present and educate the public on the seriousness, richness, and diversity of their culture from their perspective.
Currently, Badenya alongside the people of Dankawlie village, Sierra Leone are co-creating holistic solutions to the educational, environmental, and cultural needs of the community while preserving and adapting the traditions of the village. The projects include Dankawalie Secondary School (DSS), a dynamic secondary school in a post-conflict remote rural village in Sierra Leone, which combines formal education and local traditions, and a solar grid that advances livelihoods by providing electrical power to the entire village.

Kewulay Kamara - Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Kamara serves on UNESCO’s Steering Committee on Foresight and Strategic Planning. He spends his time between New York and Sierra Leone where he has led a variety of development and cultural preservation initiatives for more than twenty years.