( CNN ) -- In a dusty corner of southern Chad 's Moula refugee camp , the pounding beat of a skin drum drives a group of young men through a cluster of brick-made huts and into a makeshift soccer field . They 're summoned here , however , not to kick a football but to engage in an uplifting activity that can help them forget the tough conditions they live in : dancing . Organized by Chadian dancer and choreographer Taïgue Ahmed , these dance workshops are helping scores of displaced people to regain their self-confidence , while having fun and and finding a way of expressing themselves . `` The first time that I was at the refugee camps , the people were all quiet and in their tents . And now with the dance project , everyone came out , I think it has also changed their outlook , '' says Ahmed , an acclaimed dancer in his own right who has graced stages across Africa and internationally . Landlocked in north central Africa , the Republic of Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world . Along with poverty and drought in the Sahara desert , hundreds of thousands of people have been uprooted , due to violence , corruption and civil war . Chad 's migrant workers pay price for Libya conflict . In 2005 , Ahmed , who began dancing at the age of 13 , created the dance company `` Ndam Se Na , '' which means `` dance together '' in Ngambaye , a local language in southern Chad . He initially launched a project where he used dance sessions as an educational tool to help children abstain from violent activities while at school . The success of the sessions prompted him to take his dance workshops to refugee camps along the border with the Central African Republic , introducing the joy of dance to its traumatized residents . `` The idea came to me after reading articles about refugees in Darfur , '' he says . `` The children were exposed to war -- seeing weapons , nothing but war , the kids are traumatized . And the idea I had was , why ca n't I adapt this dance workshop for the refugee camps , to give the children an outlet , a way to have fun and to have a life . '' According to the United Nations , Chad has been affected by a humanitarian crisis since 2001 . Statistics reveal an alarming picture as the country had more than 300,000 refugees in 2010 , according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees . S. Africa 's first black dean teaches 'reconciliation over revenge ' In 2006 Ahmed reached out to the UN refugee agency for help with his dance workshops in the camps . He was then told to launch a pilot project in Gore , an area with two large refugee camps sheltering thousands of people . `` I was asked to test the project and that there were n't any resources for it but that I had to go try and see how it could work . So when my pilot project launched , the refugees were curious , they wanted to know what I was planning on teaching them , '' says Ahmed . The project was a quick success : in the Gondje refugee camp 181 people of all ages signed up to Ahmed 's dance workshops , followed by 76 refugees at the Ambucu camp . After the sessions ended , the refugees demanded Ahmed 's return to the camp to continue teaching them how to dance . `` I see there is hope because this dance that I am doing will help me earn an income , '' says 19-year-old refugee Bienvenue Ndubabe who has lived in a refugee camp for the past four years . `` It will enable me to carry on with my studies , '' adds Ndubabe , who attends school in the local village and has every intention of furthering his studies next year . Last October , Ahmed also teamed up with friend and colleague Jean Michel Champault -- director of the African Artists for Development foundation -- to start a project together called `` Refugees on the Move . '' The goal is to create a chain reaction and extend Ahmed 's dance workshops to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa . `` Through dance we are trying to bring hope to troubled youths and try to reduce violence and bring a sense of social interactions , '' says Champault . Somali rapper K'naan makes songs in the key of love . Inside the camp , Ahmed 's dance lessons are life lessons , teaching people of all ages important skills as well as encouraging hygiene and education . Ahmed also does n't shy away from sensitive issues , raising awareness on HIV/AIDS , women 's rights , hygiene and education . `` What makes me the proudest is to see them smile , dance and laugh , '' says Ahmed . `` When I dance I see others who laugh and from time to time I laugh ! I 'm only interested in this . '' Ahmed has succeeded in giving the refugees that they need as much as food and shelter -- their sense of humanity and belonging . `` I 've always said that for me , dance is something magical , that does n't have barriers . We can find ourselves in an open space like this one and dance together -- it 's joy , sometimes people meet up and become partners forever . '' Teo Kermeliotis contributed to this report .
Chadian Taïgue Ahmed is a professional dancer and choreographer . He is making a difference by holding dancing workshops in refugee camps . The Republic of Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world . Ahmed also raises awareness about issues such HIV/AIDS and women 's rights .