Mission

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Zara Aina means “share life” in Malagasy, the language of Madagascar. Zara Aina is a New York-based nonprofit organization focused on helping at-risk youth harness the transformative power of theatrical storytelling and performance. Ultimately, developing and honing these skills enable them to expand their capacity for achievement, invest in their sense of possibility, and recognize their untapped potential.   Through participating in ZA’s workshops and residencies, students domestically and internationally can refine life skills through theater and the exchange of art through cultures. Such skills include thinking creatively and implementing new ideas, working creatively with others, reasoning effectively, communicating clearly, making judgments and subsequent decisions, using systems thinking, and learning to discover and follow their dreams.   

Through participating in ZA’s workshops and residencies, students domestically and internationally can refine life skills through theater and the exchange of art through cultures. Such skills include thinking creatively and implementing new ideas, working creatively with others, reasoning effectively, communicating clearly, making judgments and subsequent decisions, using systems thinking, and learning to discover and follow their dreams. 

Zara Aina funds a Center in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo. Zara Aina US is based out of Brooklyn, providing theater education programs for young people. Zara Aina shares life with people of all ages.