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Peace Through Music UgandaIn Uganda Since 2005 |
School-Based Classes
Since 2005, SMF has offered music classes in several Gulu primary and secondary schools, including the temporary Awere School (a displaced school for students from the destroyed village of Awere), Gulu Central, Holy Rosary Primary School and a new nursery and primary school opened for children born while their mothers were child soldiers. Classes include:
- Beginning and Intermediate Pennywhistle
- Singing
- Beginning Drum
IDP Camp-Based Classes
Tens of thousands of war-impacted people lived in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps. Most were children who lost their homes and families during the war. The camps are now officially closed, but over 10,000 people continue to live there, including both children attending school and children who cannot attend school due to lack of money. We offer weekly classes and volunteer training in the following areas:
- Singing
- Beginning and Advanced Pennywhistle
- Beginning Drum
Labala
Labala has a large population of former child soldiers, who have had great difficulty integrating into the community, and young Ugandans who have missing and dead family members. Through the music classes offered by SMF, these young men and women have been able to come together and become a part of the local community. We offer classes in the following areas at Labala:
- Singing
- Beginning and Advanced Pennywhistle
- Beginning Drum
Gulu Youth-Teacher Volunteer Program
As in Kosovo, our Uganda program is based on the premise that a sustainable, locally-run program is in the best interests of war-affected communities. Training local volunteers also allows us to teach more children year-round. Local youth volunteers receive training in the following:
- Reading, writing, and counting music
- Singing
- Playing pennywhistle and ukulele
- Music pedagogy for children, including reading, counting, singing, and playing music
St Bakhita Teacher’s College
SMF offers music pedagogy training to all the students attending St. Bakhita’s Teacher College. These teachers will be able to take SMF instruments and programs to the schools where they teach after graduation.
THRIVE Partnership
SMF is developing a partnership with THRIVE, a local organization working to heal Northern Uganda from the traumatic events of war. Together with THRIVE we will offer SMF music classes to children during school breaks.
Child-Mother Classes (fortunately, this program is no longer needed and has been discontinuted)
The Pabo IDP camp was home to a significant number of child mothers, girls who conceived and bore children as a result of their abduction and abuse within the Lord’s Resistance Army. This population had tremendous physical and emotional needs as well as tremendous potential as leaders in peacemaking. We taught weekly classes in the following:
- Singing
- Beginning and Advanced Pennywhistle
- Musical Play for Young Children
Kosovo
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Peace Through Music Kosovo
The war in Kosovo ended in 1999, but the affects of this war --Poverty, Intolerance, Segregation, Racism--are experienced every day, especially by children raised in camps and those living in minority communities. SMF is working with the children and teenagers of Kosovo to develop self esteem, tolerance, and a love of peace through music.
Uganda
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Peace Through Music Uganda
Northern Uganda is recovering from a brutal civil war in which 20,000-200,000 children were abducted and forced to become child soldiers. Over 1 million people were forced to live in IDP camps, where they experienced malnutrition and extreme poverty. Many people continue to live in these camps even though they are closed. SMF is working with children, teenagers, and young adults who were child soldiers as well as children born while their mothers were abducted, building tolerance, peace, and especially self worth through music.
Northern Ireland
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Peace Through Music Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland continues to be 95% segregated between Catholics and Protestants. Bombs explode or are discovered weekly, and riots take place monthly. Murals of men wearing balaclavas and holding guns are on homes and businesses everywhere. Children and adults alike suffer from low self esteem as they experience anger and violence daily. SMF is working to bring children together from both sides of the community, forming life-long and life-changing relationships through music.
Refugee Camps in Greece
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Refugee Camps in Greece
The war in Syria is at the root of the worst refugee crisis since WWII. Children are being both targeted and recruited, and families have left Syria by the millions. SMF is building a program not just for Syrian refugees, but also Kurdish, Afghan and Yazidi children and teenagers-- all in Greek refugee camps. The program is providing structure and much-needed opportunities for acheivment and self expression.
Bangladesh
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Serving Street Children & Rohingya Refugees
Bangladesh is home to approximately 1.6 million Rohingya Refugees, living in some of the largest Refugee camps in the world. Bangladesh is also one of the poorest countries on the earth, with over 31% of its population living below the poverty line, with limited access to any type of education. SMF has the potential to make a significant impact in the lives of both Rohingya and Bangledeshi children.
Utah
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Refugees Living in Salt Lake City
More than 60,000 refugees or "new Americans" live in Utah. Young people must make a difficult adjustment-- learning not only a new language but a whole new way of life. With the help of an incredible group of teenage volunteers, our program Salt Lake City program is reaching young people at Granite Park Jr. High and the Bud Bailey Community.
Arizona
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Rescued Afghan Refugees
As the Taliban conducted their swift take-over of Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled for their lives. A large group of refugees is living in temporary shelters in the Phoenix area as they await more permanent housing. Our program is providing ukulele lessons up to four times a week for women and children caught in this limbo.
