Brass Music Lessons starting in January!

Since September, we have had 21 trumpets and trombones at Root Foundation. However, until now they have still been waiting for someone who really knows how to play them. This is why we have been particularly hoping to take some steps forward in terms of our planned cooperation with the Uganda-based organisation “Brass for Africa”.

From Tuesday, 20 November, to Thursday, 22 November, Patrick and Leander visited “Brass for Africa” in Kampala as representatives of Root Foundation. One of the main purposes of this trip was to find out more about the work of our new partner organisation so that we could start planning for brass lessons at our Children’s Center.

While “Brass for Africa” strives for the realisation of professional music teaching, it aims at enhancing life skills such as teamwork, self-confidence, concentration, communication and ambition at the same time. Indeed, we were really amazed by the system the organisation applies regarding the measurement of the impact through brass music lessons.

Teachers who have been trained by “Brass for Africa” are sent to a partner organisation. There, they let the children who attend the programs of this partner organisation fill out questionnaires at different points of time – both before and after they have experienced regular brass music lessons – which helps them to understand the development of the child’s personality and behaviour as well as to measure the life and social skills he or she has gained. The insights which we gained into brass music lessons at two partner organisations of “Brass for Africa” in Kampala convinced us in our positive point of view.

Finally, we are very glad to confirm that the planned brass music lessons at Root Foundation Rwanda will be starting in January 2019. At the moment, the expanses for the pilot phase of the project over the period of at least six months can be covered by the amount of 4,000 Euro raised by our supporter Girge Glock, but – of course – we hope it will even last longer. All in all, we are confident that possible challenges will be overcome and that the cooperation will be successful!