Lions Bluff Lodge, the lodge I work for, supports different schools and community projects. We buy food for Latika Primary School, we facilitate donations, and we organise game drives and bush cinema, where we show documentaries to children about the importance of wildlife.
One of our guests, Mark and his family, came from the USA with 3 big bags of shoes to donate, and left a donation to buy food for the children of the Mwashoti School.
After his visit to the school, he told me that they teach music there but they don’t have instruments…
Curious about his discovery, we invited the children and the teacher to do a game drive around Lumo Conservancy and to have a meal with us at the Lodge.
The teacher, Mrs Gertrude, explained to me that during their music lessons, they learn how to draw musical instruments, they can sing, but they do not play any real instruments.
We played and sang with them and we tried to teach them few chords. The smile on their faces, the curiosity and the wish to learn…inspired me.
Is there anything more powerful than a child smile?
I got in touch with Harmony Kenya, a Foundation whose main objective is to establish or support already established music departments in Government schools.
After teaching music in both private and government schools for over 25 years, Mr. Moses Watatua, the founder of this trust, has become more and more concerned about the disparity in the availability and quality of music education in Kenya between the private and government schools.
Talent in government schools is hardly being harnessed hence denying pupils the opportunity to develop their gifts for their own future.
And slowly an idea grew in my mind…
WHAT IF….
What if we raise funds to buy ukuleles for these children? What if we do music workshop for them? What if we can make the difference?
While looking for an easy and not too expensive way to get ukuleles to Kenya from overseas donors, we opened a shop with our amazing Ukulele Logo. With the profit we will buy ukuleles for these children and on day 1….we sold enough to get an ukulele already! which will be donated to the music teacher to start playing.
Keep Strumming!!
Michela