Donor Update
Greetings!
On behalf of the MusiKiva board I want to thank you for your continued support!
It is only through your commitment and support that we were able to successfully implement MusiKiva’s first music therapy exchange program to make a positive impact on the lives of at-risk children in Calgary, Canada and Banda Village, Rwanda. Your donations, no matter how large or small, made a significant difference!
The Program
We launched this past June, beginning with three groups in Calgary. During nine sessions, these children participated in specific music interventions designed to support their development of self-esteem, self-expression, social and peer awareness, and communication and understanding between themselves and another culture. The children improvised musical ideas on various rhythm instruments, explored a variety of sounds, wrote songs about feelings and things most important to them, and engaged in singing as a group. Much of their created music was captured on both audio and video recordings to be shared with the groups in Rwanda.
On July 1st, the two music therapists and two MusiKiva volunteers boarded a plane to travel to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The journey included multiple flights to reach the city and then another six-hour drive to Banda, a small, remote village, with no running water or electricity, hidden at the base of a rainforest. This community of about 5000 is supported by Kageno, a US-based NGO which provides education and resources to promote self-sustainability.
For two weeks, three groups of children in Banda Village met each day, to create music, share their ideas, sing and dance. Thanks to a wonderful donation of two laptops (and the help of car batteries as our power supply), these children then also had the opportunity to see, hear, and learn about their Canadian counterparts through video recordings. There was definite excitement and interest with all that they observed and the chance to also hear and see themselves on the computer screen became an additional highlight. The sessions were designed in such a way that the curriculum could be replicated and compared in both locations, with the music and songs being shared to make the exchange as meaningful as possible.
Following these two weeks, the music therapists and volunteers returned to Canada and the final sessions for the Calgary groups were facilitated. The children were able to re-visit the songs they had created via the video, and also hear and see the musical response of the African children.
Those participating in the program fell between four and eleven years of age and were considered to be “children at risk”, in essence experiencing:
• serious illness or death of a loved one
• poverty
• conflict at home and/or at school
• academic struggles in due part to a diagnosis of ADD, ADHD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), or depression
To ensure the integrity of the program, JB Music Therapy was contracted to develop the curriculum, facilitate the sessions, and provide assessment for all the groups.
The Result
Culture, language, and ability did not present much of a barrier with regards to the participation level and positive response to the music therapy interventions used. The immediate responses observed included positive change in the children, with many of them willing to try new things and share ideas and who they are – demonstrating greater self-expression and confidence. We also saw them working together through the music activities, developing and enhancing a sense of belonging and community. When asked to share their favourite part of the program, one girl responded “being happy”!
We are truly grateful for the additional support of:
Jennifer Buchanan (JB Music Therapy)
Frank Andolino (Kageno)
Kageno Staff and Volunteers in Rwanda
Fiona McColl and Christine Tuturea (KidZinc)
Visit www.musikivacanada.ca to view additional program photos and videos!
Sincerely,
Shannon Robinson
Executive Director
MusiKiva Canada Inc.