COMMUNITY MUSIC
“Our success is not all to do with music, we integrate life skills; communication, concentration, leadership, problem solving, team work, resilience, grit and perseverance. After the training they become leaders ready to lead positive change in their communities.”
— Ronald Kabuye, Brass for Africa, programs and administration manager
FROM SILENCE TO MUSIC
BidiBidi is no longer a silent settlement.
After three years of LAB UGANDA, ten brass bands can be heard across the five settlement zones. They march through the villages and gather followers and admirers. Every band is registered as a Community Based Organisation, self-governed and self-determined. Following our collection campaign in Germany, we shipped a container full of trumpets, trombones, cornets, euphoniums, tubas and percussion instruments in order to provide each band with their own instruments. This enables the musicians to practice between lessons and play for paid engagements at any time.
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES WITH MUSIC
Nowadays bands have become default components of any celebration in the settlement. Public events always incorporate music and the LAB UGANDA bands play a major role in gathering communities. Refugee and host communities are active players in the life of the settlement. Music has certainly been a catalyst for this change, promoting gender equality, peaceful coexistence, giving a sense of purpose to community members.
INTEGRATED LIFE SKILLS
Brass for Africa integrates life skills into the teaching of brass instruments to hundreds of children and adolescents weekly.
The opportunity to learn and play music has a profound and empowering impact on lives: self-confidence, resilience, leadership-skills, problem solving, grit & perseverance, concentration, team work and communication are the eight key-attributes upon which we are focusing. These skills directly transfer to everyday life.
OUR GOALS
Gender Equality — We focus on including and promoting girls, creating a safe space for them to learn with the same opportunities as boys.
Peaceful Coexistence — Refugees from different countries and tribes live together in BidiBidi. Playing music in communities and sharing messages of hope encourages peaceful co-existence.
Creative Industry — Bands are performing at official and community events, earning regular income through music. We aim at developing an entire ecosystem of cultural professions in the region.
“The horn sounds so beautiful and very different from the rest of the instruments. When playing it I feel happy and the sound is very beautiful to me. When I finish learning, I want to be a big boss like the teachers.”
– Huda Nafsi, 12 year old member of the Yumbe Community Band