HOW IT ALL BEGAN!
Recently I have been requested to tell the story of how all of this began.
It links well with the success of the production at the old zoo mentioned below so I thought it's good to include here.
I was employed within an organization serving mainly women and children in poverty stricken areas. As many other organizations, the need was identified to work with the men in the families and areas surrounding the women and children we were serving. I have always had a passion for african music, especially male voice choirs. I belonged to a group for about a year, the only white man in a group of wonderful black friends. I remember this being my introduction to the world I was not very familiar with of the townships. We rehearsed in a little room at the back of a police station. I learnt the value of music in uniting and empoering people. This was obviously the first memory which came to mind when I was confronted with the dilemma of involving men in a positive way with their communities. Doing grassroots research, or put in another way, exploring the townships and the people we were serving I asked around if any of these choirs exist. Not surprisingly the answer was a resounding YES! I approached the groups and discussed the potential of them working with boys. I was moved and touched when I heard they are already doing this. My dream had found a perfect match. Unfortunately the organization I was working with at that stage did not support this initiative. Their reasoning was that it does not immediately and directly involve all the women and children they are serving. The groups of singing men only overlapped with some of the neighborhoods. This however did not deter us. We started the program with no financial support, doing sessions of intense, deep personal growth work with the men of one choir and involving the boys around them. After about a year the concept was noticed by a large NGO working in the area and they offered to support the funding process. we applied and succeeded in gaining funding. Currently we have four adult choirs working with forty boys, at least once a week. Our first cd has just been produced and our first professional stage production is currently running. The theatre is serving the middle and upper income groups of the city and the hall is full every night. This production is the pathway for these men out of poverty.
Recently I have been requested to tell the story of how all of this began.
It links well with the success of the production at the old zoo mentioned below so I thought it's good to include here.
I was employed within an organization serving mainly women and children in poverty stricken areas. As many other organizations, the need was identified to work with the men in the families and areas surrounding the women and children we were serving. I have always had a passion for african music, especially male voice choirs. I belonged to a group for about a year, the only white man in a group of wonderful black friends. I remember this being my introduction to the world I was not very familiar with of the townships. We rehearsed in a little room at the back of a police station. I learnt the value of music in uniting and empoering people. This was obviously the first memory which came to mind when I was confronted with the dilemma of involving men in a positive way with their communities. Doing grassroots research, or put in another way, exploring the townships and the people we were serving I asked around if any of these choirs exist. Not surprisingly the answer was a resounding YES! I approached the groups and discussed the potential of them working with boys. I was moved and touched when I heard they are already doing this. My dream had found a perfect match. Unfortunately the organization I was working with at that stage did not support this initiative. Their reasoning was that it does not immediately and directly involve all the women and children they are serving. The groups of singing men only overlapped with some of the neighborhoods. This however did not deter us. We started the program with no financial support, doing sessions of intense, deep personal growth work with the men of one choir and involving the boys around them. After about a year the concept was noticed by a large NGO working in the area and they offered to support the funding process. we applied and succeeded in gaining funding. Currently we have four adult choirs working with forty boys, at least once a week. Our first cd has just been produced and our first professional stage production is currently running. The theatre is serving the middle and upper income groups of the city and the hall is full every night. This production is the pathway for these men out of poverty.
posted by Wessel at 7:20 AM
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