Project Rwanda
Music as Therapy International’s involvement in Rwanda began from a distance in 2006 through Music Therapists Helen Leith and Judith Nockolds who were developing awareness of music therapy among a local network of people working with children and adults with disabilities (the Tubakunde Network).
In 2010 two Music Therapists, Nicky Haire and Caroline Anderson, were recruited to deliver an introductory music as therapy training project to local care staff working at Ngwino Nawe and Nkanka Nkanka, two care settings in the Rusizi District. After spending six weeks working in these two Centres, Nicky and Caroline left local staff fully equipped and confident to run their own music sessions, effectively using music to meet the immediate emotional, social and behavioural needs of the children in their care. Please click on the link to see a video example of their work. A year later Nicky and Caroline returned to the two staff teams to see how they were getting on and to offer any support needed for their music programmes to continue. It was an opportunity to share successes and difficulties.
Since then, the charity’s support of our Local Partners has been from a distance. This intentional stance was to give our Local Partners the space required for them to develop their skills and approach to therapeutic music-making. It has also served as an opportunity to assess the level of local momentum for the music programme and to identify risks to its long-term sustainability. During this time we have encouraged local peer support, we have been in email contact, and we have prepared a DVD using footage from our Local Partners’ music sessions which can be used as a training and support tool. We have also had the opportunity to enhance our understanding of local circumstances and national strategies that affect our Local Partners.
Support Visit 2013
We have kept abreast of Ngwino Nawe’s and Nkanka’s long term vision and strategy by remaining in regular contact with the UK charity, Rwanda Aid. They are proposing to hold a series of ‘family days’ in 2013 and Local Partners have been invited to showcase their music as therapy skills and demonstrate the social potential of children with disabilities. In addition, there may be the potential to facilitate a local ‘conference’ for people working in other, local care settings. Local Partners could share their music skills and help others learn more about the benefits of music therapy whilst helping to build their own confidence. A training DVD using footage from our Local Partners’ music sessions in 2010 and 2011 will be launched and used as a training and support tool.
Music Therapists, Nicky Haire and Caroline Anderson, will return to Rwanda in September of this year to help implement these proposals and to further support the local workers to develop their music programmes.
Project 2013: Noel de Nyundo
The Rwandan Government is looking to develop more effective childcare systems across the country and is aiming to close all its institutions over the next few years. The organisation, Hopes and Homes for Children (HHC)are responsible for implementing the reforms, and Noel de Nyundo has been prioritised for closure first. We have been approached by HHC to work alongside their local team of social workers who will work with the children prior to placement and support the families once the children have been re-homed. The long-term vision is for the social workers and care staff to use their new music skills to support the emotional needs of the residents whilst preparing them for transition, and then afterwards once they have been re-homed.
Noel de Nyundo, is a large institution near the town of Gisenyi in the North-west of Rwanda and is hometo approximately 500 children and adults. The majority of these residents’ needs are attributed to the effects of long-term institutionalisation, in some cases compounded by mild learning disabilities. However, approximately 30 residents have physical disabilities and/or identified additional needs.
We are currently beginning our search for a volunteer team (comprising a Music Therapist and Assistant) to deliver a six-week skill sharing project in September. They will work together with local staff to create a sustainable music programme. The first week of the project will be overseen by Music Therapists, Nicky Haire and Caroline Anderson.
To donate to project Noel de Nyundo, please click here
Other news
Nicky and Caroline gave a presentation at the recent Music Therapy and Dramatherapy conference at Anglia Ruskin University, 'Teaching teachers: Music as Therapy International's Project Rwanda', in which they described their experiences of training teachers to consider therapeutic aspects of music-making, within the cultural context of Rwanda. Cross-cultural and multi-cultural issues emerged as common themes in the conference, relevant to arts therapists working in multi-cultural Britain or those working away from their native culture. The talk was well received, invited much lively discussion, and Nicky and Caroline were very pleased to have the opportunity to hear of the experiences of other therapists involved in similar projects around the world.
