Last Friday, the Music as Therapy International team met Erin Williams-Jones and Emma Britton, the two newly recruited music therapists who will be delivering our upcoming 4-week project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We started our day with lunch at a local vegan café, giving Erin and Emma a chance to get to know each other and us better, share their excitement for the upcoming project and discuss all things Ethiopia. Makeda, who is our International Programme Coordinator and will also join the new team for the first week in Ethiopia, lived in Addis Ababa for several years and was able to share some cultural insights, such as national dishes, food etiquette and Addis Ababa’s lively nightlife.

Heading back to the office, we took the time to go through the practicalities of the project. Erin and Emma had the opportunity to speak to Hannah Berhanu, the music therapist who delivered the initial introductory training in Ethiopia in 2018 as well as the follow up visit in 2019. Hannah was able to share her personal experiences of delivering the projects at Gefersa Mental Health Rehabilitation, FENAID and Hospice Ethiopia, which are the care settings that Erin and Emma will be visiting. In addition to providing support to our existing Local Partners, the team will also be delivering a new introductory training at Lebeza Psychiatry Clinic, and Makeda took the time to explain the training our new Partner setting requested.

It was delightful getting to know Erin and Emma in person and as we draw closer to the 14th October, the project start date, the team in the office are growing in excitement!

Keep an eye out for updates about the project, including Erin and Emma’s blogs during their time in Ethiopia to see how they get on.