Mbale District Schools Band appeal

Website: www.ugive2uganda.org

0780 193 0404 (UK) 00256 7731 46983 (Uganda)

Appeal for Uganda’s first schools

reading-music brass band program

Not every child in Africa is hungry. While there is no doubt that some children live in desperate circumstances, most of them have the basics of life but don’t have anything to do. Put simply, they don’t have the opportunities for cultural and artistic development that exist for children in the UK. This lack of mental stimulation can often take children down the wrong path and lead to the sorts of social problems that you might expect - crime, sexual promiscuity, and so on.

I’m the founder of a UK registered charity called ugive2uganda. Our small charity delivers a variety of aid and support in the Mbale area in the east of Uganda but my main focus is the development of youth music. Since September 2007 I’ve been living in Uganda and have been working hard to create the beginning of a UK-style brass band movement (there are already many brass bands in Uganda who play by ear in a busking style but there are very few that can read music).

As you can imagine we have very little in the way of equipment, and our instruments are in a very poor state. Our challenges are numerous with transport and rehearsal facilities amongst the main difficulties. I have often found myself trying to teach in a field, without music stands or chairs, and some of our instruments have been stolen or spoiled by others. But the enthusiasm of the children is unflagging and this is what makes me all the more determined to succeed.

All the children in the bands have their own tales of hardship and struggle. But it’s a privilege for me to watch them develop as musicians and individuals, and I’m so proud of them as they battle through adversity to come and play with a smile on their face. Many of them have no proper breakfast and only a few can afford something simple for lunch. The mjority of them survive on one evening meal a day of maize porridge and beans. Some of the children sleep on the floor and many have no blankets and only one or two change of clothes. Eight of the children in my main band have lost at least one parent to HIV/Aids or other diseases.

As you may be aware, teaching a child a musical instrument is not just about the playing. It’s also an opportunity for a child to develop a sense of self-esteem, and the responsibilities that come with being part of a team. Here in Uganda, it’s particularly significant that we’re teaching children about discipline, concentration, teamwork and, most importantly, a feeling of belonging to something and that they matter to each other.

When I was living in the UK and had the vision of how the music program would operate, I had assumed that the main problem would be music and teaching. In practice, running a brass band in this part of the world means being a combination of social worker, health visitor, nurse, teacher, taxi driver, and food/water provider.

Many children have family and home problems and turn to me for help. In the last few months, I’ve had crises with parents disappearing without explanation, urgent medical issues, and children with no food to eat. I have had no choice but to deal with each problem as it occurs and do my best for the children. I rarely have a full band rehearsal because there are always children that are sick. I have had to deal with TB, malaria, diarrhoea, ulcers, flu, girls’ problems, typhoid, sickle cell disease and various infections. A lot of the underlying causes of the health problems are poor nutrition and the kids simply don’t get enough to eat on a diet that lacks essential vitamins. I try to feed them the best I can but it costs money. As well as health and diet problems I’ve also had kids unable to attend practice because others who have never heard western music have tried to bewitch them, and have had to cope with other children who have been ejected from school because they have no uniform or exercise books (these are not provided free). Through ignorance and jealousy some children have even been beaten as they walk two hours or more along dirt roads to get to band practice.

But as we continue to develop our music program I am constantly aware that things can go wrong. Like many bands even in other countries, our biggest challenge is to find somewhere to rehearse and store our instruments securely.

Many of our bands are based in schools and our instruments are often spoiled or stolen after being left unsupervised in classrooms or being moved without care. Teachers simply aren’t bothered. Other bands are based in churches or in other organizations' premises but the same problems apply. Even access to the instruments is difficult if the keyholder for the storeroom is absent. In many cases we have to practice outside and it's not easy in the sun and rain.

The Red Cross in Mbale has been kind enough to allow our main band to practice in their compound and store our instruments in their tent. But they have warned me that this arrangement is not permanent and in the event of an emergency we may be forced to leave at short notice. This would be a disaster for the band program as would we have nowhere to go.

So the obvious solution is to build our own music centre. A place that can be ours forever and never be taken away from us. A place where can look after our own access, storage, security and rehearsal issues. Without this facility there can never be a long-term guaranteed future for our music program and all that we have achieved so far will have been a waste of time.

As you would expect, the issue is funding to buy or construct such a facility. Our preference would be to buy land and construct so that the result would be purpose-built for our needs, i.e. a hall, a store, small rehearsal rooms for individual practice and a room for someone to live there and act as our overnight guard.

We estimate that the total cost of this project would be £16,000. We can't be precise because although we can calculate construction costs we don't know the exact price of a piece of land and can only go on the current market rate for a plot that is big enough. But it's likely that the land will be about half the cost. Obviously, it's a substantial sum of money but something we believe in and are so passionate about. The facility would not be owned by any individual but be registered in the name of our Uganda NGO – East Uganda Youth Music Foundation.

There is very little youth music in Uganda and this seems a tragedy to me when many children are so talented. In short, for me the risk involved in the band children being jealous of what we have in England and being unable to handle the cultural differences are far outweighed by the possibility of changing thousands of childrens’ lives for the better. Very many children in Uganda face unemployment when they leave school. By encouraging youth music perhaps at least some of them may be able to earn a living as a musician or music teacher. In the context of giving aid to Africa it is much better to give someone a chance of a job than money from the UK.

I realise that the amount of money we’re aiming for is a daunting challenge. For those supporters who may want to help on a smaller scale, I am desperate for second-hand instruments. The children and I would be so grateful for even the smallest amount of help. Alternatively, perhaps you could consider sponsoring a desperately needy child in one of the bands (we already have sponsors for twenty children). This costs £15 a month and details are available on our website.

I return to the UK as often as I can afford and I would be very willing to travel for any offers of help with instruments.

Thank you so much.

If you can help in any way please contact me by phone in Uganda on 00256 7731 46983, or by email at ugive2uganda1@aol.com. Or see our website at www.ugive2uganda.org, especially the 2010 Summer Newsletter.

Philip Monk

Founder – www.ugive2uganda.org

ex- Solo Cornet – Waterbeach Brass, Harborough Band, Ratby Band.

ex-Principal Trumpet - Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra