Khule Africa is a project founded by Joseph Balibaawo Lubega. The project provides day care and food to children in extreme poverty and often without parents in Ggaba, a place not too far from Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
As of July 2019, Music for Children is involved in the Khule Africa project, under the leadership of director Joseph Balibaawo Lubega. We started with music lessons from Tony Sentamu. He taught on weekends in Ggaba. Tony had come into contact with this Joseph, a teacher, in May, after Samira was back in Holland, who gave up his job to take care of a group of about 50 to 60 children who were living on the streets without a roof, food or adequate clothing, well below the poverty line. Joseph took in the children and tries to feed them. There is no money to send them to school. But Joseph teaches them cultural dancing, drumming and singing together, to teach them something and also with the hope that they can eventually earn something by performing at parties. At the time, Tony suggested he teach music there. Back in Uganda, after his visit to Holland, he started teaching there every weekend (as a project of Music for Children) in recorder, ukulele, melodica and guitar. Here you can see a video of the kids playing together.
Because Tony got a little busy, we sought a new teacher for Khule Africa. Ivan, a passionate and talented musician, now teaches music lessons to the kids in Ggaba every weekend. He specializes in the piano, but also gives some guitar, recorder and wind piano lessons. The kids are super happy with their new teacher and are learning a lot. Below are some pictures and videos!
What did we learn?
Tony on Khule Africa: “When I saw the children in Ggaba I remembered the day Monique Udo came to SMK. She taught me and the others to play the saxophone, so I wanted to give something back by teaching the children in Ggaba. I wanted to give the children love, hope and joy in music. In the beginning I taught around 30 children at a time but later I really wanted to teach instruments and it became 18 children each with an instrument: melodicas, flutes, ukulele and guitar. There are about 70 children living in Ggaba. At first the children loved learning something new, but later some didn’t come. I took them aside and also decided to come at an earlier time. I now come in the morning at 8 a.m. instead of in the afternoon at 2 p.m. and that is going better. Because I want to teach more children and I am sure that will work out. Also, I didn’t have a lesson plan until now. I figured that out while I was there. I can’t use music printouts. We should actually have a textbook. That’s another wish of mine.”
