Music has proven to be a powerful tool to bring about peace in gang-ridden areas, says Karien de Waal from Durbanville-based non-profit organisation Join Bands Not Gangs.
Youngsters who had previously wielded guns are now playing musical instruments.
The non-profit supports 25 schools across the province, but mainly work in gang-hotspots of Kraaifontein and Delft.
To this end, the organisation recently donated a grand piano to Scottsdene High School for their music programme.
New lease on life
The organisation was started six years ago and supports 25 schools in the Western Cape, others being in Mosselbay, George, the Overberg and other areas. Through its various music programmes many gangsters have found new perspectives and turned their lives around. In 2021 alone, eight gang members were rehabilitated through the programme.
De Waal says their focus is two-fold. “One the one side we encourage schools to commit to music projects by donating instruments and assist with funds to pay music tutors to train the children, not only in schools but in their local communities. Then, we assist youth involved in gangsterism to get into drug rehabilitation programmes and to find jobs afterwards,” she said to TygerBurger last week.
To make this possible the non-profit relies on the public to donate second hand instruments.
“Our aim now is to help the schools with their own fund-raising efforts to sustain the music programmes.”
The idea behind the grand piano is to aspire the children to persevere in their musical training.
“It is a performance piano on which music students can play in the school hall,” she says.
Music programme
Music teacher Tommy Jooste currently teaches 20 children at the school to play several instruments.
“I grew up in a musical house and am fortunate enough to be able to teach piano, bass guitar, drums, the flute and saxophone six days a week,” he says.
Jooste, who joined the programme three years ago, says he has seen the great impact music has made in the lives of youngsters.
“It gives idle hands something to do and changes their mindset. They now have new goals, new dreams,” he says.
Apart from his music classes at the school every day, he also teaches several classes at homes in the community.
Peter Links, principal at the school, told the newspaper that the school has during their involvement with the organisation formed a
- To donate second hand musical instruments contact the organisaton via their website www.joinbandsnotgangs.com
