In Port-au-Prince, many children are finding joy in playing music. A program that serves 400 Haitian children keeps them safe indoors amid gang violence while providing a creative outlet. “Music transforms,” said a former student and now guitar instructor.
PORT-AUPRINCE , Haiti — Woodberson Seïde held his stepsister s hand as they walked through Haiti s capital on their way to an after-school music program.
Children across Haiti s capital are playing drums, bass guitar and piano to drown out the trouble that erupts around them daily. The violent and impoverished country, where gangs control so much territory, can feel hopeless to many. But the young musicians refuse to let worsening circumstances dictate their future. A U.S.-sponsored music program is a rare outlet for fun in a nation where children are mostly kept indoors for safety. The program by Music Heals International started with 60 children and has grown into a group of 400 enrolled in eight schools. Many play at church and in local concerts, and some have founded their own band.
Haitian students play drums and strum guitars to escape hunger and gang violence columbian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from columbian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Children across Haiti s capital are playing drums, bass guitar and piano to drown out the trouble that erupts around them daily. The violent and impoverished country, where gangs control so much territory, can feel hopeless to many. But the young musicians refuse to let worsening circumstances dictate their future. A U.S.-sponsored music program is a rare outlet for fun in a nation where children are mostly kept indoors for safety. The program by Music Heals International started with 60 children and has grown into a group of 400 enrolled in eight schools. Many play at church and in local concerts, and some have founded their own band.