The Project

Plagued for decades by wars and natural disasters, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America. Seventy percent of the population lives below the poverty line, without access to the basic necessities, such as clean water, that human beings need to live decently. Nicaragua’s population is very young - almost half of all Nicaraguans are less than 14 years old - so young boys and girls suffer the most drastic effects of this extreme poverty.

Building New Hope (http://www.buildingnewhope.org/) is an organization which works primarily in Granada, in southwest Nicaragua. Building New Hope strives to offer educational opportunities to the youth of Granada who most need them.

Through various projects, we carry out Rhythm in the Barrios’ mission to bring music to the poorest of the city’s neighborhoods. We hope to spark kids’ interest in music by giving free lessons to those who would never otherwise have this opportunity.

So why music? Isn’t it more important to study reading, math, and history? Rhythm in the Barrios sees music as an excellent complement to a child’s education. Art in general promotes critical thinking, emotions, and self-esteem, things which are often overlooked in education systems as deficient as Nicaragua’s. Music is also a great way to improve social skills and to keep at-risk children off the streets by offering them an alternative to gangs, violence, crime, and drugs.

This project started in 2003 in one barrio with a group of 15 students. Today, we are working in seven schools, teaching more than 400 students piano, guitar, flute, trumpet, vocal, and group music courses. The youngest students sing songs, play games, and have auditions in our introductory music class. Well-qualified Nicaraguan musicians and international volunteers teach all the classes.

No degrees or prior experience are necessary to volunteer in our program, though they are recommended. We do not charge a program fee. We ask for a commitment of at least one month, an adequate level of Spanish, and elementary musical knowledge that will allow you to teach students at varying levels. Depending on what instrument you play, your Spanish proficiency, the time you can commit to volunteering, and our needs at the time, you may work either as a teacher or a teacher’s aide in some of the schools.

Unfortunately, in Nicaragua, there is not a lot of support for the arts, and it is practically impossible for us to obtain government aid. This makes volunteers’ participation in our program, as well as monetary and material donations (such as musical instruments), crucial for us to reach our goal.

We put monetary donations towards paying the salaries of local music teachers, and buying the instruments and materials necessary for our classes.

We are financing our 2007 project by selling Rhythm in the Barrios calendars, through personal donations, and through a subvention by Project Ahimsa, an American foundation dedicated to helping music education programs in developing countries. Project Ahimsa doesn’t donate two years in a row to the same program, so we are searching for new ways to fund our 2008 initiatives.