Janashakthi sponsors “The Music Project”, to build communities between North and South
View(s):Over 200 children came together to bridge communal divides through music, powered by Janashakthi Insurance in a special concert held on May 4 at the Maliyadeva Girls school hall.
School children from Mullaitivu and Kurunegala participating in Unite 2014, a concert to promote harmony, supported by Janashakthi Insurance
Schoolchildren from two schools in Mullaitivu and three schools in Kurunegala came together for “Unite 2014″ a classical music concert organised by the Music Project. The children from the two areas performed together in an orchestra, creating an important symbol of harmony in post-war Sri Lanka, according to a Janashakthi media release.
The Music Project aims to build musical communities between the North and South of Sri Lanka, inspired by the publicly financed musical education programme in Venezuela, El Sistema. Like El Sistema, the Music Project aims to change the trajectory of children’s lives and uplift farming communities through the healing power of music. In this way, it also tries to ensure that the children have a holistic, therapeutic educational programme, the release said.
The project is held through special after school clubs, which are conducted in English in order to facilitate a connection between the schoolchildren from different areas. It has been running for three years, with a goal of providing long term, sustainable ties of reconciliation and reconstruction.
Six schools located in Kurunegala and Thunnukkai are currently involved in the project. The children are learning the basics of music through playing the recorder. They are soon expected to move on to mastering the violin, the melodica and percussion instruments. The programme largely consists of Western music due to its range of orchestral instruments and repertoire.
General Manager-Sales and Marketing of Janashakthi Insurance Shehara de Silva said that, “We specifically chose to support this project because it has depth and meaning. In a post-war environment, projects such as these can be important in building bridges between communities. We hope that we can contribute towards such a cause. The Music Project has the potential to change lives, and that is why we are so excited to be a part of it”.