Dear Friends and Supporters,
I hope 2019 has started well for you all.
I started Music for Hope alongside young Salvadorian musicians in 1996 and it has been such an honour to see it grow from a tiny seedling project teaching music to twenty children in one community, to an amazing, passionate organisation supporting young people’s music and social development across sixteen Bajo Lempa communities.
In that time we have seen a whole generation of young people access music education and go on to support their communities in a myriad of ways, not least through bringing music to every celebration and event.
I’m proud that Music for Hope continue to respond directly to the needs of children and young people in the Bajo Lempa and is cooperatively led by our fabulous, dedicated Salvadorian team.
After 22 years coordinating Music for Hope, it is a great pleasure to introduce you to Tony Luna who will be coordinating our work in the UK, thanks to generous funding that we secured at the end of last year.
Tony is from the community of Nueva Esperanza, has been involved in our work for many years and is now living in Liverpool with his partner, Sonia and young son, Anthony. He is passionate about Music for Hope, lives and breathes cooperative principles, and implicitly understands how important cultural work is to the young people of the Bajo Lempa so he is the perfect person to take my place. It has been an honour to work alongside him for the past two years to advocate for Music for Hope sharing what we do with different people.
I will continue as Chair on the Board and will support Tony in his role, but will be stepping back from the day-to-day coordination of our work.
I look forward to seeing how Music for Hope will grow over the years to come!
With huge respect to all of you for being part of this journey! We could not have come this far without you.
Warm wishes,
Katherine
