In August 2023, our team in El Salvador had the opportunity to welcomed Katherine Rogers, Rosa (Katherine’s Daughter) and Dave Rogers (Katherine’s father), They visited the communities of El Bajo Lempa and the Music for Hope project. For Rosa who is 10 years old was the first time in the communities. We asked to Rosa and her grandfather (Dave) to share a bout their experience in the communities.
Rosa
In El Salvador I visited a place in the Bajo Lempa called Nueva Esperanza where I stated in a house with luz, Leandro, Mayte, Adela and Antonio who treated me like family.
After arriving at their house at one o’clock in the morning I met Luz, Mayte (the toddler) and Adela. We hung a mosquito net over my bed and I fell straight to sleep despite the unfamiliar humid weather. At six in the morning, I was woken by the cockerel so I went down to breakfast which Adela made. I had an egg, beans and bread with the best jam.
After that I went for a walk around the community. I set off on the dirt track and had a wander around. I spotted a football pitch and decided to go explore it but was stopped by the sound of musical instruments. I spun around. Outside I saw a band of children playing together. And somehow, I found myself in the same one the following week where I met the best children’s musicians I had ever seen as well as a kind music teacher called Tony.
In El Salvador I really enjoyed milking the cows. I got up at 4 o’clock in the morning to milk the cows with Leandro, Luz and one of my closest El Salvadorian friends, Alondra. To be honest, it wasn’t easy. We herded them up with sticks shouting “Vaca,Vaca, vamos!”. In El Salvador I had a wonderful time and I will never forget it. They even made me a cake for my birthday and more importantly, there I found my second family who I will always remember. I look forward to going back there again.
Dave Rogers
As a cultural worker my daughter’s music project has really inspired me and more importantly has inspired so many young people in the community. Initially set up shortly after the war the objective was clear…Pass on the cultural knowledge of previous generations through song, dance and ceremony. Holding on to the political culture of struggle and celebrating the dream of a better society, built on socialist solidarity, love, collectivism and hope. The project initially operating in Nueva Esperanza has now spread across the Bajo Lempa region. It has been a real joy to watch the enthusiasm of young people exploring their own cultural history through music, song and dance. Playing pan pipes, guitars, keyboards, flutes and of course percussion!
Update from our team in El Salvador
Tony Centeno: Music Teacher and Project Coordinator
In October 2023, Tony Centeno, former music student René Díaz, and Rigoberto Silva travelled to Catalunya, Spain to represent the Music for Hope project and the communities of El Bajo Lempa. They visited the Associació d’Agermanament Igualada-Nueva Esperanza, which is a partner organisation of Music for Hope. The association was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the twinning between Igualada and the community of Nueva Esperanza. We are very grateful to the Associació d’Agermanament Igualada-Nueva Esperanza for their long-standing support, which has enabled us to pay three music teachers and a psychologist. During their visit, Tony, René and Rigoberto spoke to various schools and youth groups about the work that Music for Hope is doing in El Bajo Lempa
Pedro: Music Teacher in the El Zamoran community
Music groups from the community of El Zamoran have been actively participating in various events around El Bajo Lempa. Pedro and his music students are always ready to support their communities whenever there is an opportunity. Recently, they performed at the anniversary celebration of San Hilario, where Grupo El Zamoran played their best songs, getting the public to dance and enjoy the good music. Additionally, Pedro and his students participated in the Commemoration of the birth of Monsignor Romero, organized by Comunidades Eclesiales de Base and the Junta Directiva of La Noria – the activity aimed to celebrate the life of Monsignor Romero and to raise awareness among the new generation about his work in defending the poor people of El Salvador before and during the civil war of the 80s.
Eneyda: Music teacher in the Amando Lopez Community
Eneyda had to take a break from teaching music for a few months due to health issues. During that time, Neftaly and Pedro stepped up to help out at the Amando Lopez Music Centre. Neftaly is one of Eneyda’s students who received a music scholarship from Music for Hope. Thanks to Eneyda’s excellent teaching and the scholarship, Neftaly is now able to volunteer and teach other children from his community. Fortunately, Eneyda has made a full recovery and has now returned to the music centre.
Wilfredo: Music Teacher in the La Papalota Community
Wilfredo and his students have been actively participating in various events and activities in the La Papalota community and nearby areas. For instance, Fuerza Tropical from La Papalota took part in a community and school event to celebrate the independence of El Salvador from Spain, which is a national celebration in all government institutions. Another significant occasion was the anniversary of the Santa Monica community, situated outside of El Bajo Lempa. The involvement of one of the Music for Hope groups in this community implies that the project is well-known beyond El Bajo Lempa.
Ingrid: Psychologist for the Music for Hope project
The support provided by our psychologist, Ingrid, to the Music for Hope students and teachers, is of immense importance. Ingrid’s workshops have been instrumental in helping students and teachers cope with the trauma caused by social issues prevalent in El Salvador, especially for vulnerable children from rural communities. Ingrid has been working very closely with the teachers and schools to identify specific cases among music students. Moreover, she has been helping the teachers to organize community events and engage with the community. Psychological support has become an integral part of Music for Hope in the communities, as it enhances the well-being of our teachers and students.
Christmas Concert
As per tradition, Music for Hope is hosting an annual Christmas Concert in one of the communities of El Bajo Lempa. This year, the Salvadorean team has chosen La Papalota for the event. Music for Hope established La Papalota Music Centre in 2013, and the response from the community and their leader has been extremely positive. Whenever the community organizes an event, they always invite the music groups, and the whole community has always been supportive of Wilfredo and the music groups. The music groups came together on December 10th at 2pm (El Salvador) to play their best songs. The teachers managed to live stream the event on Facebook Live. Here is the link for the for the Music for Hope Christmas Concert 2023. See link below.
UK and Beyond
In the UK, the Music for Hope team continues meeting on a bi-monthly basis. Our trustees and volunteers are always looking for ways to best support our team in El Salvador. We are planning to have our Annual General Meeting in Liverpool on January 2024 as always; this is a good opportunity to strengthen our ties of friendship and solidarity. At the same time, we will connect by Zoom with our friends from Catalunya and our team in El Salvador.
MFH Workshop year 5 at St Alfege with St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Greenwich London
Music for Hope has been working on developing materials for primary school workshops in the UK as part of its efforts to raise awareness and support. These workshops are primarily aimed at pupils in year 5 or 6 and aim to showcase Music for Hope’s community work in El Salvador. The goal is to highlight the inspiring music and song lyrics produced by children in often very challenging circumstances. In October 2023, Andrew Redden (Chair of Music for Hope), Emily McIndoe (Music for Hope trustee), Pablo Bradbury (Volunteer), and Tony Luna (Music for Hope coordinator) delivered a workshop to year 5, pupils at St Alfege with St Peter’s Primary School in Greenwich, London. The location was perfect for the workshop as it is near Jane Gifford’s ‘Changing the Picture’ mural, which is the most significant mural on El Salvador in the UK. The mural was painted as a result of UK-El Salvador solidarity in the 1980s – the same solidarity that gave rise to the origins of Music for Hope. During the workshop, short videos were shown that introduced the basic history of El Salvador, Salvadoran children performing, reading, and talking about some of the song lyrics. The mural outside the school was also discussed before the children turned their attention to designing their own murals. To round off the workshop, a game called ‘Lion and Shark’ was played – a game that Salvadoran children often play in their music centres. Another workshop was delivered in the evening to adult members of the community and we were honoured that Jane Gifford was also able to attend. The evening workshop was a warm exchange about the mural, the Bajo Lempa communities and Music for Hope. We received good feedback from teachers, students, and attendees for both workshops and there was also interest from the school in creating a long-term relationship with Music for Hope. We look forward to building on that work in the New Year.
Music for Hope Christmas Gift Guide
Are you still looking for Christmas gift ideas? We have a range of gift ideas available on our online shop! These are all wonderfully unique gifts, and all the proceeds go towards supporting our work with young people in the Bajo Lempa. Ranging from £5 to £50, we have the perfect solution for the person that’s impossible to buy for! See link below.
https://musicforhope.org.uk/shop/
Your Support
As the cost of living continues to rise and financial pressures increase, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to secure funds to continue our work in El Salvador. We would like to request our regular donors and anyone who believes in what we do to help spread the word and invite more people to support our project. If anyone wants to know more about Music for Hope, they can refer to our social media platforms and website, where they can find more information, posts, and content from the Salvadoran team:
- Facebook page: where are team from El Salvador is regularly posting photos and videos from the music centres in El Bajo Lempa
- Music for Hope website https://musicforhope.org.uk
- We are also now on Instagram and X (Twitter)
Thank you for your continued support for Music for Hope as it is crucial to our survival. If you want to be part of this effort, you can get in touch with us on musicforhope@gmail.com to find out more.
