In 2020, Audace Musoni, one of our most pioneering partners in Rwanda, approached us with a bold and confident project proposal. The plan was to provide Locally-Led Training to caregivers and practitioners from care settings around the country in a series of three workshops. The overall goal of the training was to both introduce interactive music-making and help challenge attitudes towards people with disabilities.

The first of these was delivered in November 2020, with Audace joined by fellow trainers and Partners of ours, Fidele Nshimiye and Alphonsine Musabyemariya. Over the three-day workshop, they introduced the principles of music therapy through presentations, discussion and activities for attendees to take part in such as singing and clapping in songs.

Many of the participants had never tried proactively using music in a therapeutic way with the vulnerable children and adults they work with. Despite what could have been challenging, the workshop was well-received by all, with many expressing a desire for further training whenever possible.

The participants loved it… the trainees wanted the training not to end… The participants wished there would be more training for those who came to this training to further reinforce what they had learned.

Audace Musoni

The 2020 workshop was not only the first of the series, but the first time Audace had taken the lead on the planning, budgeting and coordination of a project, from inception to delivery. 

By supporting our Partners to take ownership of their own training programme, we not only increased the number of care settings introduced to music at a time when we would have been unable to do it ourselves, but also strengthened local capacity to deliver training and leadership in the future.

Financial assistance has been a great help to us in attending the training without any hurdles.”

Fidele Nshimiye

The project saw 22 caregivers from 11 care settings introduced to interactive music-making. As part of the training package, each care setting was also provided with a starter kit of musical instruments, enabling them to begin putting their learning into practice immediately. In total, Audace’s bold vision created opportunities for more than 700 children and young adults to access music as part of their care.