By Chris Courtney

on Dec 6, 2009

Delivering Love, Music and Yoga To Africa

“The huge spiritual world that music produces in itself, ends up overcoming material poverty. From the minute a child’s taught how to play an instrument, he’s no longer poor. He becomes a child in progress, heading for a professional level, who’ll later become a citizen.” –Dr. Jose Abreau

Right now we’re all surrounded by messages telling us that we’re in the giving season but that reminder is too often followed up by a suggestion to buy someone a gadget, clothes, or some other item they don’t really need. Instead, wouldn’t we rather give in a way which can make a difference in someone’s life? How about many lives? What if you could help prevent malaria and help teach art and music to children in West Africa?

Two people who are already giving their own time and money to such an effort are Tama Wali and her husband Paul Chandler, founders of Instruments4Africa.

Instruments4Africa is a non-profit organization for the development of underprivileged youth and the preservation of music and the arts in Africa. Its goal is to facilitate creative cooperation between Africa and the world. From its center of operations in Bamako, Mali, they sponsor underprivileged youth to receive a quality education and mentoring in the arts. By focusing on the child, the family, the community, the culture and education, Instruments4Africa strives to create opportunities for youth to step out of the cycle of poverty and reach their highest potential.

Paul is an artist, educator and producer who has been living and teaching in Mali since 2003. He has produced events and organized projects in Mali for National Geographic, NY Times, Carnegie Hall and Bono’s non-profit organization DATA – to name a few. Tama Wali is currently studying child development and creating a health and wellness program for youth in schools. She is a certified yoga teacher & bodyworker with a background in volunteer management.

To begin their program, Tama and Paul targeted the community of Sabalybougou, one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Bamako, where they have been working since 2003. The community center there already supports Troupe Don, a traditional dance and theatre company directed by award winning choreographer Karim Togola. The aspiration is for this group of children to eventually become the center’s global ambassadors, taking the important messages from their communities out into the world, and at the same time bringing knowledge and experience back to their community.

Instruments4africa partners with Malian artists such as Ramata Diakite, to get the word out to help prevent malaria and AIDS. Ramata Diakite is one of Mali’s most loved artists and was recognized as the top-selling artist of 2007. Ramata and other artists will be touring all regions of Mali, drawing in people from cities and villages, to deliver preventative messages regarding malaria and AIDS.

The group is also seeking funding to start a community health workers program focusing on distributing mosquito nets and malaria prevention. The adult women of the Togola Community Center will be trained as community health workers in the areas of malaria prevention and basic sanitation. They will commit to go from house to house to deliver mosquito nets and educate the community, then train 5 of their peers to assist. The youth performance group will also be trained as community health ambassadors in malaria prevention. They in turn will educate 5 of their peers and keep the effort growing in the same way.

Instruments4Africa hopes to start bringing groups to Mali in 2010 or 2011 to teach yoga, play music, dance and volunteer with the kids at the center and out in the villages.

According to Tama, her experiences being with the children out in the villages:

“shifted my consciousness and allowed me to see beyond my obstacles. Absolute freedom…the pure presence of these children gives me energy to keep going and trust that it is all going to work out.”

Times are tough but since it only takes $35 a month to provide a quality education and supplies for each child, any donation can make a difference. How about it?

For further information or to make donations, you can contact Instruments4Africa at:

info@instruments4africa.org

Mali telephone: (223) 2023.6035

Instruments4Africa, 501c-3, is a small grassroots organization which keeps its administration costs low to maximize assistance to those in need. All donations are tax-deductible.

Albuquerque and Tahoe-based yoga teacher and sometime film consultant when not trying to write songs on his guitar. Former expat journalist, warrior and diplomat who is forever adjusting to life back in the land of the round doorknob. Find him online on Twitter @CK_Courtney or check out his website at: http://www.chriscourtneyyoga.com