Music and Songs from Dheisheh Camp to the World

Thanks so much for your donations to this project to enable children in Dheisheh Refugee Camp to learn new skills and to raise their voices. We are still fundraising to do more but have begun some amazing activities with children. 

Girls hip-hop group: After taking a day-long workshop in our partner organization, Shoruq, on hip-hop, a group of girls came to the center the next day and asked for support to start their own group. The girls are writing and performing songs about their lives and their hopes for the future. They've begun recording some of their songs and are working now on writing 7 songs in order to produce a full CD.

Sophie (picture in this report) raps:

My name is sophie, I'm a palestinian and that's my trophy
I have my own rights, I'm living in the dark
it's time to turn on the lights

(It's my right to learn in freedom)
(to go to school not to prison)
  (to play, to live, it's my right to express as a small child)
(Palestine, occupation, thousands of martyrs)
  (Innocent, persecuted. It's enough)

Palestine, occupation,
prisons, walls for segregation,
decisions for standing up, won't give up
until liberation

There is also a group of children age 8-12 that have joined Shoruq's summer camp and signed up for music classes during the school year. We are looking for funds to buy instruments for these children and to work on the original project idea of creating a chorus accompanied by child musicians. 

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get this exciting project started yet. We have to raise the majority of the funds before we can begin so that we can purchase instruments for the children to use.

Our center in Dheisheh is ready to start as soon as funds are raised and have already identified the music teacher who will lead workshops. He's an accomplished musician himself and excited to help children in the refugee camp express themselves. 

We are still looking for support from individuals who believe in this project and in the power of children to create something beautiful and important.