Beneficiaries
- 60 Number of direct beneficiaries
- 6 Staff involved
- 12,500 Number of indirect beneficiaries – Fondation St. Luc students
Objectives
- Allow free access to artistic activities.
- Encourage the expression of their talent.
- Introduce music long-term as a school subject.
- Create occasions to bring international focus onto the situation in Haiti.
Project details
THE PARTNER
The Fondation Saint Luc is a Haitian non-profit Catholic organization working in the field of education, health care, and community development, as well as in agricultural and emergency management and every year around 90,000 people benefit from its projects. Founded by Father Rick Frechette CP, American priest and doctor, and developed and expanded under the leadership of Jean Nebez Agustin, the Foundation is the result of over 26 years of working experience in Haiti.
Special emphasis is placed on working with young Haitians, many of them raised in the orphanages of Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs, sharing with them a vision of the development of Haiti based on hard work, moral integrity, Christian values, and the insights elicited from the young Haitians themselves. The Foundation St. Luc’s projects employ over 1,000 people.
THE PROJECT
Being perfectly aware that art, and music in particular, have the ability to convey concepts such as beauty and self-expression, the Foundation has decided to inaugurate the “Voices of Haiti” project, aiming to allow the most talented students of the Fondation St. Luc schools to express their artistic qualities in the field of singing. The 3-year project involves the artistic direction of Maestro Malcolm Merriweather, 4 schoolteachers as supervisors, and 60 students. Every Saturday, from January 23, 2016, lessons will be held with the following structure:
9.00 am Vocal warmups and vocalization
Music Therapy
Rehearsals
Lunch
Playtime/break
Rehearsals
1.30 pm End of Session
The choir’s performances are held at important times of celebration, from Easter to the end of the school year, both in Haiti and internationally. The repertoire is a mixture of Haitian folk music and international music. The choir wears the Haitian colors of white and red.
ABF ACTIONS
The Andrea Bocelli Foundation supports:
- The salaries of the music teachers and student supervisor.
- A contribution to the artistic director.
- Organizational costs.
- Expenses for educational tools and materials.
- Any national/international travel expenses.
THE CONTEXT
All schools are the equivalent of state schools and are run by duly authorized teachers and qualified personnel. The teaching program is in line with that of state schools and is managed by a central committee which is responsible for implementing and monitoring the program’s implementation in the schools in the various communities. Each school has a local committee, which oversees the progress of the program based on the characteristics and needs of the individual school setting and the level of its students. The central committee is in constant communication with the local committees, which allows it to not only respond to the specific needs related to education, but also to the general conditions in which they operate. All teachers take part in a regular training program that follows the national education program.
