The Etownian >> Features
Refurbished instruments distributed in South Africa
Thursday September 11 2008
Assistant professor of music and director of music education Karendra Devroop is organizing a donation drive for musical instruments to benefitimpoverished students in South Africa for the second year. Like last year, Devroop plans to travel to distribute the refurbished instruments to rural students outside of the town of Pietermaritzburg, in the province of Kwazula-Natal.
Although approximately 50 instruments were collected, refurbished and donated to an impoverished secondary school, the selected school was only one 19 schools that applied, meaning hundreds of students at the other 18 schools had to be denied musical instruments.
This year, Dr. Devroop hopes to collect even more instruments in able to expand the program to other schools. Meanwhile, he seeks to reinforce his original endeavor by providing much-needed accessories such as stands for sheet music, instrument cases, maintenance tools and all of the other necessities of a large band.
The project relies almost exclusively on the donation of used instruments, though private companies have helped to absorb refurbishment and shipping costs. Additionally, most travel expenses were covered by a Collaborative Interdisciplinary Scholarship Program (CISP) grant through the college. Devroop is still uncertain as to how said expenses will be covered this year. The instrument drive, however, will proceed as planned on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Black Gryphon Restaurant located at 54 Mount Gretna Rd.There will also be live jazz performances by Elizabethtown professors and faculty.
Although any instrument donation is appreciated, wind instruments are especially needed. Anyone who donates an instrument will receive a gift certificate courtesy of the Black Gryphon.
Last year’s donation gained national attention in South Africa. In a school that had never had a music program, the newly hired music teacher was able to establish a complete student band. Devroop, Dr. Michael Roy of the sociology department and two Etown students were greeted by representatives from the South African Department of Education, along with other school officials and politicians. According to Dr. Devroop, 30 percent of the school’s students have lost one or both parents to AIDS, while 40 percent either have a parent infected with the disease or are HIV/AIDS positive themselves. Most students have to walk an hour or more both to and from school each day and must endure crime, disease and hunger. Despite these difficulties, the musical department at the school has thrived, and, will, with additional donations this year, continue to do so.
Devroop, meanwhile, hopes that his program becomes even more widespread in the coming years. Eventually, he would like to look into having it corporately sponsored, but realizes that a sponsorship is many years down the road.
“We need to be successful for several years in a row before getting sponsored,” he said, “but hopefully we will continue to grow.”
The Etownian >> Features