OmniPeace Foundation, an international Non-Governmental Organisation, has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education to organise training for music teachers to be placed in primary schools, with the goal of ensuring that every child attains music education in addition to their basic education.
According to Mary Fanaro, Founder of OmniPeace Foundation, the partnership will launch Rwanda’s first music education platform in April 2023, and the training and curriculum will be created and taught by Richard Carrick, Head Chair of Music Composition at Berklee College of Music.
She disclosed that Carrick lived in Rwanda between 2015 and 2016 and was asked to create a new arrangement of the Rwandan National Anthem for the Military Band. He was then asked to record it with a professional ensemble in the US and made a recording with the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Wind Orchestra in 2018.
In 2016, Fanaro created a musical oasis for the children of Rwanda called the Rwanda Rocks Music School which offers free music education to underprivileged children, giving them the ability to not only develop life skills that take them far beyond their musical journey but also create future leaders and critical thinkers who will one day represent Rwanda.
"I have seen children completely change the way they think, the way they act, and the dreams that they had because music gives them great consciousness to think that they can change the world,” said Fanaro. "It gives them beautiful hope and inspiration,” she added.
Fanaro said her dream is finally becoming a reality with the new partnership with MINEDUC. She not only hopes to enlist more support from Rwanda to include the program in secondary schools but also to build her 10th school and first Rwanda Rocks (brick-and-mortar) Music School.
"This school will be fully equipped with top of-the-line instruments, dozens of classrooms, production studios, an outdoor auditorium for concerts under the stars and beautiful gardens to inspire the students," she explained, adding that there are hundreds of students who want to apply to her school now but the current location won’t fit one more.
However, Fanaro says the children of Rwanda have spoken and want music, hence she is determined to provide but needs support.
According to Nelson Mbarushimana, Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), among other things, OmniPeace Foundation will help them to prepare and provide music training for primary school teachers; to participate in the design, development and review of the music curriculum and its related teaching and learning materials; to establish and manage the Rwanda Rocks Music in Rwandan schools as an extracurricular activity; to supplement the music lessons taught as a subject and to establish a mentorship program for music school teachers to empower them to become professional musicians.
"I think that our teachers will benefit a lot through this partnership, and we shall continue to support teachers through all means including training as one of the strategies, and definitely it will also have a positive impact on our children (students)," he said.
To participate in this groundbreaking venture for the children of Rwanda, one can visit omnipeacefoundation.org to make a donation.