(Click images) Rob van Diggelen is a friend of Merlijn Twaalfhoven and he asked Omar Al-Qattan, the founder of the Qattan Centre for the Child, a few questions:
“Can you tell us about the current state of affairs of the school? Is there a plan for a restart? Is there already help from outside?”
The Foundation took immediate action as soon as the fighting died down to find an alternative location for the school. This was soon achieved and we have now signed a new lease for a new place and are trying our best, with the available building materials in Gaza, to build partitions and prepare the space for the students. We hope to be finished and up and running as before by the end of March.
“How much money does the school need? Are musical instruments also welcome, and what about sheetmusic and other school-equipment?”The School does not need money since we have had enormous help already which more than covered the costs of destruction and rebuilding, although good quality classical instruments are still most welcome, as is sheet music of all levels. Remember, we currently only have a nucleus of a school and want to grow the numbers of students and the range of instruments they can learn.
MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, we have a severe lack of teachers so, should it become more possible for people to move in and out of the Gaza Strip, the biggest contribution that a musician can make at this stage is to go to Gaza for a period of time to teach and also to perform. The appeal should really be focussed on that, on breaking the siege and allowing the children opportunities they cannot otherwise have, especially as there is a terrible lack of good music teachers in Gaza. Why not also consider the possibility in the future of inviting one or two students to attend a music summer school and the really exceptional to attend music school in Holland?
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten