Local students raising money for music program in Nicaragua
Posted October 12, 2012 9:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WEST VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Giving the gift of guitars! Two Grade 12 students from West Vancouver have been inspired by music and its effect on the lives of people they were helping in a struggling community in Nicaragua.
Jenny Diemer and Kelly Oswald went on a school volunteer trip to the town of Balgue earlier this year; they brought a guitar and were quickly amazed by the response of people around them.
“We’ll never forget the night we sat outside with our home-stay family and classmates, singing and playing guitar, and watching in amazement as other locals began to gather around,” says Diemer.
“Not only did people want to listen, but they were also eager to learn. Even though they couldn’t understand what we were singing, it created a connection between us and showed us just how universal music is,” adds Oswald.
“We got thinking ‘what can we do for these people?’ Well, we could bring them down guitars,” they tell News1130. The two are also planning to fund a music education program for the town.
“We just last week launched a fundraiser called Guitars for Balgue. Our goal was to raise $2,000 by November 10th… We have raised 115 per cent of our funds already,” says Diemer. The money will buy six guitars for the community and fund a music teacher for one year.
Their drive on charity website Indiegogo has caught the attention of the music industry and others as it spreads on Facebook and Twitter. Donations continue to come in from people like the CEO of Aeroplan, a senior executive at Madison Square Gardens in New York and the Michael Rapino, CEO/President of Live Nation.
Diemer and Oswald are surprised and grateful, saying this will improve lives in Balgue. “People were really excited to have just one guitar there. To have six or even more of their own would be great for them.”
