Music Bus, India
The Music Bus stops in 6 different communities to deliver a daily dose of music and learning to marginalized and working children, particularly female children.
The Music Bus stops in 6 different communities to deliver a daily dose of music and learning to marginalized and working children, particularly female children.
Music Bus Mission and Effect:
In 2012 the Hooker Family Foundation USA (previously as Foundation For Kids) contributed to the purchase, fit-out and set up of the Music Bus which began operations in 2013.
The Music Bus aims to:
- Educate children through music and foster musical talents and skills.
- Educate 200-240 street and working children to help them become knowledgeable, responsible and useful citizens.
- Enable children who don’t attend school to gain a minimum level of knowledge and skills.
- Mainstream the enrolled/coached children in formal schools through Open Basic examination.
- Contribute towards educational, gender, community, social and economic empowerment.
Our Approach
Music is recognised internationally as a powerful tool for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Music lifts the spirit. It can inspire, give hope and make people feel good. Children reap the benefits of improved concentration and performance, awakened creativity, increased self-esteem and an overall sense of accomplishment with the integration of music in their lives.
Project Aims
- A mobile classroom/education on wheels, that delivers numeracy and literacy education in a more effective way for children who are disengaged with school or irregularly attend school.
- Fully decked out with books, musical instruments, recording equipment, educational curriculum, games and a full-time music tutor.
- Engages children through music and exposes them to preliminary education – acting as a bridge between the streets and school.
Working in Partnership
Music Bus project was delivered by the Mewsic Foundation in partnership with Deepalaya, who originally launched the ‘Education on Wheels’ programme in 2006.
During 2008-12, Deepalaya reached out to about 12,000 vulnerable children, from 3,000 families, in 4 areas in North and North West Delhi.
Case Study: Akash
Akash is the youngest child of his family. His father is a daily wage labourer and the only bread earner of the family. The family resides in the slum area of J.J colony, in a dwelling with just one room with a kitchen. Akash has two older brothers and one sister. The older brothers began their schooling in the Municipal government schools but could not continue further.
Due to lack of money in the family, Akash attends a Municipal Government School rather than a private school. However, the Government Schools are not very effective learning environments and Akash, studying in 3rd standard, could not read and write the alphabets both in Hindi and English. Akash also doesn’t have the basic academic foundations such counting, numeracy, basic mathematics.
The home environment is also not at all conducive for the proper upbringing and academic development of a child. There is no facility for studying in the room. The House is crowded and noisy with insufficient light. Most of the time with his brothers, he has to help their father to earn money for their family.
In spite of poverty and struggles in the family Akash is a boy who is yearning to learn. He wants to study and become a Police officer. Though he may not have good schools to learn he was enrolled in the Deepalaya Music Bus programme centre in Bhalaswa Dairy.
Without any academic knowledge Akash began his class and soon he learnt to sing ABCs, 123s and other academic learning. It is here that he began to talk with friends and became more open to the teacher who teaches very creatively. The Music programme provides Akash with the proper environment to learn the basics of education. The music Teacher and other teachers help children to learn various activities in a free and conducive set up.
Poems, Rhymes and singing have become part of Akash. He became more confident in reading, writing and speaking. He could be a disciplined, responsible and skillful person if opportunity is given to him. The Music programme is gradually but constantly molding him and changing his personality. The EOW Music Bus is a great benefit to the slum area in Bhalaswa colony especially to Akash.