The many ways Rosemary Nalden's Buskaid helps Soweto's youth
Passion and a unique teaching methodology have had wide-ranging effects for children and their families, writes Struan Douglas
UK viola player Rosemary Nalden heard a 1997 BBC radio broadcast of a violin collective in Diepkloof, Soweto. The sound was so unique she visited the project and discovered the musicians practising in toilets. A member of the English Baroque Soloists, Nalden mobilised her colleagues to raise funds by busking at London train stations. A site was identified next to a church in Diepkloof, a music school built and Buskaid was born. "It has been a roller-coaster ride in the right direction. We have gone from being nothing to becoming a world-famous organisation," Nalden says. "We’ve had parents going back to school as they have been inspired by the progress of their children. We have been also told by school heads that Buskaid kids stand out from the rest." The organisation has taught music to thousands of Soweto children, affecting the entire community. Its success is built around Nalden’s unique teaching methodologies which embrace body movement and the natural aspect of circular movem...
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