Dowrin is an English and Social Studies teacher at Kajaho Primary School in Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Uganda. She’s a musical person. When you walk around the school grounds, you always hear the most singing and clapping coming from the direction of Dowrin’s classroom.
But Dowrin wanted to take music at Kajaho to the next level, because she knows firsthand the amazing benefits music has helping her students build friendships and unlock their potential. So, on June 20, Dowrin and her fellow teachers ran in the World Refugee Day 5k in nearby Nakivale refugee settlement to raise money for musical instruments at Kajaho.
“This is just what we needed,” said Dowrin as we handed over a new xylophone, a set of traditional drums and an electronic keyboard complete with a solar battery. “These new instruments will help us get our students involved with music, and it will sharpen their minds.”
Dowrin is also a strong believer in music bringing people together. And that’s important at Kajaho PS which hosts Ugandan students alongside refugee students from Congo, Burundi and elsewhere. Music can bring these different students together.
The school already had a drum or two, but the electronic keyboard is a first. Dowrin and her fellow teachers are looking forward to making it a part of their daily lessons.
A special thanks to all those who gave generously and made Dowrin’s dream for her students a reality, including: Sonia Ungerman, Missy Rae, Abigail Winston, Paul Neuhaus, Ellen Rubenstein Chelmis, and Ruth Tambornino.
