Ansouby’s eyebrows knit together as he looks down at his fingers, strumming across the strings of the guitar. To anyone watching, it might look like he is deeply concentrating, but his stature has become a release for him.
A year ago, seven children from Harvest Care Children’s Home began taking music lessons from a local musician. The children are learning how to play guitar, violin, and keyboard.
“It’s become a really great motivator for the children” explains Jeff Hickman, Back2Back Haiti Director. “They know in order to participate in playing music, their homework and housework needs to be completed.”
While most of the children are simply excited to be learning something new, Ansouby finds peace when he holds his guitar.
“When he’s feeling anxious or nervous, he will use the guitar and the skills he is learning to help self-soothe.”
As the children improve their skills and are learning how to better play with each other, they can be found singing a song, or two, at the local church with the worship band.
With the combination of child sponsorship funds and a generous partner helping to afford the music lessons, the children are learning much more than simply how to strum an instrument. Ansouby and his friends are learning the value of playing together and finding comfort in making music.