Using music as a therapeutic tool, this project will bring emotional healing for children who have seen a lot of violence and trauma. Akhu (a grassroot musician) and his team will be providing music lessons to children of 2 orphanages in Imphal that shelter orphans of conflict. The project will help them channel their inner feelings and provide a creative outlet to release the trauma through music, and will release a music album containing songs written, composed and performed by these kids.
Over the past decades, Manipur has seen a substantial rise in number of orphans due to various conflicts. These children are left with nothing, no family, no hope, no future and often have no access to any kind of counselling to overcome their trauma. They grow up amid violence and negativity which in turn results in a destructive adulthood and in a generation lost to violence. Orphanages provide their basic needs but don't have the resources to provide emotional support.
Music, being the universal language of love, will bring these kids together on a common platform. These kids belong to different castes, tribes and religion, but are bound by a common thread of having lost everything to conflict. Along with enhancing their creativity, this project will provide a channel for the kids to deal with their loss and will promote unity and communal harmony among the kids. Sharing the songs that they compose will take this message of unity to the larger community.
The project will be a launch pad towards introducing music as a counselling method for children who have been affected by violence in Manipur. The orphans involved will be engaged in peace building exercises that will enable them to understand the cycle of violence, and equip them with tools to break this cycle. Since we are training the next generation of leaders of Manipur, this will also be a stepping stone towards building a network of peace builders for the future.
