Cali is a city in the Andes in southwestern Colombia. Officially, it has three million inhabitants, making it one of the three largest cities of the country. However, large parts are not officially registered, so that there is the true population in the dark.
As the country is marked by great differences Cali and that these are incredibly close. The falls on the buildings on which construction structure of the various parts of the city, the transport, infrastructure facilities, hygienic conditions and the density and type of people on the street.
Besides, it is a very green city, surrounded by beautiful forested mountains, with pleasant summer-tropical climate and level of such fascinating nature. particularly in the period between Halloween and 6 January, however, is also a very noisy city. This is the "Diablos" to owe, disguised as a devil children run noisily and drumming through the streets and the people abteufeln money. A custom, from the Siloé district is marked by violence.
In this city I am living since 15 September 2010 together with 17 other German Weltwärts volunteers in a part of a monastery which has rent the Fundacion for us and their offices. We all work in different social institutions for children in and around Cali. Mostly there are schools and orphanages, or theme parks for street children. Our activities are according to our abilities and the type of institution very different. Almost all teach English. Added to come often German, sport, art or music. Some want the care and playing with the children in the foreground, others meet proper teaching functions.
I work in the Fundacion Arboledas "Fundarboledas", an association that was founded in 2003 by wealthy Colombians to offer with the help of music children from socially deprived and violent environment, a way to change their environment positively. The children receive instruction in violin, viola, cello or double bass and music theory. The advanced play in the orchestra's own fundacion "Mensajeros de esperanza" (Messengers of Hope), the children and young people of all social classes together musically.
My job was originally is to teach the children in English and music theory. My schedule provides for twelve groups of one hour per week English and an hour of music theory. I also play with the orchestra and accompany some groups in violin lessons. For various reasons, this schedule worked only six weeks. Then, each day was a surprise:
The school began and so I had to modify the schedule - and every day as more new factors emerged, with the existing plan were not compatible. In the two-week cycles, there were public holidays, which brought the everyday life of the routine. When it rained fell from the lesson mutated or individual lessons, as the children came to school. There were at concerts, the children they carry are not prepared independently and had to. So I came quickly to hand the task to give them every morning violin lessons. One day I went to school and found myself in the task again, to conduct the orchestra, as the violin teacher had not come. In addition, extraordinary orchestra rehearsals were set that failed the children participating in my classes.
So I've now given up trying to plan lessons. Currently, I am going to school and adjust my activities of the current situation. That is, I give either individual students, English or music lessons admit, violin lessons, playing himself, prepare lessons, accompany the instrumental hours or help the teachers in the classroom, to be held in the same building.
But that was not always so. At first, my week, Monday through planned at 8.00 clock to Thursday at 17.00 clock. Added to rehearsals here on weekends. Every hour I had a new group, 6:00 to 18:00 in front of me and teach students they should - and that, without a single background information on age and previous experience of the children. Since I was not prepared for such a task, were the first hours of pure improvisation exercise. But the closer I got to know the children, the better I was able to prepare specific hours and adjust the material covered in each group.
despair Sometimes I wish when I had to find that children in five not years teaching English could write the words "thank you" or "good bye" and not the ninth graders slowly pronounced sentence "Do you understand me, when I speak English?" understood, although they theoretically knew all the words. For that I jumped in the air inside, when one day one of the children proudly asked a new student: "What is your name? "and then told her that they had learned with me. After they were able to memorize a sentence beginning five minutes, I had so little expected of the hour weeks any more. My teaching seems to bear fruit, even if demanding to me many hours of work and patience. Hurrah!
And here I am learning a lot. Since I live in a German community, but unfortunately my English does not as rapid progress as I would like it to me, but the contact with the other volunteers but also has advantages. For example, we had support in the first weeks of the opportunity to visit each other in the project. We were able to very broad Impression of the country to win, which was very interesting. Here were particularly evident for the extreme differences. During the remainder of our stay the experience meant a great addition. For of course there are the impressions and experiences from which to learn.
offered to me the first three months in Colombia most beautiful experiences. By the luck of being able to play in the orchestra, I could devote myself with unprecedented intensity of the music and experience while their enormous social impact opportunities.
I just came right in order to shape the attend Halloween festivities. This festival has this status, we Fasching / Karneval has. On this occasion, I have trained with some members of Fundacion a skit with music. The musical numbers were of course played by the children. The show was once listed in a children's garden in front of 120 children from socially disadvantaged families and even internally within the Fundacion Arboledas. It was very cute all the imaginatively costumed children to see and experience their enthusiasm.
I just came right in order to shape the attend Halloween festivities. This festival has this status, we Fasching / Karneval has. On this occasion, I have trained with some members of Fundacion a skit with music. The musical numbers were of course played by the children. The show was once listed in a children's garden in front of 120 children from socially disadvantaged families and even internally within the Fundacion Arboledas. It was very cute all the imaginatively costumed children to see and experience their enthusiasm.
parallel was already running an intensive rehearsal period for the orchestral concerts in late November. One was organized by Fundarboledas and was held in the City Theatre, a fascinating, neo-classical building equipped with five gilded galleries, painted ceilings and red carpet. The musical participants - choir and orchestra - were among the 300 young minds. Haydn's Missa Brevis was played in F, Magnificat by Pergolesi and some choral pieces. The mood after the premiere was so happy that the conductor gave away roses to the girls of the orchestra.
A week later I took the most moving concert of my life. It was organized by Batuta, a Colombian Association for the promotion of young music activity. This time, took 500 children and young people part. We formed the largest youth orchestra Colombia. The program was a colorful mixture of modern and classical music for chorus and orchestra. The audience consisted of an estimated audience of 1500, including the Colombian Minister of Culture, the German Consul and other high-ranking persons. Since there is no in Cali concert hall that can accommodate as many people, the concert took place in the airplane hanger in military school - like the three previous practice weekends. In order to prevent guerrillas from the event that will be used for an attack, had to pass all of an airport-like security barrier.
With an understanding of the major barriers between poor and rich and the many violence in the country, it seemed completely unreal to play music in this environment and this composition. For choir and orchestra were composed not only of young people from diverse backgrounds, but were still together with musicians from the military. It was an incredibly weird feeling to play like that. The atmosphere was so full of joy-tense energy and emotions interfered so much about the audience that the air seemed to vibrate to the poor acoustics and no one could think. The concert was his motto, "Asi se va a las Alturas II" swing (So we in the high places) more than lives.
were barely over those events, we began a series of Christmas concerts. They were quite different nature and much quieter than the above projects. Were combined for this orchestra and Vororchester, so that the children came from the Vororchester to enjoy their first public appearance - an important step and beautiful moment.
on all these experiences must be added the many impressions of daily life in this country so different from Germany. Every time I hope to be able to breathe again, immersed a new project. My head is humming and buzzing, but I kept swimming. Sometimes I'm exhausted, but it is a happy exhaustion. I think I have met in Cali these three months of a very special side.
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