Music really has an intense and immediate impact on children, especially those who are suffering. I get to see this each week that I am at the Rehabilitation Clinic for Children in Kolkata. This very special hospital for poor children from West Bengal and Bihar provides comprehensive surgery, prothetics and physical therapy for over 500 children each year, free of cost. Some of the children stay for over 2 years here as they undergo slow and painful corrective surgery. But what is most remarkable, is that every child walks out of the hospital after their stay on their own.
I have been coming here now for 3 weeks, and yesterday was my 5th session with the kids. The connection to them is amazing, each time I come to the hospital with my tabla, the kids get very excited. While there, i accompany them on tabla and also lead body rhythm workshops. The kids sit on the floor, many of them in casts, and we clap, we whisper, we shout, we laugh and we recite tabla bols. Sometimes, i treat them to a picture show using a projector. The instruments used by the children have been donated by Project Ahimsa. Krishnadidi, the music teacher/therapist who has been coming to RCFC each week for the past 6 years, is also provided a salary through a grant from Project Ahimsa.
About me
Project Ahimsa is a global effort to empower youth through music. The organization was founded in 2001 in response to the violent attacks on Sikhs and South Asians after 9/11. The organization operates under the auspices of the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding, a registered 501c3 non-profit based in Tampa, FL. Project Ahimsa’s mission is to empower youth though developing and supporting community based music education.
