MPM in Rwanda

Dear All.
I am writing a short letter now to tell you that I have been asked by Music as Therapy International http://www.musicastherapy.org/ to go to Kamembe, south west Rwanda, to help them as they try to find a way of offering music therapy services to people in that area.  They have already been working in Rwanda for some time (see their website above for more precise details) but are now thinking about changing the way they work there.
Vince is accompanying me and I am going en famille with my two boys and live-in nanny (Gareth, my wonderful husband!) since Jonah is still too young to be without mum at the moment.
I will write more when I get back about how it went.

In the meantime, I will write that unfortunately MPM has still not managed to find a musician to fulfil the requirements of the music therapist post in Gulu so Vince has been holding the fort with art and other creative ways of working with children such as dance and role-play.  There was one applicant for the job but she was not a musician.  Although Betty was also not a musician, MPM has moved on since 2008 and now Vince and I decided that the role of music counsellor should go to a talented musician.  If we go beyond a year without filling the role we may look at this specification again since a lot of the work that happens with MPM is creative work that includes music rather than solely music in itself.  But in the meantime we are still being picky!

Vince has been working in the same places as before (see previous newsletter) and after I spend three days with him in Rwanda I will chat with him and find out the details in order to write a newsletter on our return.

I look forward to filling you in on lots of exciting news when I get back!

Bethan

For people who pray please pray firstly for Vince to be able to travel across the border with not hassle as he doesn't have a passport but instead has other forms of ID and although he believes he will be able to travel there are always people who will try to make life difficult.  Also please pray urgently for a musician to join MPM in Gulu as not only is it lonely for Vince to work alone but Music for Peaceful Minds cannot be so without music!