I’ve been a fan of #SafaricomJazz ever since it started. Not so much in the beginning but with time and continued introduction of jazz artist after jazz artist, the genre has since grown on me and I’ve learnt to appreciate not just the different acts that have come around, but jazz in general.
The beauty of the music aside, there is the beauty of where the proceeds of Safaricom jazz go to – Ghetto Classics. Ghetto classics is a community program in Korogocho slums that works to nurture youngsters through music. This they do by instilling in them the life skills that go hand in hand with the discipline of studying the art of music. This very noble course gives the children a positive outlook on life and boosts their self-confidence and determination to succeed in life despite their backgrounds. Furthermore, the program also provides them with income generating opportunities. So far, 600 children have benefited from the program, with 300 currently taking music lessons.
Today Safaricom which has supported Ghetto Classics since 2014 handed a cheque of Kshs 7.1M to support their ongoing programs. In previous years, Safaricom has given cheques amounting to Kshs 19M to Ghetto Classics. The cheque today was received by Co-founder Elizabeth Njoroge. She says that Ghetto Classics started with just 10 kids in 2009, and has grown in leaps and bounds with the help of different sponsors.
As Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore put it, “while it is important to talk about these figures, of greater importance is the impact that this program is having on the members of Ghetto Classics. Through music, these kids are learning new skills, discipline and most importantly, that their future is greater than what they were born into”.
We laud the founders of Ghetto Classics for the good job they’re doing – showing these disadvantaged children that their future is greater than what they were born into.