Volunteer Reflections: Maya

I had the amazing opportunity to work with the Daraja Music Initiative in Moshi, Tanzania during the summer of 2023. I taught clarinet and general music to several students at Majengo Primary School. I also had the opportunity to teach many local school children about conservation and how the nature around us is important for every aspect of our world, including music. I learned more about teaching than I ever have since I could not rely on a common language, something that I had taken for granted before this experience. The children were amazing and they learned so much in such a short amount of time. I saw the children learn to love music and I am confident that music will always have a place in their lives. I am so proud of them, and I miss them every day. My favorite memories were watching the students perform for each other and their parents at a local cafe every Tuesday. I am already eager to visit Moshi again, so I must say that this experience impacted my life in the most wonderful way possible.
​
Maya
​Summer 2023 DMI volunteer
Vanderbilt University clarinet student