Collaborations
An important part of Drumananda’s mission is giving back
OUTREACH and GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
In the Human Suffering index created by the Population Crisis Committee, the world living conditions in the 27 countries with the most extreme human suffering, 20 are found in Africa. In many African countries, people live on less than $1 a day and lack access to clean water, basic nutrition, health care or education.
Drumananda believes in cultivating ways to actively unite and link the human family. In response to this suffering and in gratitude for the joy and beauty of African music and culture we have been given, we seek to build international bridges in the small ways we can. This reciprocity is also an hommage to our African teachers who have worked tirelessly as cultural ambassadors by leaving their homeland to share and preserve this music all over the world.
That is why it is an important part of Drumananda’s mission to invite our students to not only learn cultural appreciation for this music, but to honor the importance of our global connections, share resources and see the possibilities of human transformation when we share together. Drumananda hosts fund-raising projects and tithes a portion of its income to projects helping to ease the suffering and poverty of Mother Africa. These are three of the organizations we have chosen to support:
Shifting Ideas Through Education for African Women, Inc.
SITEAW seeks to change the cultural and socio-economic structures that impede girl's/women’s lives by empowering them through education. Many of the young women are trafficked to other countries to work as slaves and often killed, undergo genital mutilation through tribal rituals or are subject to abuse in other forms. Education is a treasure that cannot be stolen from them and gives them the tools to become visionary leaders that can make the changes necessary to raise the status of women. It is also important to SITEAW to work with men to make the cultural changes toward more equality. To date, SITEAW has empowered 545 girls to find their voice.
Bolokada and Friends Village Project
This project in rural Morowayah, Guinea is currently working to build and supply a medical clinic. In the past this 5013c organization has worked on building water wells, roads, bridges, a school, mills, and has provided money for education scholarships as well as small grants for business start-ups. This small village is the home of Moussa Bolokada Conde, one of the world’s greatest djembefolas, who recently lost two of his own children due to the lack of access to medical care. https://www.bolokadaandfriends.org/donate
Benkadi Project
Benkadi is a project in the Sangbaralla region of Guinea that has built a school, a youth center, water wells, and provided Bio Sand water filters that can provide clean water for a family of 10 for 10 years. Benkadi has also created innovative solar lighting, purchased garden supplies and medical supplies, purchased livestock and distributed bicycles. This is the village of one of the world’s most reknown djembefolas, Famoudou Konate.
If you feel so inspired to make a contribution to any of these projects, know that small amounts will benefit them
greatly as there is little to no overhead, so money goes more directly to the project expenses.
One easy way to donate is to choose one of these organizations as your facebook birthday fundraiser.
Workshops and Retreats by
Master Artists
Drumananda has built an international network of drum contacts. For decades we have been organizing and hosting area opportunities for study with national and international drum artists, helping them to share their culure, knowledge and message with a broader audience and helping you to experience their amazing virtuosity.
Wula Drum
In addition to being one of the few Midwestern vendors to sell Wula Drums, Drumananda has partnered with projects and events with Michael Markus, CEO of Wula Drum, for decades. We love their new endeavor, “The Reforestation Project”, replacing the trees used for drum carving. When you purchase a Wula drum from us, a portion of your dollars go toward helping the forests regrow. Read more about the reforestation: