In Haiti’s capital, it is not unusual to hear loud crashes that many associate with the gangs who have torn this city apart. But today this is not violence, but music.
Hundreds of children across Port-au-Prince are banging on drums, fumbling through piano scales, and strumming guitars.
The nonprofit Music Heals International wants to distract them from the poverty and violence of their daily lives.
The after-school music program is an oasis for children confined indoors as killings and kidnappings surge, with gangs recruiting kids as young as eight.
11-year-old Woodberson Seide could not contain his smile as he struck a sharp new beat on the cymbal of a drum set he would like to call his own.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.