Roses and music for Srebrenica
New MwB singing project for the women of Srebrenica
From 18-25 October 2009, the six women from a
capella ensemble LéLé Mam, will travel to
Bosnia and Herzegovina for the launch of a new project:
“Od Žene do Žene” (From Woman to
Woman). In cooperation with Musicians without Borders
Bosnia & Herzegovina and two Bosnian women’s
organizations, LéLé Mam will join with Bosnian
women choir directors to sing with the women of Srebrenica.
view the pictures
Roses for joy and living
The women from Srebrenica, who lost their husbands and
sons in 1995, are slowly starting to rebuild their lives.
MwB’s project partner, Snaga Žene (Woman Power),
has helped some of them to start small businesses cultivating
flowers: roses, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils now bring
color to the gardens, and income and joy to the women
who grow them.
Power of music
For those who have lost so much, it is not enough only
to meet basic daily needs; they must also deal with their
emotions and their suffering in order to accept the past
and be able to move on in the future. Just like roses,
singing brings back beauty and color in life. MwB’s
Dutch-Bosnian team will invite women to join in informal
singing, and offer small concert performances in three
different locations:
 Tuzla,
where many women who fled the massacre are still living
in refugee settlements;
Potocari,
with women who have returned to their homes;
Srebrenica,
where women from different backgrounds meet again as neighbors.
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Music Bus in Srebrenica
Musicians without Borders has worked in Bosnia & Herzegovina
since 1999. In previous years, MwB teams working in refugee
camps in the Srebrenica region brought joy to the children
and solidarity and compassion to the women. Since 2003,
MwB’s Music Bus has brought music, dancing and theater
to hundreds of children every year.
LéLé Mam’s experience
MwB Bosnia & Herzegovina, which now staffs and manages
the Music Bus, has requested the help of MwB’s international
office in expanding its outreach to include the women.
With years of experience in relating to women through
music, LéLé Mam will lead the project in
its first phase. The intention is to develop regular singing
activities with the women, as we pass the leadership from
LéLé Mam to the Bosnian choir conductors.
Help the women of Srebrenica!
To turn this initiative into a long-term project, financial
contributions are needed.
If you would like to help the women of Srebrenica to sing
again, you may transfer your personal contribution to:
ING 8114842,
Musicians without Borders,
specifying “from woman to woman”.
For donations from outside the Netherlands:
IBAN: NLIINGB0008114842/ BIC: INGBNL2A
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