Impact Stories
Selam’s founder and Executive Director Teshome Wondimu and Selam’s journey for more than twenty years highlighted in Arts Weg, Arts TV World.
Inner Vision:
Music education for the visually impaired and the blind in Addis Abeba
Losing your vision should never have to mean losing your independence or holding you back from doing the things you love to do. There are very few opportunities for blind and visually impaired people in Ethiopia to develop their talent in ways that can lead to specific jobs. Today the blind and visually impaired students are not admitted to higher education for musicians in Ethiopia, as schools do not feel adequately equipped to accommodate students with special needs.
The Inner Vision project was carried out by Selam between and partners in a bid to raise the level of participation of the blind in Ethiopia’s music industry. The ethos of Inner Vision was simple: we believe that with proper encouragement, guidance, and resources, every person has the ability to develop his or her full potential and to flourish. The project removed barriers to music education for the visually impaired and the blind, and raised the level of understanding and willingness in society to carry out the necessary investments to allow visually impaired and blind youth to pursue a career in music.
‘I have a dream’ – A Theatrical Circus Tour to Promote Equal Opportunities for Girls
In 2019 Selam Ethiopia and Circus Debre Berhan (CBD) launched an educational circus tour entitled: ‘I have a Dream’ which started in the city of Debre Markos on the 4th & 5th. The purpose of the tour is to raise awareness and promote equal opportunities for girls in various socio-economic activities within local communities.
‘I have a Dream’, has been developed based on the theater for development approach which is an effective tool to deliver educational messages through an entertaining and engaging circus shows. The circus production is a result of an extensive assessment in various towns and cities in Amhara which findings identified prevailing socio-cultural challenges facing young girls and women. I have a dream is an interesting story of a young girl’s quest to follow her dream of becoming a musician against the fierce objections from her parents. The show invites the audience for dialogue to find a compromise between the strong traditional convictions of the parents and the tantalizing dreams of the young girl.
”I have a dream” is part of the program “Culture Leads the Way” . The overall objective of CLtW project is to strengthen the role and participation of young women and men artists in social and development issues through culture expression.
