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Outbreak of hope in ravaged country

30 July 2008

Ahmad Zia one of 300 orphans who will attend the new Vocational School of Music in Kabul. Photo courtesy Circe Films.

Dr Ahmad Sarmast

A Monash University project is giving hope to hundreds of orphans in war-torn Afghanistan.

There are an estimated two million orphans in Afghanistan and countless more children scarred by almost 30 years of war and the repressive Taliban regime. They are children who have seen their parents and siblings killed, their homes destroyed and experienced hunger and humiliation.

But a pilot project, designed and developed at the Monash Asia Institute, will see a vocational music school established in Kabul, which could create a new future for 300 orphans and underprivileged children.

The vocational music school is just one aspect of the Revival of Afghan Music Project (ROAM), the brainchild of Monash academic Dr Ahmad Sarmast.

Over the last two years Dr Sarmast has worked with colleagues from the Monash Asia Institute, the Monash School of Music-Conservatorium and the Monash Science Centre, as a group of volunteers called the Friends of ROAM, to implement the pilot project.

"Music is an important part of social and cultural life in Afghanistan. Afghani people believe music is food for the soul," Dr Sarmast said. "But traditional music has suffered over the last 30 years from a combination of factors including Taliban rule, civil war and migration."

The ROAM pilot project won the favour of the Afghanistan Minister for Education who has set aside land for the new school as well as committed funding for the renovation and refurbishment of a temporary music school.

Dr Sarmast has also been appointed the in-country director of a project to re-establish music education in Kabul in line with the ROAM pilot project and is currently in Afghanistan overseeing the rebuilding of vocational music education.

"The school is the first element of our overall project. It aims to make music accessible to orphans while providing them with a secondary education, which is vital in a country where there are limited employment opportunities," Dr Sarmast said.

"We hope this project will lead to the creation of new Afghan music and encourage the development of the Afghan music industry."

Ahmad Zia said life didn't have much meaning before he found music. He looks forward to learning at the new Vocational School of Music and dreams of becoming a professional musician.

"Music can make my life," he said.

For more information visit the Revival of Afghan Music Project website.