electric guitar

donated

Alex, a Ukrainian who has been living in the Netherlands for several years, teaches the children at the former VU cultural center, the Griffioen. The theater had been vacant for some time because the cultural center had moved to the VU campus on Boelelaan. Now, the municipality of Amstelveen has made it entirely available to Ukrainian refugees under the supervision of Participe Amstelland, a social services organization that also provides support to refugees.

Alex’s eyes light up as he opens the box: “This is really a great guitar!” He should know—Alex played in a heavy metal band for a long time. He gives me a tour of the building; in the old foyer, a small group of women is taking a knitting class, and in the old theater, a group of children is dancing under the guidance of a Ukrainian teacher. Then we head upstairs to the rehearsal room where the band rehearsals will take place. He sits down behind the drum set and plays a few riffs for me. He’d rather not be in the photo, but promises to send me footage once the kids start discovering the guitar and band life. Here’s a photo of Mike, who was incredibly happy to do—in his eyes—something small.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about this emergency relief campaign by the Musical Instrument Fund on this page. There you can find out how to help us provide instruments for refugees or make a monetary donation. Thank you very much!