POVO AFRIKA TRUST has launched the Musicable Project, which supports women living with disabilities in the music industry.
The project is propelled by Music In Africa Foundation and Goethe-Institute Support with the aim of capacitating artistes with disabilities by facilitating access to home recording tools and linking them to mainstream markets through mentorship programmes with established artistes, which will culminate in a collaborative song between the mentor and mentee.
Raven Duchess, Pauline Gundidza and Vuyo Brown will mentor female artistes with disabilities such as Jacqueline Mpofu, Chipo Muchegwa and Sithandazile Gumbo.
The Musicable Project will run in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare between June 19 and September 15 as part of Povo Afrika Trust’s increased support to communities that are often excluded from significant opportunities across Zimbabwe.
According to the United Nations, persons with disabilities include those with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
As part of the project, Musicable Project will produce a documentary of the journey shared by the mentor and mentee highlighting the challenges faced by artistes with disabilities and how they work to overcome them.
“The documentary will be complemented by capacity-building workshops that will bring together artistes with disabilities, industry professionals and leaders within the arts and cultural sectors,” said Rudo Chakanyuka, Musicable Project liaison officer.
Soneni Gwizi, who is living with a disability and an award-winning communicator and well-known disability advocate, is the project advisor and will be facilitating the workshops.
In the years 2014 and 2015, Povo Afrika Trust was once involved in projects that had to do with music, they released SpeakSing Volume 1 and 2 compilation CDs in the respective years which featured spoken word and songs from up-and-coming artistes in partnership with HIVOS.
In 2021, Povo Afrika partnered with Music in Africa Foundation on #16WomenVoices as part of MIAF’s Music in Africa Live initiative.
The project consisted of live performances by female musicians tackling themes ranging from ending violence against women to celebrating women’s rights
In 2022, Povo Afrika Trust produced Nehanda Reimagined, a project that sought to write Mbuya Nehanda back into Zimbabwean memory.
Nehanda Reimagined was a collection of essays, short stories, poetry, academic articles, drawings, paintings, prints, photographs and other depictions of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential female protagonists.
Povo Afrika Trust is a non-profit and apolitical voluntary organisation focusing on social development through arts and cultural projects.
It is also proactively involved in sustainability initiatives to address the effect of climate change on the environment through support from various technical development partners from government, civil society and the corporate sector.