The UN Environment
Musician Shady Rabab had an idea: to get kids off the streets through making musical instruments from plastic waste.
Twelve months after winning the Young Champion of the Earth prize for Africa 2018, his project is a reality. He is working with children from vulnerable backgrounds and marginal communities to make beautiful instruments and a community which comes together to make new melodies.
The Garbage Music project, by Rabab Luxor, uses art and creative expression to counter plastic pollution. It motivates youth to build their knowledge and increase their awareness about the challenges threatening the environment and how that impacts their lives.
It also provides them with tools and skills enabling them to turn waste into musical instruments. The project team designs workshops and classes to help the youth master different instruments, with the ultimate aim of playing music together as a band: the Garbage Music Band.
“Twelve months ago, the Garbage Music Project was just an idea on a paper. The Young Champions of the Earth journey turned this project idea into a reality,” said Rabab.
“During this journey, I enjoyed being surrounded by experts who helped me develop the idea into a project, followed on every step, introduced me to new networks and increased my knowledge on the dangers facing our planet. More importantly, I felt being surrounded with care and I came out with some true friendships.
“Looking back and reflecting on the last 12 months alone, I can say that I am truly proud of how much was accomplished in such a limited period. Our project team trained more than 36 young girls and boys in Luxor, Egypt on how to repurpose garbage into musical instruments in the first phase of the project,” he added. Read more…
