Brazil: The institution “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol”, located in the Favela São Marcos (metropolitan area of São Paulo), opened its door’s in 2002. Since then, a steady growing group of young people from the neighbourhood keeps participating in the artistic program. Alongside music lessons, an orchestra, dance and animation, the initiative also offers various possibilities for private lessons for students, as well as courses in handcrafting activities for mothers. Currently 400 people are involved with “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol”.

He does no longer want to be involved in any kind of drug trafficking. Belonging to the first 45 young people starting to attend musical lessons in the months following the foundation of “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol, he has found, for the first time in his life, something meaningful to him, giving him a new perspective for his future. Ever since, he devotes all his power, patience and dedication to the trumpet. And since he dreamed of owning his own instrument one fine day, he started saving up money. Today he looks back proudly, knowing he was able to fulfil his dream.

During a voluntary service in Brazil, Stefan Siemons, musician and trained wind instrument maker, experienced time and again what difference music can make in the life of a child. This was the beginning of an impulse growing within him which eventually led to the foundation of “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol”. The Brazilian school system seemed quite suitable for his idea, since students attend school either in the morning or the afternoon, leaving the possibility for an accompanying cultural offering. Together with social education worker, Tereza Cristina Vieira, Siemons brought “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol” into being.

Soon a small orchestra followed the music lessons. Finally the room for music training had to be enhanced and therefore further tents and rooms were established allowing space for administration, a library and a room for handcrafting courses. The support being offered for kids and teenagers for academic challenges, was like wise enhanced by a broad offering of language courses. The founder should be right after all: with the help of his initiative it became easier for young people to keep up in school and they did not loose heart, if something did not work right away.

At the same time Stefan Siemons established a workshop for music instruments. In Brazil the market for wind instruments is not yet well developed, giving the initiative a lot of hope that one day the workshop will be able to generate money in order to partly fund “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol”. This is an important idea especially as a Brazilian bank stopped their financial support in 2008. Since then the program had to be constrained as it was no longer possible to finance all courses.

Nonetheless the institution did not surrender. Apart from the workshop for music instruments and its four trainees, which recently started their work, the hopes remain high that the government will eventually support the initiative. Until then it remains essential that partner organisations - like the “Friends of Waldorf Education” – and you, keep on supporting “Associação Comunitária Clave de Sol”.