OVERVIEW

The Field Band concept is built on the global youth activity known otherwise as show bands. This specific discipline was chosen first for the long historic presence of brass music in South African communities.  This activity also allows for large group participation. All 17 projects of the Foundation have a minimum of 125 youths actively involved.

Using the vital role that arts play in social inclusion and development the Foundation has identified its role as follows:  “To create opportunities for the development of life skills in the youth through the medium of music and dance.”  At the centre of the life skills programme is comprehensive HIV/Aids education.

Parents who can afford it and are serious about a good education for their children will include in their recreational activities some sort of artistic activity. The discipline and focus that they learn provide essential life-skills, which will serve them well in any path they may take when they grow up. 

The Field Band Foundation brings this opportunity to all those young people who through poverty still suffer from the injustices of the past, in other words those who need it the most. We envisage bringing this project to 6000 youth by 2012.

FBF members from different areas across SA work together at performances, workshops and competitions and through this interaction, learn understanding and respect for other cultures, building the nation.

Exchange programmes with Norway, Flanders, and the USA and bursaries provide opportunities to experience other countries learn new skills and broaden perspectives. 

The FBF supports the UN Millennium Goals by addressing six of the goals:  

Reduce poverty:  61.1% of our members’ parents are unemployed. Our first priority is to break the cycles of generational poverty by providing youth with useful skills. South Africa has a growing tourism industry providing many opportunities for our members to either be employed or to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit.

Gender Issues: The FBF includes gender equality in our core values and we practice these values daily. It is also addressed in our Life skills programme

HIV/AIDS prevention: The Foundation has an extensive programme in place in partnership with Aganang, a World Health Organisation accredited NGO. Our focus is on prevention and information. The HIV epidemic will not be stopped in Africa unless a comprehensive holistic education programme is in place to support information about HIV prevention. Information itself is not enough! Our members need a reason to change their behaviour and by providing them with a renewed view of their own future they are more inclined to behaviour change.

Global Partnerships: Global partnerships are essential for the developing world. The Foundation has been very fortunate to develop two programmes with the Netherlands and the USA and an extensive partnership with Norway.

Improve Education: The Field Band Foundation is planning the establishment of a specialized training centre in 2010 to assist in building capacity for the organisation and at the same time would serve as an educational centre to raise the skill levels of unemployed school leavers to a point where employment becomes accessible to them. See FBF Academy.