Written by: Hannah, Uganda Staff

For the Suubi women, uncertainty about their future grants them the ability to more clearly see the truth that we are all interconnected. This affects many parts of their culture in both positive and negative ways. On one hand, the Suubi women possess an inspiring strength to make decisions based upon the best interest of their community. However, they lack an emotional vocabulary and skills at defining their own personal feelings. In order to enhance the strengths of the Suubi women and to add additional skills, I began a 10-week drumming therapy course.

Drumming is a familiar medium for the women, and they enjoy attending their weekly “music class.” The goals of the sessions are to nurture their shared sense of cooperation, while enhancing their individual self-awareness. We develop a listening aptitude, respect for one another, self-regulation, and provide an environment for the women to address emotional challenges in the midst of a supportive group. Our sessions also encourage a holistic sense of joy, whimsy, and accomplishment that is part of a healthy, balanced life.
One session that I found particularly moving involved the creation of a song that replicated a thunderstorm. With the drums, maracas, whistles, and shakers, we started out softly with a few drops of rain. Then, we escalated to a full-on thunder storm. One woman suggested that make cow noises during this period, because the cows were frightened of the lightning. After a while, we faded out as the storm passed. We completed the song with a member lifting a yellow maraca into the air to represent the sun reappearing. To the group the song represented the deeper meaning that hardships may come in life, but that there is hope that they will pass and the sun will come again. Knowing all that these women have experienced, I found this song to be extremely moving.