Run the Sahara
Unforgettable mentally and physically. I would recommend this journey to anyone as it changes your point of view.
Tomasz Laczny, Saharamarathon participant
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NEXT RACE DATE:
FEBRUARY 2021 (TBC) |
Run the Sahara is Sandblast’s annual fundraising and awareness-raising event. It promotes the Sahara Marathon, an inspiring international running event taking place every February in the Saharawi refugee camps in SW Algeria. You can run (or walk!) a full marathon, a half marathon, 10K or 5K. As the official UK coordinator, Sandblast’s takes the headache out of organising the week-long trip to the Sahara. Along with providing logistical support, we organise a special cultural/ educational programme to enrich your experience during your stay. In return, we ask you to help raise funds for our camp-based projects. Since 2009, close to 100 people have run for Sandblast and helped raised over £80,000. |
All participants whosign up for the Saharamarathon and run on behalf of Sandblast, play a vital role in raising funds for our early learning Desert Voicebox project in the camps. Due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, it is not possible to know if the annual solidarity race will take place in 2021. And if it does, it is not known whether it will be open to international participants due to the extreme vulnerability of the Saharawi refugee population. As a result, Sandblast is planning to launch a Desert Voicebox Virtual Challenge in February 2021. Inspired by the Saharamarathon, it is aiming to recruit people to run the race on the home front or participate by taking on another challenge. The idea is tomake sure we can show our solidarity on a global with the Saharawi refugees and also help Sandblast raise funds for its camp project. Watch this space for the launch of the social media Desert Voicebox Virtual Challenge in the coming weeks.
DESERT VOICEBOX
Currently the programme offers music and English classes to children in one primary school in the smallest camp of Boujdour. Two hours and half classes are given every day, after school, using the innovative Stave House teaching method based on story-telling and hands-on activities, to engage the children and develop their potential. These kinds of creative learning opportunities do not exist in the camps. Since the project began, in 2016, we have seen real progress in the children’s music and language skills and a demand for the project to expand. As children in the camps have lots of free time and not many activities to fill that time, the community and local authorities are keen to see this project grow and succeed. Since 2017 children have been getting certification from London College of Music for passing their level 1 and 2 Stave House exams.
So far more than 70 children have participated in the programme. There are currently 4 teachers, two for English and two for music. All have been trained by Dr Violeta Ruano (project manager) and by qualified volunteers who have supported the project on the ground since 2016 staying for 2 weeks up to 2 months. The aim is for the teachers to be trained to the highest standards and to be fully able to run the programme on their own and received internationally recognized certification for their training. A new local musician who is a multi-instrumentalist and an expert in Saharawi music was incorporated to teach children Saharawi music and traditional instruments in the Autumn of 2019.
Thanks to our Friends of Desert Voicebox scheme we have been able to source fantastic volunteers to provide training and teaching in English and also to deliver 3 international music workshops since Oct 2018. The first one took place in February 2019, led by Andrada and Florin Pascu from AB Music Academy, in London. The second one took place in April 2019, by Maite Heres from 440hz Performing Arts Centre, Gijon Spain. The third one in Jan/Feb of 2020 , was led by Georgia Lomax Thorpe, a recent MA graduate from University of West London in Popular performance, who ran a month long workshop in singing. These internationally led special workshops have hugely helped to enrich the experiences and learning of everyone involved! The idea is for this to become a regular feature of the yearly programme.
We also aim to develop a summer programmes both in the camps for the kids to participate in weekly fun activities that reinforce their English language skills and develop their creativity. In the future, we hope to be able to organise month-long music and English language camps, in the UK or elsewhere, for a small group of Desert Voicebox graduates and one of the teachers.
Developments and future plans
Over the summer of 2019 a new centre was built to house Desert Voicebox. The project expanded from being taught in one large classroom to a purpose-built centre with 4 rooms for teaching. We also have exciting plans in the pipeline to create a Desert Voicebox choir that will eventually tour internationally. And by Sept 2021 we aim to be able to teach a four-year programme in English language and Music. We also aim to launch a summer exchange programme for 3 to 4 children to travel with a teacher for a month to the UK or elsewhere to strengthen their music and language skills and develop creative links with other children from around the world.
All these plans and growth inevitably means we will require more teaching and learning resources and instruments and also the support of volunteers to continue to contribute to training and teaching. By joining Run the Sahara or the Desert Voicebox Virtual Challenge and fundraising for us through sponsorship pledges, you will make a huge difference to the success of our efforts and mission.
DESERT VOICEBOX
Currently the programme offers music and English classes to children in one primary school in the smallest camp of Boujdour. Two hours and half classes are given every day, after school, using the innovative Stave House teaching method based on story-telling and hands-on activities, to engage the children and develop their potential. These kinds of creative learning opportunities do not exist in the camps. Since the project began, in 2016, we have seen real progress in the children’s music and language skills and a demand for the project to expand. As children in the camps have lots of free time and not many activities to fill that time, the community and local authorities are keen to see this project grow and succeed. Since 2017 children have been getting certification from London College of Music for passing their level 1 and 2 Stave House exams.
So far more than 70 children have participated in the programme. There are currently 4 teachers, two for English and two for music. All have been trained by Dr Violeta Ruano (project manager) and by qualified volunteers who have supported the project on the ground since 2016 staying for 2 weeks up to 2 months. The aim is for the teachers to be trained to the highest standards and to be fully able to run the programme on their own and received internationally recognized certification for their training. A new local musician who is a multi-instrumentalist and an expert in Saharawi music was incorporated to teach children Saharawi music and traditional instruments in the Autumn of 2019.
Thanks to our Friends of Desert Voicebox scheme we have been able to source fantastic volunteers to provide training and teaching in English and also to deliver 3 international music workshops since Oct 2018. The first one took place in February 2019, led by Andrada and Florin Pascu from AB Music Academy, in London. The second one took place in April 2019, by Maite Heres from 440hz Performing Arts Centre, Gijon Spain. The third one in Jan/Feb of 2020 , was led by Georgia Lomax Thorpe, a recent MA graduate from University of West London in Popular performance, who ran a month long workshop in singing. These internationally led special workshops have hugely helped to enrich the experiences and learning of everyone involved! The idea is for this to become a regular feature of the yearly programme.
We also aim to develop a summer programmes both in the camps for the kids to participate in weekly fun activities that reinforce their English language skills and develop their creativity. In the future, we hope to be able to organise month-long music and English language camps, in the UK or elsewhere, for a small group of Desert Voicebox graduates and one of the teachers.
Developments and future plans
Over the summer of 2019 a new centre was built to house Desert Voicebox. The project expanded from being taught in one large classroom to a purpose-built centre with 4 rooms for teaching. We also have exciting plans in the pipeline to create a Desert Voicebox choir that will eventually tour internationally. And by Sept 2021 we aim to be able to teach a four-year programme in English language and Music. We also aim to launch a summer exchange programme for 3 to 4 children to travel with a teacher for a month to the UK or elsewhere to strengthen their music and language skills and develop creative links with other children from around the world.
All these plans and growth inevitably means we will require more teaching and learning resources and instruments and also the support of volunteers to continue to contribute to training and teaching. By joining Run the Sahara or the Desert Voicebox Virtual Challenge and fundraising for us through sponsorship pledges, you will make a huge difference to the success of our efforts and mission.
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