Aisha joined Brass for Africa in 2016 as a beneficiary with our partner outreach, GLONEVA. She will be undertaking a media internship for 10 weeks this summer, supporting the Marketing Department. Aisha will be in the field capturing and sharing stories for our supporters to enjoy!
My name is Nassaazi Aisha, from GLONEVA Brass Band, one of the partner outreaches of Brass for Africa. I’m very thankful for this opportunity because I know and believe, through my story, someone’s life can be changed and those who had lost hope can regain it back.
I joined GLONEVA in 2016, when my father had decided to take me to the village to get married. I was fourteen years old but was able to stand up and tell him that I was not going with him. This happened due to the wrong mentality my father had towards a girl child. He thought a girl was meant to get married and due to this, he never wanted to pay for the school fees for me and my sisters.
By the time I joined GLONEVA, I had lost hope in my studies. But guess what? In that same year, I was able to join Brass for Africa through GLONEVA. All I can say is that since I joined Brass for Africa, my life has been changing. When I first joined GLONEVA I was shy and could not stand up in an audience to speak up. But through the music and life-skills, we learn from Brass for Africa, I am now the most known confident girl at GLONEVA and in my community at large. I was also able to learn how to communicate with people and develop my leadership skills, and as a result, I was chosen to be my band’s team leader and spokesperson.
When I finished my O- level, I got an opportunity through the support of Brass for Africa to study at the Africa Institute of Music (AIM). AIM wanted two people who could play the French horns in their orchestra and through Brass for Africa, I and my friend Mathias were chosen to go through the interviews, which we passed, and we were given full music scholarships. I started on the certificate, finished the course, and have now graduated. Right now, I am looking forward to pursuing my diploma in music and I am majoring in Piano.
But remember, I was almost about to be taken to the village to get married, and for me as a person, I had lost hope and reached a point of giving up. The reason as to why I am reminding you all this is because I would not have reached this far if I did not say no to my father who wanted to get me married. I want to thank Brass for Africa for not only teaching us music but also life skills. For sure, for me as a person, these life skills have really helped me to reach this far, and with them I have also been chosen to help in the Media Department at Brass for Africa and I am now looking forward to starting my Media internship. And you know what? My father who used to think that a girl is meant to get married, has now changed his mentality and he is now supporting me in everything I do. I now feel proud to be a girl and I believe that what a boy can do can also be done by a girl and I want to take this opportunity to thank Brass for Africa for promoting equality in whatever thing they do, Coach Nickson at GLONEVA, and my beautiful mummy for always encouraging and believing in me.
That is my story and I hope that it brings hope to all those who feel like life has ended because of the situations they pass through.
Thanks,
Nassaazi Aisha.
