by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
With aims to combat bullying activities experienced by many school students, New Zealand based Aha Music Mentoring program is using music writing as a vehicle to help Pasifika students combat bullying.
Last year, the Aha Music Mentoring Program ran a six week workshop using song writing as its tool, engaging vulnerable victims of bullying to help combat the problem.
Positive results received from the anti-bullying program has engaged 12 schools and are now involved in the mentoring program, overseen by the newly formed Pasifika Foundation.
Vulnerable young people including those who have been bullied and those having bullying behaviour have managed to work together in the program.
The program has managed to bring together vulnerable victims showing improvement. These have resulted in an increasing demand for the Aha Music Mentoring Program.
To support the program, the Pasifika Foundation was founded to help this increasing demand on a vision to improve health, education and social outcomes for the vulnerable young Pacific youths and families.
The song-writing program aims to help the vulnerable young people build self-esteem and confidence by writing music, and is now used as a vehicle to help combat bullying in the schools.
