BAMA - Bocas Arts and Music Academy

From the perspective of Marianna, ukulele teacher with BAMA since 2022

"My biggest desire for the kids is to empower them. I want them to realize that they can achieve anything with dedication and focus. Learning to play the ukulele is one way I help them embrace that mindset: 'If I can learn to play the ukulele, I can achieve my dreams.' Thanks to BAMA, I have access to quality ukuleles that we use in class."

Bocas Arts and Music Academy has been offering free music classes to kids in the community of the Bocas del Toro archipelago since 2021. Thanks to our dedicated teachers, supportive hosts like Hotel Dona Mara on Carenero, Alvin's Restaurant on Bastimentos, and the NGO “Give and Surf,” along with generous donors from the US, Switzerland, and the community of Bocas del Toro, we’ve been able to maintain a steady group of students in weekly classes across three different islands. We teach ukulele and percussion, providing the instruments for the kids during class. The BAMA music classes are completely free for anyone who wants to join.

Our mission is to continue our musical education program here in Bocas del Toro, Panama. With your help, we can keep building bridges through music. We have set a fundraising goal of $2,000. This will allow us to continue our weekly music classes on the islands of Colón, Carenero, and Bastimentos from November 2024 until March 2025. The funds will be allocated to three main areas:

1. Teachers: Currently, we have two teachers: Marianna for ukulele and Nahuel for percussion. Donations help cover their skilled teaching.

2. Transportation: Access to extracurricular activities is limited for kids living on the islands. That’s why we go where the kids are, following our motto, “Music for everybody.” Your donations will help cover boat transportation.

3. Updates and Coordination: “What time is the next class?” “How do I get to the location?” We strive to ensure that most donations go directly to the classes for the kids. A small portion will be used for coordinating classes and maintaining our social media pages on Instagram and Facebook, where you can find our current schedule and regular posts from the classes.

Please consider donating to our campaign. Every dollar counts and brings us closer to our goal. If you can’t donate, sharing our campaign with friends and family would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering supporting our cause. Together, we can continue building bridges and provide music for everyone.

P.S. We love having visitors from all over the world in our classes, each bringing their unique talents. One of them was Cynthia A. Whelan, a traveler, photographer, writer, and friend of our director, Larry Michael. Cynthia wrote an inspiring report after her visit in March 2023. Curious? Here’s the link:

[https://www.whelanonwalkabout.com/blogwalkabout/64yrxb6mmytbnm338xty2b96gtey38?rq=BAMA](https://www.whelanonwalkabout.com/blogwalkabout/64yrxb6mmytbnm338xty2b96gtey38?rq=BAMA)