Main fundraiser photo

The Dreaming Girls Campaign

Hi!

My name is Naledi Masilo, a 22 year old South African Musician, Jazz Vocal Student,  Dreamer, Social Activist and Founding Director of the Dreaming Girls Foundation.

Coming from a country where opportunity is not a right, but a privilege, I have been blessed to be exposed to opportunities that allowed me to see the world through a bigger lens. This lens has ignited and sustained my passion for empowering young female musicians to boldly claim their space in an ever-changing society.

This summer I will be hosting the first ever Dreaming Girls Music Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference will gather 30 deserving women and girl musicians, who will put their minds together to model their roles as female musicians in the social society. Through thought provoking and fire stirring sessions, they will be equipped to brainstorm and affect creative and effective ways to generate changes they wish to see in the world they live in.

This conference is the first of its kind in the region amalgamating  social activism, mentorship and music education. 

What We Need & What You Get

My goal for this campaign to raise is $3500. I want this conference to remain accessible to girls from every background by remaining a cost-free, high quality and life-changing experience. After winning an NEC grant of $1500 and partnering with additional sponsors, I still need $3500 to make this a cost free conference.  The $3500 will cover costs including:

- Instrument rental
- Artist honoraria
- Administrative costs

Other than the social fulfilment of supporting this campaign, there are some cool perks you can claim!


Rewards

Category                     Amount           Reward
Dreamer                      $5-$15            Special mention in our program and website
Dream Catcher       $15-$30          Above + audio from the concert as well as a streaming link for the 7th July Concert
Dream Surger          $30-$50          Above + Streaming Link/Ticket+ Handwritten thank you card
Dream Stirer            $50-$200       Above + Limited Edition Dreaming Girls Sticker and T-shirt
Dream Defender   $200-$500    Above + Stationary Pack as well as a signed program from our conference participants!
Dream Warrior      $500+               Above + a signed program from our conference participants and a secret perk!

The Impact

In Sesotho we say “Mosadi o tswara thipa ka bohaleng.” This means a women choses boldness, risk adventure and ambition – a woman holds a knife at its sharp edge.

However, in a region where:

- Only 27% of girls are empowered to participate in secondary education
- A whoping 35% are pregnant by the age of 19
- Where the idea of existence is more often than not limited to a 1 roomed 4x4m shack 

...Ones initiative to be ambitious and bold is severely impaired.

For a few of these girls, much like myself, music has been an escape into a bigger world. Music is the only way they can truly express their desires for themselves and the world they live in. And now, the DGMC will help them use music to manifest that change.

This project is just the beginning of an age where platforms will be made abundant for musicians to be social architects and influencers, not just entertainers. Dreaming girls will no longer just dream of what could be, but actually create what {is}. 

I ask you to take this step with me into the future of women, the future of Africa… The future of music.

Risks & Challenges

Being the first conference of its kind in the region, there are many risks associated with hosting this. 

Some foreseeable ones include: 

1) Not raising enough funds to run the conference as planned
    -Should this happen, I will scale the size of the conference down and still run a similar program. 
2) Program might be too short to achieve the intended outcome
   -This issue will be avoided by attempting to ensure that there is as much pre-conference preparation and support available to the participants. 
   -The length of the program will be beneficial as it will allow us to assess any issues that may come up when the conference becomes longer at a more manageable scale. 

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute financially, don't worry there are still ways you can help!

1. Please share this campaign far and wide to your personal networks!
2. Sign up for our mailing list and send words of encouragement to me and the girls at the conference by filling this form: Dreaming Girls Form 
4. DREAM. DREAM. DREAM!

Fundraising team: Dreamgirls (2)

Naledi Thuto Masilo
Organizer
Cambridge, MA
Naledi Ramoabi
Team member

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