Help Us Raise $5,000 This Ramadan to Bring Music & Resilience to Palestinian Youth
This Ramadan, we’re raising $5,000 to sustain and grow The Sotna Project — a grassroots music initiative serving Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank facing violence and forcible displacement.
About
Sotna, which means “Our Voice,” is inspired by El Sistema, the global social movement centered on music education that has demonstrated how music can be used as a tool for social change and empowerment. Sotna was founded in April 2025 by Kai Jack and Amalia Zeitlin, who previously worked for El Sistema programs around the globe in countries such as Sweden, India, Cyprus, and the USA. We approach this work with a clear awareness that we are guests entering communities with deep histories, knowledge, and resilience of their own. We do so with sensitivity and humility, grounded in close collaboration with Palestinian partners whose insight and leadership shape our work.
Why Sotna?
Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank face not only physical and political challenges but also a shortage of expressive and creative spaces: few places to play safely, few chances to express themselves, and often limited access to the kinds of creative experiences that build confidence, teamwork, discipline, and joy. These are basic human needs, not luxuries. As activists and allies working in the region, we’re called to support life-affirming, community-led efforts that strengthen the social and emotional fabric of vulnerable communities. Sotna offers a way to move from solely reacting to violence toward nurturing resilience, expression, and dignity through music.
We are also deeply aware that many children in these communities have witnessed or endured experiences no child should ever have to face. Music cannot erase this reality, but it can help soften its weight. Time and again, research has shown that children who make music are happier and healthier, with stronger emotional regulation and social bonds. Music offers young people a useful medium through which to process complex emotions such as grief, fear, and hope, when words alone may fall short. In moments of collective music-making, we often see a spark of hope return along with focus, pride, laughter, and light in their eyes. It is this quiet, human restoration that sits at the heart of Sotna’s work. Since Sotna began its operations, our community partners have sent us countless videos of kids walking through the village, singing the songs we taught them with a smile on their face, despite the harsh reality they find themselves in.
What We Do
Youth Choir in Umm Al-Kheir, Masafer Yatta (30+ children, ages 3–15): Arabic folk songs, rhythm games, music theory, and ensemble skills — open and accessible to all.
Youth Orchestra in Umm Al-Kheir, Masafer Yatta (15 students, ages 11+): Violin and darbuka, learning discipline, teamwork, and musical excellence together.
Musical Solidarity Visits: Every other week, our teaching artist team performs for shepherding communities throughout the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, Khan al Ahmar, and Masafer Yatta. We bring instruments, we teach songs, we sing together, and stay for many cups of tea.
How Your Gift Makes a Difference
Until now, Sotna has been entirely volunteer-run and supported through modest grassroots fundraising. This campaign and the continued growth of our international network will allow us to stabilize and sustain our weekly programming while continuing to grow responsibly.
Your donation directly supports the children and communities we serve:
$500 — Sustain Community Leadership
Sponsors one full month of our Palestinian community liaison stipend, ensuring local coordination, translation, relationship-building, and culturally grounded partnership.
$200 — Keep the Music Going (One Week of Impact)
Sponsors one week of teaching artist stipends or sponsors one week of transportation to reach remote communities.
$100 — Put an Instrument in a Child’s Hands
Covers the cost of one violin for a young orchestra member.
$50 — Nourish the Choir
Sponsors a week of snacks and drinks for our choir rehearsals.
$25 — Add Rhythm to the Orchestra
Purchases one darbuka drum for a student ready to learn.
$10 — Join the Circle
Helps cover sheet music, instrument maintenance, strings, and small but essential supplies that keep rehearsals running smoothly.
Every gift — no matter the size — helps sustain a space where children can gather safely, sing loudly, and build something beautiful together. With your help, more instruments will reach more hands, and we will be able to expand our project to touch more communities throughout the West Bank.
Be Part of “Our Voice”
El Sistema has shown the world that music can be a vehicle for social transformation. In the unique context of the West Bank — shaped by occupation, segregation, and instability — Sotna adapts that vision to local realities.
We enter communities as guests, guided by Palestinian partners, with humility and collaboration at the center of our work.
This Ramadan, help us keep the music playing.
Donate. Share. Amplify.
Together, we can help children claim their voice and remind them that they are not alone.