Playing For Change Foundation

Take a peek 👀 at the progress of the restoration of the iconic Old Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone 🇸🇱, led by World Monuments Fund in collaboration with , , Aziza Chaouni Projects , and .epfl

Severely damaged by a fire during a civil conflict in the country, OFBC stood as the first institution of higher learning in modern sub-Saharan Africa, and a beacon of post-colonial thought in Africa throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. ✨

“From ruins to resilience, Old Fourah Bay College rises again as a beacon of heritage and hope. For me, as a Sierra Leonean heritage preservation professional, this restoration marks a new chapter in safeguarding our nation’s story. Through adaptive sympathetic reuse, we protect its authenticity, integrity, and significance. I am proud to stand with the restoration team on this journey of renewal,” says Isatu Smith, Director of West Africa Heritage Consultants.

Once restored, OFBC will be repurposed as a free-of-charge cultural center for Freetownian youth to learn music, dance, performing arts, and undertake creative and cultural training led by Ballanta Academy of Music & Performing Arts in collaboration with us. 🎶🎭

This project is a true testament to partnership, resilience, and belief in the power of music and the arts to transform lives. ❤️🌍🎵

¡PFCF llega a Paraguay! 🇵🇾✨

En el corazón del Chaco paraguayo, la música y la tierra se unen para sembrar nuevas oportunidades de vida. Nos emociona muchísimo presentar nuestro nuevo programa en alianza con la Fundación Paraguaya, integrado en un ecosistema de innovación social verdaderamente único: la Escuela Agrícola San Francisco - Cerrito.

Aquí, bajo la increíble metodología de “Aprender haciendo, vendiendo y ganando”, los estudiantes se forman como emprendedores rurales autogestionados en agricultura y hotelería. Ahora, sumamos la música como un pilar fundamental para el liderazgo, la cohesión comunitaria y el fortalecimiento de su identidad, floreciendo de la mano con la comunidad indígena Toba Qom.

📸 Desliza para ver las fotos de las primeras interacciones de nuestro increíble grupo guiado por el talentoso educador y especialista paraguayo Mario Martínez.

¡Esto es solo el comienzo! Arrancamos oficialmente con un coro estudiantil que será la semilla para futuras clases de instrumentos y muchas más expresiones artísticas
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PFCF arrives in Paraguay! 🇵🇾✨

In the heart of the Paraguayan Chaco, music and the land come together to cultivate new life-changing opportunities. We are thrilled to introduce our new program in partnership with Fundación Paraguaya, joining a truly unique social innovation ecosystem: the Escuela Agrícola San Francisco - Cerrito.

Here, under the incredible “Learning by doing, selling, and earning” methodology, students receive comprehensive training to become self-managed rural entrepreneurs in agriculture and hospitality. Now, we are integrating music as a core pillar for leadership, community cohesion, and identity strengthening, thriving alongside the Toba Qom indigenous community.

📸 Swipe to see the photos of the first interactions of our incredible group guided by the talented Paraguayan arts educator and specialist, Mario Martínez.

This is just the beginning! We are officially launching with a student choir, serving as the foundation for the future addition of instrumental training and other artistic expressions

🌍🎶 One Mission. Countless Lives Changed.

Across five continents, communities face different challenges, but time and again, we’ve seen how music, education, and collective action can create lasting change. ❤️

✨ In Jordan, our program in the Zaatari Refugee Camp provides Syrian refugee youth with a safe space to heal, create, and express themselves through music after experiencing the trauma of war and displacement.

🌊 In Brazil, when devastating floods displaced more than 1 million people in 2024, our team mobilized quickly, helping secure over $3.5 million in donations and health supplies that reached 250,000 of the most vulnerable survivors.

📚 In Nepal, we helped build a school where girls have equal access to education and where caste discrimination has no place in the classroom. Today, the school proudly maintains a 100% graduation rate, the only school in the Udayapur region to achieve this milestone.

These stories are possible because people like you believe in the power of opportunity and hope. Every donation helps us continue supporting communities, empowering young people, and responding when help is needed most. 🌱

Join us in creating more stories like these. Donate today and help change lives through the power of music and education. 💙

www.playingforchange.org/donate

🎵✨ Teacher Tuesday Spotlight ✨🎵

Meet Dipendra Bajracharya, our dedicated Vocal Teacher at the Kathmandu Music Program! 🇳🇵
With a Master’s degree in Music from Tribhuvan University, years of experience as an educator, and certification as a Master Trainer in World Voice Training through the British Council, Dipendra brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to every lesson. 🎤📚

A singer, composer, and recording artist, he has contributed to Nepal’s music scene while inspiring young musicians to find confidence and joy through music. Since joining the Playing For Change Foundation in 2017, he has helped countless students develop their voices and pursue their dreams. 🌟🎶

Thank you, Dipendra, for your dedication, creativity, and commitment to the next generation of artists! 👏💙

🌟 Board Spotlight: Hank Dudgeon 🌟

We are proud to recognize Hank Dudgeon, Treasurer and Board Member of the Playing For Change Foundation. Hank Dudgeon serves as Founder & Executive Chairman of Legacy Technology Lab, bringing more than 25 years of leadership experience across artificial intelligence, industrial infrastructure, and commercial real estate innovation.

🚀 He is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Future Labs Capital, an MIT-affiliated venture fund that has invested $26.5 million across 10 MIT startups emerging from the AI and Quantum Labs, including Atlantic Quantum, which Hank seeded with its first $2 million investment and which was subsequently acquired by Google to advance development of the Willow chip.

🏢 In the real estate sector, Hank co-founded Davin Holdings, where he bought and sold one of the largest portfolios of industrial and data center properties in Ashburn, Virginia (Data Center Alley).

♻️ Earlier, Hank co-founded Rubicon Technologies (2009–2020), the world’s largest digital marketplace for waste and recycling, often described as the “Uber of Trash.” Under his leadership, Rubicon scaled into a Unicorn and served more than 9.7 million locations while securing contracts with approximately 90% of Fortune 50 companies.

📈 Hank previously held senior leadership roles at Transwestern, strengthening his expertise in institutional real estate strategy and asset optimization.

🤝 He is a founding board member of Endeavor Southeast, a nonprofit scale-enablement firm, a founding board member of Cavalier Futures, and serves as Treasurer and Board Member of Playing For Change Foundation.

🔬 At Legacy Technology Labs, Hank is leveraging its membership in the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab and the Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Lab to disrupt the commercial roofing industry through superior imaging technology, automation, robotics, and next-generation innovation.

🏈 Hank is a proud UVA alum and was a freshman on the only UVA football team to earn a #1 AP ranking in 1990.

👏 Thank you, Hank, for your leadership, vision, and commitment to the mission of the Playing For Change Foundation.

🎼✨ Teacher Tuesday Spotlight ✨🎼

Meet Elvira Bobson-Kamara, Principal of the and Performing Arts in Sierra Leone! 🇸🇱

As an educator and arts administrator, Elvira is dedicated to empowering the next generation through music, dance, theatre, and creative education. Her leadership has helped create opportunities for young artists to develop their talents, express themselves, and contribute to the rich cultural landscape of Sierra Leone. 🎶🎭💃

Through her work at Ballanta Academy, she continues to champion the arts as a powerful force for learning, creativity, and community growth. 🌟

Thank you, Elvira, for your vision, leadership, and commitment to helping young people thrive through the arts! 👏❤️