Here at Project India, we ended 2017 and began 2018 with thoughtful reflections and praise for what God has done in our lives. We enjoyed beautiful holiday celebrations with the Riverside Staff, Smart Village team, and special guests. Randy Thompson (co-founder & visionary), Melinda Laun-Flores (Annela’s mother), and Smart Village team member Werner’s family joined the campus for Christmas and New Years. It was a blessing to celebrate with them.
The year commenced with something we have never done before! From January 1-12, we hosted our first ever music therapy outreach program. Seven volunteers from Resounding Joy Inc. stayed on our campus during this new program. The student Music Therapists, under the leadership of Annela, conducted clinical sessions in the community with three schools for children with special needs and one home for older adults. Their mission was to advocate for music therapy, improve professional skills, and educate about the benefits of music
In addition to the therapy sessions, they also gave two presentations. At a large hospital and medical college, Annela and her team provided a lecture to 150 students and faculty about music therapy. She also provided two demonstration sessions. On January 11, the team conducted a day-long training to 30 Special Education teachers from around the district. The trainees learned how to implement interactive musical activities in their classroom.
Overall, the program was exciting and innovative, and we look forward to hopefully hosting Resounding Joy again in the future.
