Slimzar Wa Afrika Foundation launches donate-a-music-instrument campaign in Bulawayo
By Nobukhosi Ndlovu
The Slimzar Wa Afrika Foundation has officially launched a call for donations for its Donate a Music Instrument Campaign, following its formal establishment in the city of Bulawayo.
The campaign forms as part of an initiative aimed at equipping children’s homes across the city with resources that support creative development while also opening professional pathways within the music and creative industries. Through access to musical instruments and mentorship, the foundation seeks to nurture talent while fostering practical skills that remain relevant in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Speaking on the foundation’s long-term objectives, founder Ngqabutho Delmar Ncube, popularly known as Slimzar Wa Afrika, said the organisation’s vision extends beyond music alone.
“The long term vision is to bridge the gap between our communities and the modern day world by gearing the young ones with the necessary tech and skills that will allow them to effectively take charge in the modern day world,” Ncube said.
He explained that the donation of world-class instruments, paired with knowledge-sharing from music professionals in Bulawayo and beyond, would play a key role in preparing beneficiaries for sustainable opportunities. He further emphasised that while music serves as an entry point, it is not the foundation’s sole focus.
“The foundation doesn’t have music as a focal point, neither is it looking at helping children only,” Ncube noted, adding that additional programmes and community-focused drives would be introduced to ensure broader inclusion.
Part of the foundation’s sustainability strategy is what Ncube describes as an “Each One, Teach One” approach, where beneficiaries are encouraged to pass on knowledge and skills to others within their communities. The model put in place plans to facilitate learnerships and mentorship opportunities with professionals across various fields, including agriculture, music production, and other creative and technical disciplines.
In addition, the foundation is exploring partnerships with local arts promoters to host showcase events that provide young creatives with platforms to present their work, while also serving as fundraising avenues to support ongoing programmes.
As part of the Donate a Music Instrument campaign, the Slimzar Wa Afrika Foundation has invited partners and members of the public to contribute acoustic and traditional instruments, including guitars, pianos, keyboards, violins, saxophones, drum sets, marimbas, mbiras, and drums. Donations of laptops and desktop computers intended for music production and technology training are also being accepted.
Collected instruments and equipment will be distributed to local orphanages, where the foundation will facilitate mentorship programmes and practical training sessions designed to enhance creative interest into tangible skills.
Highlighting the impact the initiative will have if it continues, Claude Phuti, a volunteer at Slimzar Wa Afrika, said that the campaign has the potential to become an eye opener on identifying root causes of the challenges young people are facing. “That way, the government, CSOs, NGOs, well wishers and everyone can contribute in different ways.”
Phuti even went on to explain that the Donate a Music Instrument initiative is addressing a lot of gaps in the communities. “It gives a person an opportunity to explore their talents through Arts and it enables youth caught in drug and substance abuse an opportunity to do something productive with their lives.”He noted.
The campaign follows the official opening of the Slimzar Wa Afrika Foundation, which was formally established in Bulawayo earlier this month. The foundation aims to bridge the digital and social divide by providing the less privileged with access to high level skills and career guidance and emerging technologies.
