Small grant has big impact for Sounds of Afghanistan

For years, music provided an outlet for one particular Afghan refugee group to advocate for the "voiceless" women in Afghanistan. When the Taliban seized power in their country, members of the musical group Sounds of Afghanistan fled to Saskatoon in 2021. While adjusting to life in a new country, they continued to perform and look for ways to get their messages out to the wider community.

The group’s access to the Small Grant Accessibility Program (SGAP) provided them with the support to continue their role of healing and spreading their message through music. SGAP was designed to support first-time or under-served applicants undertaking unique and innovative cultural initiatives that respond to emerging needs.

Maryam Masoomi, youth program facilitator, Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS), was part of the musical group back in Afghanistan. In her role with SODS, she initiated the revival of the music group Sound of Afghanistan, which encourages Afghan youth, mainly girls from ages 12 to 23, to use their voices, find community, and build teamwork skills.

“As you know, girls are not allowed to go to school in Afghanistan. The group wants to be a voice for other girls in Afghanistan. They also want to showcase and share their culture,” she says. “During one of the group’s performances on Canada Day, I saw their parents crying because they were so happy. The girls were so happy.”

Masoomi says the music group is Saskatchewan’s first Afghan music cultural group and has performed at the Saskatoon Folkfest, Canada Day, and other cultural events. The group’s successful application to SGAP in 2023 paved the way for further project support from SaskCulture’s Multicultural Initiatives Fund.

Fourteen-year-old Sajadia Ahmadi is one of the group’s youngest members. She says, “I really like singing. It feels so good when you introduce your culture to others and inspire them through our beautiful songs. I feel privileged when the audience gives us so many positive comments about our performance, costumes, and beautiful culture.”

Harjeet Kaur, youth program team lead, SODS, says singing is helping the youth to heal from their experiences. “Singing brings joy and pure love, and it helps to heal,” she says. “With the extra support, we were able to purchase dresses for these participants. They loved it and flaunted it. We used some for transportation as well.”

Kaur adds that the team plans to create a dance group for younger participants. “The plan is to get the girls to mentor these younger kids. We will then loop them into the music group later. This will help with our sustainability plan.”

Since launching in 2021, the Small Grant Accessibility Program has helped over 49 new and under-served groups seeking support for their programs.