wanted your old or beginner ukuleles for shantytown children in Peru

Sorry to be a wet blanket or alarmist, but have you checked on the impact of the CITES restrictions? In particular, most older ukes have rosewood fretboards and bridges, even sometimes bodies. This wood has recently been placed on the CITES list, making shipping of used instruments across national borders an iffy proposition—doesn't matter that rosewood was freely transportable when these instruments were built and sold, even as recently as last year. Border officials are notorious for being unreasonable about such things. Until CITES officials make some sort of exemptions for musical instruments, based at least on year of manufacture, it is now an iffy proposition for any private individual to attempt to ship or carry an instrument across borders. Quite valuable (and legally transportable) instruments have been seized and destroyed by officials before the owners could even mount a protest in the right quarters. Hopefully, you'll have no such problems, you may only meet with reasonable border officials sympathetic to your cause. But you might want donors to vet their instruments, making sure that donations have no woods currently on the CITES list (or even likely to be mistaken for them).

Let me think about this - thanks for the heads up.
 
I was able to deliver 8 ukuleles, three tuners and some strings donated by friends from the Ukulele Underground - they are going to a wonderful shanty town church where the pastor is a gifted musician. He has taught generations of children. He came with his wife and one of the young people who is now at college. We all played for an hour or so and then they went off. I am promised pictures before Easter. What a joy - pictures within 2 weeks, God willing. Be blessed all those who gave and have made this project possible. IMHO music is an eternal gift. Love you all
 
Thx so much for the update, Ian.

I have a lot of pet causes, but I don't think I've ever had such satisfaction with charitible giving as donating real ukuleles to efforts like the Shopshire Foundation (teaching music to kids in refugee camps), Survivor Girls Ukulele Band (teaching uke to child survivors of forced prostitution in India), work with flood victims in TX, and Ian's work in Peru.
It's such a tangible thing, knowing the instrument is bringing joy and self-esteem to a child...
 
I was able to deliver 8 ukuleles, three tuners and some strings donated by friends from the Ukulele Underground - they are going to a wonderful shanty town church where the pastor is a gifted musician. He has taught generations of children. He came with his wife and one of the young people who is now at college. We all played for an hour or so and then they went off. I am promised pictures before Easter. What a joy - pictures within 2 weeks, God willing. Be blessed all those who gave and have made this project possible. IMHO music is an eternal gift. Love you all

Please pm me your mailing address.
 
Hi Ian can you please PM me your address.
 
I have several sets of very low mileage strings that I am happy to share. Concert and Soprano. If you PM me a mailing address, I will send them to you.
 
Please PM me your mailing address. I know I have strings I can send, and I may also have an ukulele or two.
 
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