A happy Ukulele Underground story and big, BIG thanks to Aquila and Mimmo

ukeinfused

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A year ago, I posted here hoping UU folks might help the Shropshire Music Foundation get some ukes shipped to their programs in Greek refugee camps.

Well, that little post and the world-wide network of UU - along with the passion of Liz Shropshire and one very generous string maker over in Italy - created a miracle!
Via ukes donated by Mimmo, teen volunteers in the camps will continue to teach the healing power of music to hundreds of other kids in Greece, Kosovo, and Uganda.

Hope you can see this story on Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156352345297801&id=590537800

And if you'd like to learn more about Shropshire and the life changing work they do using ukuleles with refugee kids, or maybe you'd like to contribute to this amazing little non-profit, please see my original post for links:

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...to-a-kid-in-a-refugee-camp!&highlight=Refugee

Thrilled.
And like many others, I am grateful to the folks that make this site go...
 
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A great BIG Mahalo nui loa for sharing this Tracie! And a GREAT BIG Mahalo nui loa to Liz Shropshire for the wonderful work that you are doing through your SMF Peace Through Music Program, as well as all of the SMF volunteers donating their time to help so many Yazidi refugees. And a VERY SPECIAL, BIG MAHALO NUI LOA to Mimmo for your kind gesture for stepping up to provide the ukuleles needed for SMF!!!
:shaka:

YOU ARE ALL SO VERY AMAZING!!! MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL FOR SPREADING THE LOVE!!!
:love:
 
I am very pleased to read about all of this and it makes me happy to see.

Kudos to you Tracie for pulling all of this together here on UU.

Thanks for sharing! :)
 
OK, here's a copy of Liz's post for those of you who don't have Facebook.
I even figured out how to attach the photos of Liz with Mimmo at the string factory, and the kids with the Aquila ukes. :)

"This has been a 3-country trip. 1st-- Kosovo, 2nd--Italy, and 3rd--Greece. I haven't posted about Italy yet because I wanted to tell the entire story right, and here it is: A year ago, thanks to Tracie Anderson and the Ukulele Underground (a real thing) I met MIMMO PERUFFO, who invented the strings used on almost every ukulele sold in the world today. (Aquila Strings.) Mimmo read about our difficulties getting ukes for the Yazidi Refugees in Greece, and offered to donate as many as we needed. The ukes he donated were unique--they are both extremely durable AND project a beautiful tone, making them perfect for us! We stayed in touch, and when I saw that my flights would take me through Italy enroute to Greece from Kosovo, I arranged a meeting with him in Vicenza, Italy, which is one hour from Venice. After leaving Kosovo, I flew to Venice, and the next day traveled by train to Vicenza. Mimmo gave me a tour of the fascinating process of Aquila String making---and then we crossed the street to the Mercatino Ukulele Showcase. Together with two others from his team, we discussed why ukulele is such an important part of the SMF Peace Through Music Program, and I showed them video of the Yazidi Youth Volunteers playing the ukuleles he donated. The next thing I knew, Mimmo asked me how many ukuleles we needed per year, and said that they would provide them for us. I almost cried with joy. They donated ukuleles for our Uganda program immediately, and arranged for future ukuleles for our other programs. I'm attaching some photos of our meetings and of the Yazidi Refugees with their ukuleles from this amazing and generous man and his company! #TeachingPeaceThroughMusic #AquilaCordeArmoniche #MercatinoDellUkulele #ShropshireMusicFoundation"

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