On Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Youth Center Ribnjak in Zagreb, we held the first meeting of our beneficiaries as part of the welcome program: Through Music for a Better Future, run in collaboration with the SO DO association (Children’s and Youth Orchestra System – El Sistema Croatia). This unique social integration program gives children and youth, including refugees, the chance to connect and grow through music workshops and orchestral playing, even if they’ve never played an instrument before.

El Sistema is an innovative music education program that uses music-making as a tool for social integration and youth development, primarily targeting marginalized communities. The core principle of the program is inclusivity—offering as many children and young people as possible the opportunity to develop skills, confidence, and teamwork through orchestral activities. This model has inspired similar programs worldwide, including in Croatia, where SO DO uses music to foster connection and integration among youth.

This collaboration between our participants and the SO DO association underscores the importance of integrating refugees and forcibly displaced people into Croatian society through the universal language of music. Recognizing the value of this project, we are supporting its implementation and provide resources so that young people from refugee families can participate in a music program that empowers them and helps build a better future.

During the first session, twenty children from refugee families had the opportunity to choose instruments and meet mentors and the music community. The program is led by maestro Damir Smerdel, with workshops set to take place at Jesuit Refugee Service’s SOL Integration Center on Wednesday and Friday afternoons starting in November.