The CDP Foundation partners with World Youth Orchestra to support young people in Thailand and Morocco

The CDP Foundation partners with World Youth Orchestra to support young people in Thailand and Morocco

Launch of the WYO4CHILDREN project, which uses music as a tool to support emotional well-being and offer new opportunities for growth to children and teens

 

Music as a language of hope, unity and comfort: this is the guiding principle of WYO4CHILDREN, the new initiative promoted by the World Youth Orchestra Foundation and supported by the CDP Foundation, which brings music education to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Following the success of past editions in Vietnam and Morocco, the project has now arrived in Thailand – at the Wangnoi Phanomyong Wittaya School in Bangkok – and returns to the African country at the Amis des Orphelins in Fez.

The goal is to provide 70 children and teens aged 7 to 18 living in particularly fragile circumstances with a chance to grow both individually and socially through music. Throughout the year, weekly sessions will introduce participants to the basics of music, offering them the chance to learn classical and traditional instruments, sing in a choir and develop interpersonal skills. The programme includes recitals and small concerts, culminating in a final event where the children will be able to share their experiences and strengthen their connections with the community that welcomes them.

WYO4CHILDREN is part of the broader Sounds of Brotherhood project, which in 2025 will take place in Thailand and Morocco. With the support of the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institutes in Bangkok and Rabat, the initiative seeks to foster artistic and cultural cooperation, promote ongoing education and support the international mobility of young talent.

“With the initiatives in Thailand and Morocco, the Sounds of Brotherhood project expanded its scope and strengthened the vision of a cultural initiative capable of generating widespread value for local communities. The CDP Foundation’s efforts are thus broadening not only geographically but also in terms of social impact, offering young talent and children in vulnerable situations new opportunities for expression, growth and inclusion through culture and the transformative power of music”, said Francesca Sofia, General Director of the CDP Foundation.
“The musical activities delivered through the WYO4CHILDREN project have a strong impact on the cognitive, creative and emotional development of the young participants, helping to improve their mental and social well-being, restoring balance and vitality to their emotional world”, said Maestro Giuranna, who leads the World Youth Orchestra Foundation. 

In Thailand, the project is hosted by the Wangnoi Phanomyong Witthaya School, which for years has been supported by the Chaipattana Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded in 1988 by King Bhumibol. It involves over 35 children aged 7 to 11 in violin, piano and singing workshops, coordinated by Professor Sira Tabin and three professional musicians.

In Morocco, the Childhood Protection Center for Girls in Fez – supported by the non-profit association Friends of Fez Orphans (FOFO) – is committed to improving the lives of girls from families facing severe economic hardship, with parents who have physical or mental disabilities, or who are victims of domestic violence. Here, in a programme coordinated by Zakia Elyoubi and two professional musicians, more than 35 girls aged 9 to 17 are learning to play traditional instruments such as the oud and darbouka as well as classical guitar, in addition to singing workshops.
 

“WYO4CHILDREN is a valuable opportunity for personal and community growth. Music teaches young people the importance of commitment, collaboration and sharing, offering them powerful tools to cope with life”, commented Adolfo Vannucci, President of the World Youth Orchestra Foundation. 
“The work of the World Youth Orchestra, in collaboration with the Chaipattana Foundation, provides a unique opportunity for disadvantaged Thai children and young people to develop new skills through music. It stands as a meaningful testimony to the strong ties of friendship between Italy and Thailand”, said Paolo Dionisi, Italian Ambassador to Thailand.