Samson Diamond, the Buskaid Group's concert master, has been involved with the group since 1997
			Samson Diamond, the Buskaid group's concertmaster has been involved with the orchestra since its inception in 1997
			Innocentia Diamond, 13 year old lead cellist of the Buskaid Group, with other members of the orchestra

Numerous corporate sponsors, including De Beers (an international diamond mining and marketing company with roots firmly in southern Africa)
The Presbyterian Church

De Beers has been one of the corporate sponsors of an extraordinary project in Soweto, one of the most notorious townships in South Africa.

The Buskaid project began five years ago with a handful of township children and transformed them into a professional, internationally recognised classical string orchestra that travels far and wide and has released three CDs.

The impact on the lives of these children, their families and the supporting community has been enormous.

There could be no clearer demonstration of the tenets of sustainable development than taking children from an impoverished community in Soweto and not only teach them life-long skills to produce beautiful music but also an opportunity to provide a source of income for their families.

The orchestra has brought international acclaim to a township known previously only for its hardship and political violence.

The results are tangible. There are currently about 150 children in the project. Most are students gaining a classical musical education and training as skilled musicians. About 30 of the group are members of the professional orchestra and they are earning enough money to attend private academic schools and buy their supplies.

Some of the students are beginning to be recognised and offered scholarships at leading music conservatories abroad.

The facts that the orchestra is commercially viable and produces CDs and is invited to perform overseas is another testament to its success.

With corporate support and the dedication of individuals such as British Violinist Rosmeary Naiden, children throughout the world can be taught to play music at a professional level, thereby acquiring skills to secure employment on a sustainable basis.

As Rosemary Naiden points out, children in these circumstances have very little else to hold on to, so they bring a passion and commitment to the music that is difficult to match.

The Buskaid Orchestra has proved an enormous inspiration in Soweto, not only to the children on the waiting list but also to those not directly involved but who will appreciate the benefits of dedication and commitment.

The tremendous success of this project and the ability to raise and maintain corporate funding is surely also an inspiration to other dedicated individuals who are considering similar projects which seek to uplift and transform the lives of individuals within their own communities.

The most important inspiration appears to be in the lives of the children themselves. The young musicians and their teachers agree that their lives have been completely transformed by this experience. Apart from the inner confidence and experience that international exposure must surely bring, they find that these children are inspiring children globally though their achievements.

The Presbyterian Church of Johannesburg donated the land on which the Buskaid Project is sited.

De Beers is one of a number of corporate sponsors who have funded the project over its life-span.

The company remains involved by sponsoring specific events where appropriate and has recently assisted in obtaining a subsidy for the Buskaid concert master to begin studying later this year at the Royal Northern School of Music in Manchester, England.