“Don’t quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can’t see it. Listen to your drum and your drum only. It’s the one that makes the sweetest sound,” said Simon Sinek, British-American author, motivational speaker and organisational consultant.
Just as Sinek talks about not quitting and drumming, Cecil Macdonald Hanadoeb never gives up on life. Despite being unemployed, he offers free drumming classes at the north-western town of Khorixas.
The 20-year-old has been offering free drumming classes for the past two months from his mother’s house where currently he has seven students. The drumming classes are offered for those between the ages of eight and 30. Training takes place every weekend from 15h00, and is joined by Alfons Lemisiu, who is the admin officer for the classes.
Hanadoeb was previously employed at a restaurant at the coastal town of Swakopmund but after he lost his job, he decided to move back to Khorixas and offer himself to the betterment of his follow young people by providing these classes.
“I started my drumming school with the aim to push young people away from their corrupt peers,” he said. “My objective is to bring the love of sound and music to young people. I want to send a message that change can also be made without using words.”
Hanadoeb describes himself as a happy and loving person with the drive to bring change to others as it was brought to him through drumming. He adds that the struggles he went through were tough and so aims to encourage his follow youth not to take the wrong path in life.
According to the young drummer, youth at Khorixas are challenged by peer pressure, drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies and senseless violence. They also do not take their education seriously.
Hanadoeb’s advice to the youth is to help each other. “If we don’t take care of each other then we will just end up destroying each other and the world.”
The former Cornelius Goreseb High School pupil says that being a drummer is joyful, as you can feel emotions flow through every beat and sound that comes from the drum.
He says he started drumming while at school when he was part of the school choir. Hanadoeb, who is a part of all-male acapella group, also repairs broken skin drums and teaches songs to schools during his free time.
Within five years, he wants to register a music and arts school that aims to assist people countrywide. At the moment, Hanadoeb is challenged in terms of equipment but does not allow this to stop him from performing at various events.
Drumming for Hanadoeb is a way of sending a message of happiness, which he wants to share with others.
For more information, call Hanadoeb at 081 438 3494.
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