The month of May is finally here. A month spent in celebration both in South Africa and Norway, where friends and family gather to join in on the merrymaking. Get your fine clothing out from the closet and get ready for a month of celebrations.

For Africa Month and Africa Day the PULSE team have prepared several different events, in collaboration with FBF and NMF. The friendship between our two host organisations is as strong as ever, despite the exchange being digital this year. On the 17^th of May, the Norwegian Constitution Day, the South members of PULSE will be joining in on NMF’s celebratory livestream with a musical piece, a wonderful display of friendship and collaboration.  
Follow the livestream here : https://fb.me/e/p3Vf9i9wY
It will go live from 07am to 13.pm, and our South Participants will play live at ca 09.45am.

In addition to this, PULSE have been working hard writing and arranging music for the Field band. This music will be distributed to the bands on the field, with the aim of being performed on Africa Day. All the field bands will be celebrating this day with friends and family throughout their respective regions. Regalia and traditional attires will be the order of the day with traditional music from different cultures.

In Norway, May is also a month packed with events, such as Ascension Day, Constitution Day, Pentecost and Confirmations. Bunads are being cleaned and ironed, ready to be used on the 17^th of May, despite large parts of the normal celebrations beings cancelled due to restrictions. That will however not stop most from dressing up nicely and partake in the celebrations from home. Bunad is the national costume of Norway, the cut and colors of the Bunad represents the region you are from.

With so many different celebratory days lined up, there is no shortage of opportunities to go out and have some fun, in a safe manner of course. The PULSE team is also making sure that there are events planned throughout the month, and we hope all of our friends out there will join us.

This week the PULSE team is going through with Virtual Educational Band visits, or VEBV, as it is called in the office.
Since travel is restricted and the North participants are stuck in Norway, organising the band visits virtually allows them to join in, despite the great distance between our two respective countries. It is exciting that these visits are happening, as it will give members of the PULSE team the chance to meet old acquaintances and rekindle the friendship that was built in previous years. It will also give the newest members of the PULSE team, Sofia and Nicholas, a great chance to take part in meeting with the different bands and introduce themselves. Who knows, perhaps new friendships will arise just as old ones are renewed. 

During VEBV, the PULSE team will be virtually visiting three bands a day where they will be teaching three different topics. Topics to be taught are music theory, lifeskills, self-care, team dynamics (how to work as a team), “The Challenge of the year” and evaluation. The purpose of these workshops are to upskill the staff members with the correct knowledge of running the bands and making sure that the team dynamics are understood. This is why upskilling is so important, making sure that the bands are running smoothly, while also being a safe haven for everyone is what FBF and PULSE strives for. The bands are not only a place of learning, but also a place to developing oneself in different ways, yet most importantly; it is a place where friendships take root and grows.

Friendship is important, this is why we are

Authors: Nicholas Bahrawy and Jacob Mhlapeng.

Pictures 1: Photographer unknown.

Picture 2: PULSE