Raising voices for a cause
Music has that ability to deliver a strong message, it also has the power to bring people together. ‘Music for Unity’, is Awakening Lanka’s latest venture and is aimed at raising funds for the people of Poonakary. The concert will be held on April 29 at the CR&FC grounds, Colombo 7, starting at 5pm. Poonakary is a small village, located in the Kilinochchi District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It comprises of a population of 20,000 people. ‘Appe Lanka’ which was initiated by Awakening Lanka and endorsed by the Ministry of Reconciliation and Reconstruction, is a project aimed at helping such communities achieve sustainable development.
“All the musicians will be performing free of charge, to help raise funds,” Shaan Corea, the founder of ‘Appe Lanka’ tells us. She adds, later this year an art exhibition and a photographic exhibition will also be held to raise funds for Poonakary.
Awakening Lanka was founded with the goal of empowering Sri Lankans. Their mission starts with Poonakary and aims to enable these comunities to realize their full potential by giving them the knowledge and skill set they need to become self-reliant and self-fulfilled while contributing to their families, society, and country.
‘Appe Lanka’ is already underway in Poonakary and has completed the pilot project of providing solar home systems to 28 homes in the village, with another 1,000 homes identified in the next phase for nearby villages.
Aside from this, a team of 20 counsellors, who have undergone a six-month training programme, began counselling in five Poonakary schools, last September (2016). The counsellors have been trained to deal with specific psycho-social issues – these issues relate to reconciliation and healing, including aspects such as dealing with the loss of friends, parents and family members; sexual abuse, truancy and school attendance; fears of failure and retribution; confidence and self-worth; peer pressure, bullying and substance abuse.They are looking to expand their curriculum.
“This year, we donated 75 bicycles to the villagers and 23 computers to all the schools of Poonakary. We also conducted a peace and reconciliation fun fair, in January, where people performed a series of cultural events,” Shaan says.
Furthermore, ‘Appe Lanka’ aims to provide professional training and employment opportunities in this area. They also hope to introduce English language lessons to school children, young adults and the workforce using DVD’s that have been tailormade for those in the Norther and East.
They hope that the sustainable employment provided for the people of Poonakary will improve their lives by enabling them access to better opportunities.
‘Music for Unity’ will feature artists such as ‘Magic Box Mixup’, En Route, ‘Circus Cult,’ ‘Kingdom Life,’ ‘The Bakery,’ ‘Slips’ ‘Neptune, D&D, Encore, Kryptonite and guest stars, Diarra, Melissa and Rapti.
Tickets for the event are priced at Rs.1000 and are available at CR & FC, Kess, ANIM8, Hermitage Gallery (Gower Street) and Cult Studio (Bernard Business Park- Kohuwela). The evening promises fun filled activities for children as well. Kids under 12 walk in free. Ladies will receive gift packs.
Some of the faces that will be performing for ‘Music For Unity
For more details, contact Jenny – 0777736476, 0772872056. Online payments can be made at books.lk