THE Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise (RCBKS) is launching a benefit and fundraising concert to aid the refugee community living in Malaysia.
The concert, titled “A Voice for Afghan Refugees” will take place on May 6 later this year at HELP University, Shah Alam and will feature performances from the Parastoo Theatre troupe and Camerata Musicales.
The organisers hope to raise awareness of the plight of refugees in Malaysia, many of whom are left to fend for themselves without job security, or access to proper healthcare and education.
Tickets for the event start at RM120, and the proceeds will go towards purchasing food, medication and other essential needs for the refugee community and strengthening the work of Parastoo Theatre.
Parastoo Theatre is a refugee-run community and arts outreach center founded by Afghan playwright and writer Saleh Sepas in 2017. Since then, the organisation has staged many plays featuring an all-refugee cast.
Sepas believes that art is as essential to the survival and sustenance of refugees in Malaysia as food, shelter, and medication.
“Refugee communities face mental and emotional problems. They have lost their hope and self-confidence. What Parastoo does is important because we advocate and support refugees using art, to empower and motivate them,” Sepas says during the media launch last Saturday.
“Through our workshops, we bring out refugees who are in isolation. Secondly, we hope to train them in a new skill whether it is in writing, directing, or acting because they do not have opportunities for education.
"The third role Parastoo plays is to bridge the gap and address the xenophobia between the Malaysian community and the refugee community. We hope to remove this gap and bring all our communities together,” Sepas explained.
“I am part of the Malaysian community. I have a responsibility and a role to play in this country,” he added. He hopes the Malaysian public will join in this endeavour to uplift the refugee community and calls on attendees to support the concert by purchasing a ticket.
RCBKS has been actively involved in community service since 1992, and the organisation is dedicated to restoring the dignity of refugees through this special concert.
Camerata Musicales' director and conductor Lee Jia Jie, or JJ, echoed Sepas’ sentiments and strongly believes that "art lives through performance. While nations advance with science, society matures with art. Combined, art and charity become a ray of hope reaching out to mankind in need."
The organisers hope to raise RM50,000 until the concert day. A part of the proceeds will be used to establish Parastoo Learning Centre which will focus on providing arts-based education and capacity training activities for the refugee community.
Tickets are available for purchase to individuals and corporations. Advertisers and sponsors are also welcome to take part by sponsoring cost items such as equipment and F&B for the event. – The Vibes, February 28, 2023
