|
On Tuesday, Oct. 23, a group
of Rwandan children will take
the audience at Southwestern
Community College on a journey
into the lives of the Rwandan
people through music, dance,
costumes and drumming. They
are known as the Mizero Troupe.
In Kinyarwanda, mizero means
hope. Most of the youth were
orphaned during the 1994 genocide.
The tour of these cultural
ambassadors to the United
States brings them to Sylva
at 10 a.m. Oct. 23, in the
Balsam Center of SCC's Jackson
Campus. Their tour concludes
at the United Nations Day
in New York in December. Sarah
Hipp,a former SCC student,
manages the tour. Led by musician
Jean-Paul Samputu, the youth
share their gift of music
and performance while raising
awareness about the million
other orphans.
*
* * *
Special Invitation
The Student Life Committee,
The Global Education Committee,
The Ethnic and Gender Diversity
Committee, and Student Support
Services of Southwestern Community
College invite you to attend
a performance of :
Mizero Children of Rwanda
Hope Tour -- Tuesday, October
23rd, at 10:00 in Myers Auditorium,
Sylva Campus of SCC
This performance of drumming,
dancing, singing, and telling
of personal stories will be
done by 12 Rwandan children
(orphans, ages 9-15) who are
led by musician Jean-Paul
Samputu.
http://www.mizerochildren.org/hopetour/
| Reasons
to attend: |
| 1. |
The person
leading the tour, Jean
Paul Samputu, is an internationally
known musician. http://www.samputu.com/ |
| 2. |
Samputu connected with
these kids by hearing
them on the streets of
Kigali (capitol of Rwanda).
They had talent and desire
when it came to dancing
and making music (especially
things that came from
their tribal traditions). |
| 3. |
He and they, see themselves
as offering a message
of how real reconciliation
can come for the world...
even, and especially,
if it arises from the
worst possible trials.
(The kids, 6 girls and
6 boys, age 9-15, are
all orphans. Either because
of the genocide of 1994
or because of AIDS. They
know what they are talking
about!) |
| 4. |
| Part
of what they are
doing is fundraising...
They will be taking
donations, and selling
Coffee (they helped
raise) and CD's |
| A) |
to provide basic
housing for the
boys. ---- They
live in a bank parking
lot when they are
home in Kigali,
Rwanda. If they
don't get to their
parking lot by the
time it is locked
up at the end of
the day, the police
pick them up and
put them in jail,
which is both unsanitary
and unsafe for these
children. |
| B)
|
They are fundraising
for Cultural Arts
Academy… It
is about giving
life and providing
deeper reconciliation
for a land torn
apart by genocide. |
| C) |
They are seeking
support that they
may stay on the
radar screen of
the world and be
known as a resource
for reconciliation
for all peoples.
|
|
| 5. |
Sarah Hipp, who is helping
to manage this tour is
a former SCC student,
a force of nature, and
a fine representative
of us. (The tour will
be performing at two UN
sponsored events - one
in Montreal and one in
New York city!) |
###
|
