#Action4Inclusion

On Saturday, 31 August 2024, Palissander presented a special music concert in support of #Action4Inclusion, led by esteemed advocate and social justice champion, Prof. Thuli Madonsela. The #Action4Inclusion crowdfunding initiative is a key component of the Stellenbosch University's Bridge the Gap annual fund, and a top priority for the university. It is a crucial step towards ending student debt and unlocking students' potential, enabling them to actively contribute to our country's development.

The concert featured participation from thought leaders, CEOs, members of the public and media, all united in the mission to support students facing financial challenges. As acceptance and abundance are two of Palissander’s core values, we were excited to kick off this ambitious initiative aimed at raising funds for students in need. Later in 2024, Prof. Madonsela would continue on the Pilgrimage of Hope, a 300 km journey from Stellenbosch to Cape Agulhas. While fundraising to eradicate student debt, this trek would traverse mountains, farmlands and beaches, fostering connections with diverse communities along the way. The #Action4Inclusion Palissander concert served as a precursor to and activation of this significant walk, generating interest and support for the journey ahead.

For the #Action4Inclusion concert, we designed a bespoke programme entitled Drop in the ocean. The perspective in the programme is that every one of us matters and that all of us have received grace. We need to remember that we have wings—even if people say we can’t fly, our wings can still take us high. We should therefore have the courage to pursue our dreams. In doing this, we are not necessarily alone—support and understanding could come from unexpected quarters. Even if we feel that we have reached breaking point, there could be people who would bend with us so that we do not break. We should therefore head out on our journeys and sow seeds as we go for others to be blessed. Love abounds in all and what we do has a ripple effect.

In the words of Mother Teresa: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Join us in making a difference and ensuring access to education. If each one of us were to contribute but a drop, the ripple effect on the future of South Africa would be beyond our imagination.

 

Pioneer School for the Blind and Innovation for the Blind

Palissander has a strong association with the Bosjes Chapel outside Worcester in South Africa. In 2016, we became aware that this magnificent chapel was nearing completion and initiated the first-ever concert in the venue.

We invited pupils from the Worcester Pioneer School for the Blind, that was established in 1881 and remains a beacon of hope for many parents and learners, to join us.

Today, the Pioneer School caters for:

• blind learners
• partially sighted learners
• deafblind learners
• learners with learning barriers
• multiple disabled learners
• career development

 

For the occasion, we commissioned a setting of the text that inspired the architecture of the chapel, namely Psalm 36:7-9: "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house: you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light".

Since then, the Bosjes Chapel has become one of our favourite venues worldwide. On 31 August 2019, Palissander again gave two benefit concerts in the Bosjes Chapel for the Pioneer School. Once more, pupils from the school joined us for the performance.   

On 25 August 2024, we were honoured to present a service in the chapel, with the proceeds going to the Institute for the Blind in Worcester. The Institute, now called Innovation for the Blind, is a non-profit organisation that has been catering to the all-inclusive, specialised needs of visually impaired adults since 1881. Its mission is to empower adults with visual impairments through training, development, and care to experience quality of life and reach maximal levels of independence, and to offer specialised care and support to older persons.

• New Jerusalem Children's Home

New Jerusalem provides residential care for abandoned, abused, traumatised, orphaned, HIV-positive children and vulnerable youth. In addition, family preservation, poverty alleviation and early learning Educare programmes are being conducted. The home aims to fullfil the children`s physical, social, emotional, spiritual and educational needs. It wants to be a good proxy for caring family.

 

Palissander participated in a benefit concert for the New Jerusalem home on 24 May 2009.

 

Heartbeat (http:/www.heartbeat.org.za)

In 2004 it was estimated that 12 million children had already lost one or both parents due to HIV globally and that by 2010 that number would increase to 18 million children. In South Africa specifically it was estimated that the number of orphans would increase to 3,1 million (18% of children) by 2010.

 

Each member of the South African community has to decide how to respond to this challenge:

One person who decided to extend love and compassion is Dr Sunette (Pienaar) Steyn, who founded Heartbeat in 2000 in response to this massive orphan challenge in South Africa. Since its inception Heartbeat has reached more than 55000 orphaned and vulnerable children through direct and indirect interventions. These include child-headed households, granny-headed households and potential orphans living with terminally-ill parents.

 

In 2005 Palissander gave a benefit concert to raise funds for Heartbeat and in 2007 the choir performed at the Heartbeat Annual General Meeting. In 2008 Palissander decided to associate itself formally with the organisation. The Hymn to Life CD released in 2008 raises awareness of Heartbeat’s efforts and the CD booklet includes drawings by children who have benefitted from Heartbeat’s interventions.

  

Two residents of Dolphin House, together with their case worker, accompanied Palissander on its tour to Barcelona and France in July 2011.  A vulnerable youth, a care worker, and a previously disadvantaged young adult again performed with the choir as African percussionists during its tour to France in July 2013.

 

      

 

The children who started with The Soccajasco Kids project were persuaded by child-care workers doing outreach work on the streets to come to the Itumeleng shelter in Pretoria. In 2000 Nigerian Professor Meki Nzewi arrived in Pretoria and met some of these children. He recognised their unharnessed potential and the possibility of transforming their lives and of giving them a future full of hope through African musical arts education.

 

Prof. Nzewi started training the children in classical African drumming and moulded them into a performing group, The Soccajasco Kids. Initially the group consisted only of boys, but building on the success with them, a number of girls have also been introduced to the art of African drumming as part of this performing arts empowerment project.

 

Palissander initiated co-operation with the Kids in response to a request by the International Music Council to musicians world-wide to initiate projects that would promote peace through music and music through peace. The choir responded by establishing a multicultural ensemble including a Zulu praise singer and members of The Soccajasco Kids to perform a Peace programme at the Conference of the International Society for Music Education in Bergen, Norway in July 2002. The ensemble was the only performing group from Africa selected to perform at the conference.

 

Since then members of The Soccajasco Kids have joined Palissander in performances on the following occasions: