Children's recital -- December 16th 2-4 pm
People for Peace sponsors Childrens' Holiday Recital
Saturday, December 16 from 2pm to 4pm there will be a childrens' recital sponsored by Waupaca Area People for Peace. Kids of all ages will gather at the Chez Marche Cafe, downtown Waupaca, to play their Holiday pieces for the public.
The children's Holiday Recital has been offered for several years and has been alternately sponsored by Waupaca People for Peace, the Chez Marche Cafe, as well as the Community Arts Board, with proceeds benefitting a variety of causes of special interest to local children. The first year the recital took place, key organizers were kids who were concerned about the welfare of children in Afghanistan at the beginning of the invasion of that country. Several local children felt upset that there were going to be innocent children caught in the crossfire of war, and raising money by holding the recital was their idea.
This year, the children, who are all students of the various music teachers throughout the Waupaca area, are volunteering their time to present this concert in order to raise money for the Rotary sponsored "Etta Projects." The Etta Projects is dedicated to the memory of Etta Turner, a 16 year old Washington state Rotary exchange student who was living in Bolivia and tragically died in a bus accident while there. Etta, whose joi de vivre touched many people, was well loved in the Bolivian village in which she was living. After her death, her family maintained contact and eventually developed a close relationship and commitment to the people of the village, starting the Etta Projects in order to honor their daughter's life. In June of 2003, the Comedor de Niños Etta Turner was opened in Montero, Bolivia, where Etta lived. The Comedor is located in La Floresta neighborhood which is one of the poorest in the city of Montero. Etta II, a second Comedor, is located in Pampa de la Madre, a much more rural section of Montero. Here disease and poverty are even more acute and Etta II is one of the first humanitarian aid projects in this area.
The Comedors presently service approximately one hundred twenty families, with meals going to two hundred children, ages 5 to 12. Each family was interviewed and each home visited. The children receive parasite analysis and treatment ongoing. They receive daily vitamins and iron pills for anemia and are regularly monitored as to their physical health and development. At present the children receive the main meal of the day at the Comedor, where they also spend time prior to or after meals being tutored, coloring, hearing stories and playing games. The mothers attend workshops, learning how to prepare balanced meals on a limited budget and learning about nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and preventative health. They also have seven workshops available to them that teach a skill that is then marketable. They also have access to micro financing that provides money management education, advocacy, and small business training so that they may start their own small enterprises.
The Etta Projects totally funds the daily operations of the Comedors. Funding is provided to the Etta Projects through donations. Many Rotary clubs around the world have shown an intereset in supporting the Etta Projects. For more information on the Etta Projects, go to www.ettaprojects.org.
Sandy Testin, member of Rotary, brought the projects to the attention of People for Peace, of which she is also a member. "It really fits the mission of both groups. And it is important for kids to realize that they can raise money for a good cause, that they can do good in the world."
The concert will begin at 2pm. There will be a variety of instrumentation, and even some sing along Christmas carols. Refreshments will be available. Patrons will be asked to consider giving a $5 donation to the Etta Projects.
For more information, contact Sandy Testin at 258-7510.
Saturday, December 16 from 2pm to 4pm there will be a childrens' recital sponsored by Waupaca Area People for Peace. Kids of all ages will gather at the Chez Marche Cafe, downtown Waupaca, to play their Holiday pieces for the public.
The children's Holiday Recital has been offered for several years and has been alternately sponsored by Waupaca People for Peace, the Chez Marche Cafe, as well as the Community Arts Board, with proceeds benefitting a variety of causes of special interest to local children. The first year the recital took place, key organizers were kids who were concerned about the welfare of children in Afghanistan at the beginning of the invasion of that country. Several local children felt upset that there were going to be innocent children caught in the crossfire of war, and raising money by holding the recital was their idea.
This year, the children, who are all students of the various music teachers throughout the Waupaca area, are volunteering their time to present this concert in order to raise money for the Rotary sponsored "Etta Projects." The Etta Projects is dedicated to the memory of Etta Turner, a 16 year old Washington state Rotary exchange student who was living in Bolivia and tragically died in a bus accident while there. Etta, whose joi de vivre touched many people, was well loved in the Bolivian village in which she was living. After her death, her family maintained contact and eventually developed a close relationship and commitment to the people of the village, starting the Etta Projects in order to honor their daughter's life. In June of 2003, the Comedor de Niños Etta Turner was opened in Montero, Bolivia, where Etta lived. The Comedor is located in La Floresta neighborhood which is one of the poorest in the city of Montero. Etta II, a second Comedor, is located in Pampa de la Madre, a much more rural section of Montero. Here disease and poverty are even more acute and Etta II is one of the first humanitarian aid projects in this area.
The Comedors presently service approximately one hundred twenty families, with meals going to two hundred children, ages 5 to 12. Each family was interviewed and each home visited. The children receive parasite analysis and treatment ongoing. They receive daily vitamins and iron pills for anemia and are regularly monitored as to their physical health and development. At present the children receive the main meal of the day at the Comedor, where they also spend time prior to or after meals being tutored, coloring, hearing stories and playing games. The mothers attend workshops, learning how to prepare balanced meals on a limited budget and learning about nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and preventative health. They also have seven workshops available to them that teach a skill that is then marketable. They also have access to micro financing that provides money management education, advocacy, and small business training so that they may start their own small enterprises.
The Etta Projects totally funds the daily operations of the Comedors. Funding is provided to the Etta Projects through donations. Many Rotary clubs around the world have shown an intereset in supporting the Etta Projects. For more information on the Etta Projects, go to www.ettaprojects.org.
Sandy Testin, member of Rotary, brought the projects to the attention of People for Peace, of which she is also a member. "It really fits the mission of both groups. And it is important for kids to realize that they can raise money for a good cause, that they can do good in the world."
The concert will begin at 2pm. There will be a variety of instrumentation, and even some sing along Christmas carols. Refreshments will be available. Patrons will be asked to consider giving a $5 donation to the Etta Projects.
For more information, contact Sandy Testin at 258-7510.
posted by Bonni at 6:20 AM
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