2nd Sunday in OT (A)
January 17, 2020
The call to be of witness
January 17, 2020
What do former Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliam, former national cyclist Michael Phillips, former Attorney General Garvin Nicholas, soca performer 5Star Akil (Akil Borneo) and Deacon Derek Walcott all have in common? They’re all lending their support to the fundraiser, ‘Sa Va Yon’ which takes place on Friday, January 24 at the Lions Cultural Centre, Fitzblackman Drive, Port of Spain. There will be performances by top artistes including the Incredible Myron B, Lujoe & the Gifted and DJ Joy Juice.
On Friday, January 10 a host of celebrities, athletes and influencers came together in support of the event being organised by the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP).
The gathering at Myron B’s IENT Studio in Maraval was for a promotional video ad produced by Kirk Langton of KLDE.
Others lending their time and talent to the ad were: entrepreneur Elizabeth ‘Lady’ Montano; musician Roger Salloum; PR/communications specialist Dennise Demming; HIV/AIDS activist and patient advocate Conrad Mitchell; comedian/emcee Errol Fabien; bilingual consultant Elizabeth Dennis; Cevel Regis – IENT Manager; Dr Ayanna Sebro, Technical Director, NACC; Yolanda Simon, Vice Chair, NACC; Vaughnette Bigford of Jazz Chanteuse; and Winston Drayton of the SVP.
Sa Va Yon will be a hybrid parang-kaiso mixer with major performers from both genres and with a targeted mature crowd. It will also act as a NACC networking event where all stakeholders gather to facilitate relationship building and to celebrate successes in the national response, while eliciting further support from private sector partners.
The NACC is a multi-sectoral coordinating committee under the Office of the Prime Minister which includes participation of major stakeholder groups such as non-governmental organisations, persons living with HIV, civil society organisations, key population advocates, trade unions, government, international and regional agencies, academic and private sector organisations whose mission is to challenge and encourage the national community to work in partnership to prevent and treat HIV, and to mitigate its negative impacts in an environment that promotes respect, care and support for all.
The Cyril Ross Home, an institution owned and operated by the SVP, is responsible for the medical management of both in-house and outpatient children who have been diagnosed with HIV.
The funds raised from this venture will be used to assist the Home with its capacity building, programmatic and outreach activities specifically for their paediatric charges, both in their immediate needs for staffing, medicines etc. and in their future psychosocial developmental needs.
Tickets for Sa Va Yon are $300 and are available at all J&K Signature Styles Stores nationwide, TIFARA Boutique Long Circular Mall and Grill4U in Maraval and St Ann’s.
