Using music to fight malaria
Jacaranda Cultural Centre will tomorrow host an arts exhibition. The brain behind the event is musician Code Sangala, who is also former Malawi representative at the Big Brother Africa television reality show and Quinn Annie Marie, a musician. Our Arts editor EDITH GONDWE caught up with Code to discuss the event and more.
Q
: What is the Malaria Stories Art Exhibition?
A
: (Code): Malaria Stories Art Exhibition is a platform to raise awareness on the killer disease through paintings. Although it a preventable disease, malaria continues to pose a serious threat to the lives of people in Malawi especially children. Through the exhibition, we seek to raise funds to contribute towards the refurbishment of the paediatric, accidents and emergency departments at Chikwawa District Hospital. The art exhibition is a depiction of the effects of malaria from an everyday Malawi perspective.
MAM has partnered with Jacaranda Cultural Centre and Art Malawi in order to make the exhibition possible.
We believe that the exhibition is a unique concept and an effective fundraising tool that will not only generate funds but involve Malawian artists as well create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration on malaria intervention in Malawi.
Music Against Malaria [MAM] seeks to bridge the gap between government efforts and the donor community on health matters by being proactive. We hope to work with both sectors.
MAM has recently been given access to the malaria research ward through Blantyre Malaria Project with the blessing of Dr Terrie Taylor. Some of the art pieces have been inspired by the stories we collected at the research department as well as our needs assessment done at Chikwawa District Hospital.
Q
: Who are the exhibitors and how were they identified?
A
: (Quinn Annie Marie): The exhibitors are Andrew Missi, Taz, William Chikomo, Kondwani Hara, Gilbert Mpakule and Hamilton Kameza. The artists were hand-picked by their representatives Art Malawi for their different styles and subject matters. Some artists focus on portrait and figures, whilst others are inspired by landscapes and social issues. We felt this would be a perfect mix of styles and talents to portray our collection of malaria stories, which include stories from local Malawians, medical information and locations all in the aid of spreading the message of malaria awareness and prevention whilst preserving and supporting Malawian cultural heritage.
Q
: You are a celebrity, yand seem to have a soft spot for children and the fight against malaria. Where do you get your inspiration or motivation?
A
: (Code): I am a father of one and I strongly believe that to build a strong nation, we need to invest heavily in the health of our children.
Unfortunately, malaria is our enemy and we have to fight to win this war against this killer disease. I went through a near death experience with malaria, I am dedicating my time and energy towards the eradication of malaria in Malawi.
Q: You have been involved in the fight against malaria for sometime, tell us the progress?
A
(Quinn Annie Marie): The progress is good so far. We have Total Malawi who have given MAM a K2 million donation to go towards our MAM Cultural Festival in October. We are having other companies opening their doors to support the initiative. We have deliverables amounting to K19 million in hospital equipment that needs to be purchased for Chikwawa District Hospital between now and October. Farming and Engineering Services have given it a head start to check off two patient trolleys to the tune of K500 000. We truly thank Total Malawi and FES for the support. We have several companies that have made pledges as we approach the second quarter. Other deliverables on the list include six oxygen concentrators worth K8 631 000, six drip stands worth K924 750 two electric suction machines worth K1 700 000, six patient monitors worth K7 800 000.
Q
: Any final remarks?
A
: (Code): We truly wish to collaborate with the Health Ministry and other organisations such as Unicef and UNDP to further support this initiative. The event will be spiced by music from Anniemarie Quinn, Agorosso and Code Sangala and The Tribe Band. Snacks and beverages will be available. We hope to see folks make a purchase at this unique art exhibition. For those who wish to make a donation, we have an online platform through the ink: https://www.gofundme.com/music-against-malaria-chikwawa-district-hospital and our bank details are Music against Malaria Trust, National Bank, Top Mandala, Account no: 1004334333. n
