FUNKRAISER!

(Hong Kong, Monday 22^nd September 2003) – Hong Kong’s fourth FUNKRAISER will be held to raise money for the Child Welfare Scheme in Nepal.

We are holding a FUNKRAISER at The Music Room, 2/f, California Entertainment Building, 34-36 D'Aguilar Street, Central on Saturday 11th October from 9pm till 4am.

Nude will play live and DJs Daddy Vegas, Steve Bruce, Simon Pang and Doggy will spin funky tunes. The music policy is strictly old-school – funk, soul, rare groove, jazz and reggae. Dancers are definitely encouraged to get their afros and flares on – dress code is funky. Tickets will be on sale at the door for $100 with all proceeds going to The Child Welfare Scheme, in Nepal.

The Child Welfare Scheme (CWS) is a UK registered charity that has been operating in Nepal for the past nine years. Building day-care and vocational training centres, it provides education and social welfare for kindergarten to teenage children in remote villages in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas and in the city of Pokhara. The FUNKRAISER party will raise funds to continue sponsoring students who are now in their third and final year at the Job Youth Opportunity Training Institute (JYOTI – which means blaze of brightness in Nepali). Money from the previous Funkraiser parties sponsored the same students through their first two years at the Institute.

The aim of the JYOTI vocational centre is to give youngsters of 14-16 a second chance.  Many of the target youths find themselves in situations in which they are exploited or forced to resort to menial work and begging.  By removing them from these situations and providing them with the means to become contributing members of their society, the JYOTI centre helps them become active members of their communities. To achieve this, the teenagers are offered places in a hostel and full-time education or taken on to complete shorter courses. They are taught practical skills allowing them to become financially independent, as well as general subjects such as maths, Nepali and accountancy. Support is also offered after they have completed their training so that they can find jobs and regain a sense of self-worth.

CWS's founder and Director, Douglas Maclagan has appeared twice in South China Morning Post articles talking about his work and the charity. Most of their major sponsors are based in HK, for example, Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, the Body Shop, and Samsung.

For further enquiries and tickets, please contact Doggy on 9497 4599 or at dogmonster1@hotmail.com