After travelling to Valencia in January to see first-hand the situation of those affected by the DANA, the members of the Soroptimist International Costa del Sol (SI) association knew they wanted to do something to help. To that end, jazz singer Janet Powell gave a solidarity concert on Sunday 23rd at the association's headquarters (in the Zoco de Calahonda) to raise funds.
- En torno a medio centenar de personas asistieron al concierto.
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"We went to Valencia in January to get to know the area and it's impressive to see it, because you see the news and you get an idea, but you don't really realise what these people are going through until you go there and see it", said SI president, Daphne Theunissen. This solidarity initiative is part of SI's project ‘Soroptimist, a tu lado' (Soroptimist, by your side) and the funds are specifically aimed at women entrepreneurs in Valencia.
- De izq. a dcha., A. Skou, J. Powell y D. Theunissen.
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Music for solidarity
"We got in touch with women with businesses there, many of them are self-employed with rented premises, yoga instructors, physiotherapists, people who make clothes for the mountains... and they told us that they needed help. We had the opportunity to sit down and talk to them; I think that just paying attention to them and showing our interest is important to them", added Theunissen, who is very aware of the cause.
Around 50 people attended the Janet Powell concert. For the singer it was also a very special event: "When I heard what had happened, it was devastating, so I wondered what I could do to really help, and they came from Soroptimist and asked me to sing at this event, and that's how the idea came about", she explained. Powell said she has been singing for about 10 years and is now working on the songs for the album, "which I'm going to release in the summer", she said.
- Desde Soroptimist ya están pensando en más iniciativas solidarias.
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A helping hand
Members of the Foreigners Department of the Mijas Town Hall also attended the concert to collaborate. "We need to do more activities, because the problem is so big that we need to raise more money", said Theunissen, who explained that her group is already thinking of more solidarity activities and encouraged other groups to do the same.
Raising awareness
"We have reached these women through contacts we have there in Valencia and we like to help women who are working, professional women, because once their businesses are up and running again, the aid won't only be for them, but also for the people around them", added the president of SI, who said after seeing the catastrophe in Valencia in person, that "the Valencians feel very abandoned and I think that going there and seeing them is important. The fact that you from Mijas Comunicación are here to raise awareness of our work is fantastic, so that other people can also help, because there are many needs and perhaps their recovery will take years. It is important to raise awarenes and money", she said.
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