Organisers of the concert that’s been organised to raise funds for Fuel2Grow, which assists vulnerable children living in Cape Town’s townships, have promised a bumper event.
The Fuel2Grow Battle of Wits concert, on Saturday November 19, at the V&A Waterfront’s amphitheatre, is encouraging people to give to the needy.
The organisation hopes to raise R1.5 millon before the end of the year. And Saturday’s event will feature a mix of local artists including radio and television personalities such as Katlego Maboe, Michael Mol, Africa Melane and Danilo Acquisto. Zolani Mahola of Freshlyground will also be at the event.
Fuel2Grow provides a holistic support structure that gives children what they need in order to thrive. The programme has 150 children from poor backgrounds involved in its programme.
Organisers said the show will see small teams of pupils pitted against adults, including some exciting celebrities, in a nail-biting quiz. The celebrities will each be placed in an adult team and these four teams will go up against kids from schools around Cape Town as well as some of the kids from the Fuel2Grow programme, in an extreme general knowledge battle. There will be prizes for the winning teams as well as the audience throughout the day.
Organisers said Katlego and the Fuel2Grow team would also be encouraging the audience and passers-by to donate to the Fuel2Grow campaign to help reach the R1.5 million goal that needs to be reached by the end of the year. The fun-filled day will finish off with a performance by Fuel2Grow supporters, Freshlyground.
Nyasha Manjengenja, Fuel2Grow’s programme manager, said she was excited and adamant that South Africans would give generously towards the disadvantaged.
“This is about fuelling children to grow, to grow to dream to be better citizens. When they are in school they need to look smart and good like anybody else. We help where parents do not work so for children to be the best they can be,” she said.
Ms Manjengenja said some parents struggled to buy uniforms, books and other school necessities.
She said there was a need to include more children in the programme. “Unfortunately funding is one of the challenges. We need money to service children, buy meals, school uniforms and stationery, additional support at home, at their schools and in their communities, and aftercare that includes meals, sports, art activities and equipment, primary health screenings and academic support. It is unfortunately that we cannot just have bigger numbers without proper funding,” she said.
V&A Waterfront chief executive officer David Green said the key focus for the V&A Waterfront is to provide leisure and entertainment activities for the entire family, so the Fuel2Grow Battle of Wits is a perfect fit for them.
“We are also proud to be a sponsor of the event because of the great work that Fuel2Grow does, and the difference this makes in the lives of less fortunate children,” he said.
