Buriton’s Concert for Ghana May 31, 2009

The delicate sounds of a special piano recital will be in the air in Buriton on Sunday 31st May as villagers show support for friends thousands of miles away in rural Africa.

In celebration of the anniversaries of Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, local pianist Tom Cooper will be performing a series of appropriate pieces.

The concert is being held to raise more awareness for Buriton’s link with Dominase in southern Ghana - and to help to raise money for much-needed water and sanitation projects there.

Building on links initially established by St Mary’s church, residents have formed a wider ‘Village-to-Village’ Group to help the small West African community.

“Over recent years we have helped Dominase obtain new wells and supplies of fresh drinking water” explains Mary Owens, Chairman of the Group “and the people of Buriton have also helped to provide a health clinic with a generator, medical supplies and funding for living quarters for a nurse.”

“Our village school is now linked to the Mafu School in Ghana” she added “but inadequate sanitation is a big killer of young children in Africa and we hope that we can provide some new, hygienic latrine toilets near to the school with some sort of hand-washing facilities.”

Living conditions in Dominase are still very primitive and unhealthy. There is no mains electricity, no running water and only a few boreholes and wells. Many children die young and the average life expectancy is under 60 years.

“Small amounts of money can make a huge difference to the health of people’s lives in Dominase” explained Mrs Owens “and we hope that lots of people from all around the area will come to the event, enjoy the high quality music and offer to help with our work in any way that they can.”

The concert will be in St Mary’s church, Buriton, at 3pm and will be free of charge. Refreshments will be available and there will be a collection in aid of projects in Dominase. All are welcome.