The Young Journalist - March/April 2021

JOURNALIST
Live Aid: Online music
charity event
Josh Sarl
I refer to my article
reviewing the current
covid difficulties within
the music industry. it is
important to outline just
how advantageous music
is, even on a global scale. Why are we
not paying more attention to reviving
such a troubled industry?
In July 2020, ‘Seshampton’, was founded by a
group of students at Southampton University
and schools in Amersham and Beaconsfield.
With their passion and love for ‘disc-jockey-ing’
(DJ-ing) and underground music, they wanted to
provide entertainement during lockdown. They
broadcasted livestreams in aid of charities and in
December 2020 one charity event raised money
for two organisations: Evergreen Africa and
The Salvation Army. The support given was
exceptional. Despite showcasing talent in a night
of entertainment, the event was also a useful
platform, in raising issues such as poverty in Africa.
One of the charities that Seshampton donated
money towards was ‘Evergreen Africa’- providing
sustainable aid to the Wanale Ridge, Uganda.
I spoke to the
founder of the
organisation,
Paul Voltzenlogel.
Paul outlined
the main
principles of
the charity:
education,
healthcare
and incomegeneration.
With 25,000
residents on the
Wanale Ridge
in Uganda, being considered as a community in
‘extreme poverty’ by the UN, the charity’s work
and involvement is urgent due to the village’s poor
hygiene, lack of income for locals and insufficient
education.
Despite Paul’s pressing concern for, not just the
Wanale Ridge, but for all impoverished African
communities; he is hopeful for the future and for
the prospects of the charity. Need for sustainability
was an outlining point.
Evergreen Africa’s sustainable market schemes,
working alongside their main projects, ensures
local funding can be generated and retained so
that the village can prosper without need for
external aid. This market sells coffee, bananas,
passionfruit and other regional produce to the
locals and by the locals. ‘It engenders amongst
the community a feeling that they’re doing it
themselves’ commented Paul.
Paul stressed how Covid-19 affected the Ugandan
community, as an extreme lockdown was called
by President Yoweri Museveni. Paul, describing
the impoverished community as living ‘handto-mouth’,
emphasised the financial impact of
the lockdown on the people. Evergreen Africa
successfully managed to continue funding the
village, providing essential items. Paul recognises
the astute work of the charity as ‘saving lives’. His
initiative of saving lives leads back to our initial
point, as now we can see the absolute need for aid
in Uganda, but also on a global scale. I personally
commend the generosity of Seshampton, and
their exemplary example for others to follow suit.
You can continue to donate to Seshampton’s
two chosen charities on their donations page:
www.beaconsfieldtogether.co.uk/evergreen
To young advertise journalist@communitytogether.co.uk
please call 07786 735 711 or email marketing@beaconsfieldtogether.co.uk
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