September 28, 2015
Leslie Feist. Image from Facebook.
It’s one (huge) thing to have readily available medicine, but if you’re not able to transport it from point A to point B, you risk losing it. This is something that struck Canadian musician, Leslie Feist, as being an obvious problem during a recent trip to Malawi with medical research organization Dignitas International.
While she was there, she took part in a game of dodge ball with a group of HIV-infected kids at a “Teen Club” organized by Dignitas. It was there that she realized one of the major issues affecting this community was a difficulty getting their meds safely to and from school, so she organized a drive to collect backpacks in her neighbourhood and send them to those who could use them in Malawi.
Thank you Leslie Feist (@feistmusic) for your ongoing commitment to our lifesaving work. #humanity #respect #health pic.twitter.com/8UrjbToqij
— Dignitas Intl (@DignitasIntl) May 26, 2015
In a statement on her Facebook page, Feist stressed that Dignitas doesn’t really do this kind of thing: “This isn’t the kind of work Dignitas International does—they are all about hard science, frontline care and high impact research. Getting backpacks to kids, on the other hand, was a small thing that I could organize.”
Feist also mentioned she’d been “touched by the overwhelming response to promote a small local initiative,” but that the best way to “amplify the impact”—now that the backpack run has been a confirmed success—is to make a donation to Dignitas International, who are the force behind the Teen Club programs. You can make that donation here.
In Other News:
- Toronto Mayor John Tory speaks at Music Canada Annual General Meeting
- Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson needs your help to find his banjo!
- Kids In The Hall’s Scott Thompson’s old ‘80s queer weird-punk band now on Bandcamp
- Post-Polaris win, CBC looks at Buffy Sainte-Marie’s 10 best songs
- The National Music Centre hosted their 2nd annual Out Loud fundraising gala with special guest Serena Ryder.
