Imagine1day strives for reality

Posted by admin on Mar 25, 2009 in News | 0 comments

Hannah Jenkins, a third-year communications major at Trinity Western University, is trying something new. Jenkins is coordinating her first benefit concert to raise money for the charity Imagine1day.
Imagine1day is a non-profit organization that provides an opportunity for donors to be involved with projects that provide education for children in Ethiopia. The goal: to have every child in Ethiopia enrolled in primary education by 2020.

“I am inspired by [Imagine1day’s] simplistic approach to changing the world.  They are focused on one aspect of one region of one country in Africa – primary education for children in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It is an attainable goal, and it is happening,” says Jenkins.

Jenkins decided on combining a fundraiser with a concert because music has always been a big part of her life. “I spend money already going to shows and supporting bands. The bands who are playing [at the concert] are all bands who I love to watch – and I know other people will too. Why not combine things I love?” says Jenkins.

The performers, In Medias Res, Eisenhauer and the Magician, are excited to be involved with Jenkins’s event. “The majority of us living in this blessed North American demographic want to contribute to global issues but don’t know how. The bands are helping educate Ethiopians simply by doing what they love – playing music,” says Jenkins.

With help from friends, the TWU Students Association and the bands, Jenkins overcame obstacles and will be able to make her concert into a purposeful success.

“Imagine1day is far from a boring old charity,” says Ash Poon, a member of the band In Media Res. Teaming up with Imagine1day will be a first for In Medias Res. However, the band has played at TWU a handful of times opening for artists.

The concert will include three performances from the local Vancouver musicians.

One hundred per cent of donated funds will go directly to the charity, not the administrative costs. “That’s a tell-tale sign that priorities are in the right place,” says Poon.

In addition, Poon says he appreciates the connection between donors and Imagine1day’s projects. “It’s easy for me to just write someone a cheque, walk away and hope for the best. But when you connect me with the direct effects of the money that just left my hands, it lets the donor feel more ownership,” says Poon. “It increases the propensity for a longer term relationship between the organization and the donor.”

At the end of the day, Jenkins believes that it is possible to make a difference “even in this consumer-driven North American culture.” She hopes this event will inspire others to get involved with Imagine1day.

“We do not have to get sucked into the lie that there is nothing one person can do. It is not us and them: a little imagination and collaboration is what all good ideas spring from,” says Jenkins.

Check out the Imagine One Concert on Thurs., Mar. 26 in the RSC cafeteria. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

For a longer interview with In Medias Res, go here: Q&A with In Medias Res.