Flamenco for a good cause

Her fight with the disease led to the development of the The Mt Hope Renal Youth Group. The group is one of the recipients of this year’s funding from the seventh annual Christmas Concert hosted by the Embassy of Spain.

Each year the charity event is aimed at a particular cause, with some of its past recipients being the Heroes Foundation, Corpus Christi College, National Organ Donor Programme and the Social Integration of Person with Disabilities.

As its founder and president Williams expressed deep gratitude to Spanish Ambassador, Jose Maria Lopez de Turiso, and the Embassy for not only funding the cause but in highlighting an issue she believes needs to be further promoted in TT.

Huellas, this year’s concert would feature renowned composer, flautist and saxophonist, Jorge Pardo whose musical amalgam of jazz and flamenco has brought him widespread international acclaim. Flamenco Dancer Nelida Tirado would also feature at the concert to be held at Queen’s Hall from 6.30 pm to 8pm tomorrow.

Williams’ group along with the Kidney Recipients Support Group of Trinidad and Tobago (KRSGOTT) are the recipients of this year’s funding raised from the concert.

For both groups, the funding would aid in their educational drive as well as assistance for their members –such as post-operation medications Williams –while fighting her own battle against renal failure– started the group in 2012. “I wanted the youth to know that life with renal failure isn’t a death sentence,” she said. When she first found out, Williams said, she thought she could simply take a pill and “feel better.” There were many firsts Williams wanted to accomplish, like own her own restaurant, but was unable to because of the disease.

The constant dialysis –done three times per week– has also hindered Williams from getting a job. The 23-member group has now become one of 19 as some of its members lost their fight against renal failure. The embassy’s Christmas Concert and funding has Williams, “super excited and very thankful to the Spanish Ambassador and the Spanish Embassy.” Similarly, president of KRSGOTT , Asgar Ali said the funding would go a long way in educating the wider TT public on the need for organ donation.

He said, in a phone interview with Newsday that organ donation education was something the wider public needed to work on. Organ donation, he said, could provide its recipient with a, “second life.” Ali said the groups’s funding would be used toward educating more about organ donation and getting people to consider organ donation in a more positive light. The 150-member group was founded in 2009 by 16 members who felt moved to create and foster awareness of kidney disease by providing voluntary services through outreach programmes and counselling.

For the Spanish Ambassador the charity event is also aimed at raising awareness of the need for the promotion of organ donation and transplantation in TT . He said in Spain there was possibly one of the best systems of organ donation in the world. “We feel we can be of some assistance here,” he said.

Spanish energy company, Repsol, he said, provided assistance to the Ministry of Health as well, in order to create the capacity for organ donation and transplantation in TT . “What we want to create is awareness.

Because most of the people here, like anywhere else in the world, they are not really aware of the magnitude of the problem when you are connected to a machine for four hours a day to a dialysis machine. That is a difficult way of living. That is why we decided to promote this cause,” his excellency said.

The concert is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor Repsol, Gold Sponsor Heartbeat 103.5FM, Silver sponsors Acciona, Amadeus an international IT company; Hyatt Regency Trinidad; Ezentis and Global Exchange; and Bronze Sponsors are Angostura, Tatil and the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts. Tickets are priced at $150 general admission, $250 VIP and $500 VVIP.