Kurumba Maldives held a charity music festival on Friday, featuring 11 music acts ranging from solo Australian balladeers to local rock bands and traditional Bodu Beru drumming.
The Kurumba Maldives Music Festival, launched to coincide with the resort’s 40 year anniversary celebrations, was devised to raise US$5000 to purchase furniture, washing machines and other equipment for the state orphanage “Kudakudhinge Hiyaa”, based on the nearby island of Villigili.
Following three weeks of planning, event organisers said that yesterday’s event exceeded their fund-raising expectations, despite being the first such festival to be held at the resort.
The event’s organisers said that they had been particularly encouraged by the assistance received from sponsors and other local business. They also welcomed the Ministry of Finance in getting a temporary exemption from the country’s General Service Tax (GST) on food, drink and tickets sold to visitors attending the event.
“We were granted exemptions from paying GST for fund-raising, we were very lucky that the Ministry of Finance helped with this,” a resort spokesperson said, adding that the event had marked the first time it had been involved with fund-raising with local people.
“This was the first fund-raising of its kind to be held at a resort. We invited a lots of friends and suppliers of the resorts, so we didn’t know how much we would be receiving or how many bands would be arriving to perform. However, it was a really good day. We also had the children from the orphanage coming over to take part in activities like water sports as well.”
Orphanage focus
With about 53 children currently residing at the Villingili orphanage – eight of whom are said to be under one year of age – the site remains dependent on donations to feed, cloth and look after the children, according to the spokesperson for Kurumba’s fund raising team.
“You can see that they are well looked after, but the orphanage itself clearly lacks basic facilities. For instance, there are not enough high chairs for toddlers. Many of the property’s beds are also broken and there was just one washing machine for all the children,” said the spokesperson. “It’s therefore very hard for the orphanage to survive like this. Right now they are working on maintaining hygiene standards and providing food to the children. We hope to help where we can.”
All money raised through the festival will be used to purchase furniture and other items like washing machines through the resort’s own suppliers, to get the equipment as soon as possible.
“We are not going to give cash, instead we will directly be supplying items and goods as needed. This will allow us to get these things at our supplier rates and ensure the orphanage gets the benefit directly,” the resort spokesperson said.
“Some of the resorts here work in collaboration with more worldwide charities through their corporate social responsibility obligations,” said the spokesperson “With our 40th anniversary this year, and the resort being Maldivian-owned, we wanted to raise money for local causes and people.”
Performers
Split over two different sites on the resort, local groups and artists including Mcrew, DJ Paide, and Rock Paper Scissors were joined by international performers such as Australian singer/songwriter Ewan Procter. The line up was an eclectic mix of original compositions, cover versions and dance sets. A liberal sprinkling of stadium anthems were also provided – albeit in the more sedate backdrop of an wooden-decked Indian ocean resort property.
Despite praising the event’s outcome, Kurumba’s fund-raising team said the resort had to overcome some logistical issues in holding the small scale festival at the resort.
“We needed to be careful throughout the day to ensure we did not disturb guests. This is why we held the event at two different areas. In the evening we were required to move the performances from the beach area to our bar area so guests were not forced to participate if they did not want to. We are still a five-star resort after all.”
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Anhenunna firihenun ehthanegga kulhivaru kulhumaa neshumaa lava kiyumee Islam dheen hudha kuraa kameh noon. Mee kanda elhigen huri haraam kameh.Mee kanda elhigen huri haraam kameh.Mee kanda elhigen huri haraam kameh. - Seyku Rasheed.
hi time the tycoons gave something for the kids.. god knows how Kurumba was given to this family for life... not just Kurumba but all surrounding properties within close distance to airport...
i guess this is a new way to evade tax... setting up charities.. why? all these years they have been sucking money from this property which was never tendered to the public...
BODU BERU? with Adhalath in the government? I cannot believe this
Fund raising of US$5000 to buy furniture and washing machine for abandoned and neglected Maldivian kids. WHAT A SHAME!The government spends more than this amount feeding, nursing the Somali pirates in custody.
• An MP earns nearly the same as basic wages before adding on the bribes and cuts of millions
• US$ 5 grand is just a business return ticket for one of the director’s kids off for winter shopping in Italy
• US$ 5 grand is maybe one night bar bill of one of the Universal guys in their Seychelles resorts.
Jabir will spend double amount entertaining a few chics, or let’s say a ticket to Australia for the rich tennis lovers like Nazeer, Mala nasir, etc. The new president is stingy, but we are sure the amount fits well for a shopping outing for the 1st lady who just can’t stay at home like other decent women.
We are not stupid please. I am a volunteer for this home. My wife and I contribute so much to the home that your billions of dollars won’t reach. These KIDS need love, affection, care and a mother’s warmth. We offer that FREE without begging foreigners as if we are poor. Imagine a one year old kid brought up by a kind-of-mad caretaker!!!, did you know the abuse that goes inside? How many boys are denied schooling or shouted at??
Its costs about US$500 for a branded wheel chair for kids with special needs. It cost US$ 300 for a 36inch TV, it costs US$100 for a simple durable mattress and it costs just US$1.5 for an Ice cream chocolate that these kids have never seen except when politicians want to use them.
Shame on you women of all categories starting with Nasrina, Laila and now Waheeds permanent unaremed body guard lady. None of you ever visited these children, none of you ever held any of those children in your arms; none of you ever sent them an ice-cream or even a cheap birthday card, but all of you have visited orphanages or hospitals in other countries.
SWEEP YOUR OWN BACKYARD BEFORE YOU DO YOUR NEIGHBOURS
For Gayoom, Nasheed and Waheed, as a parent I say, please stop messing the lives of the youth who are already so confused and have no definite future.
For businessmen I beg you to contribute in kind genuinely and stop using the children as scape goats. What is US$5000 to Universal???? That’s the salary of a simple executive chef in one of their many specialty restaurants. We are not stupid.
Where are the god’s angel’s adhalath? Oh! Preaching how women should stay at home, not use condoms, not to vaccinate, but force women cover themselves like Ninjas. Where are your good words of god and how to be good muslims? Sheiks travel hundreds of miles to rural islands, spend money but cannot take a rf.3/ ferry to Villingili and teach some of big boys good manners and morals?
The defense and police can spend millions cleaning the reef, getting new uniforms, riot gear but cannot spend 3 hours cleaning or maintaining the Children’s School at Villigili
Women clad in black waste so much time eating nuts, majaa at tsunami area monument yet less than 10 kids at Villingili school have never had a mothers touch.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS DUMPED THESE KIDS, JUST LIKE THE OTHERS IN GURAIDHOO.
I am sad, my shirt all wet with tears, and a headache caused by anger and frustrations of how we have become monsters, murderers, rapists, pedophiles, greedy, inhuman, cruel and pretending to be staunch Muslims, going for prayers, YET DEEPLY WE ARE NOT! Because in Gods eyes, if you are one of the above, you are not a muslim, and this reminds me of the speech of Mr. Nazim who denounced his faith in public. He made a strong point which people don’t want to hear.
How can God accept a prayer made by a pedophile, a rapist, a murderer? Someone please answer me!
Dear Editor
Why are you scared to publish the truth and facts I have just given you? If you cant just to safe guard yourself, better not ask for comments.
Lubna, may god be with you. I could not have written better myself. If you wish to see a lighter side to this, please watch a clip on youtube....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tekXxB6dosQ
if the clip doesn't work, type in 'Tim nice but dim posh dinner'. It doesn't dawn on the people who go to these 'posh' events that they and their kind are the root cause of these problems.
Lubna,
at least someones doing something, true these resorts are multi million dollar businesses, but thats what they are, a business, maybe this will get the ball rolling for more resorts to get actively involved in events like this. MOre importantly, a lot of resorts do actually contribute to the communities around them, they just dont go around writing about how much they help them on websites like minivan news.
I appreciate the fact that Kurumba held this event, it was for a good cause, and kill me for saying this but it was a bloody good time, a bit of temporary sanity from this insane restrictive society!
Can no one simply appreciate a simple act of generosity as such, without mentionning all the ills of society??Universal has done its fair bit of charity work in the shadow for a long time. Kurumba is run by good genuine people .i happened to know a few of them and can toyally confirm and admire the determinition and effort that goes on behind the scene! !a drop in the ocean is still a precious drop . . .Thanks to kurumba 's management and teams for their monumental effort! we had a brilliant time.
TO LUBNA! I think what you need is a psychological help. You have poured down your deepest feelings! You could have done it in your personal diary! A teacher will say 'LUBNA YOU HAVE WRITTEN OUT OF TOPIC' I am a Maldivian I have held these kids and have been helping around kids in the Maldives. I do not yell yet at people who has sick attitude but what we think is what YOU can do for this country.AN ACTION NOT A YELL this what we have to concern! The business has to survive in order to help us.It's like this the salary I GET to survive and then if there is enough I could give it for charity .... if I really want to help people I could have an event to raise money! That's definitely not a beautiful Maldivian lady attitude! GOD HAS HIS WAY! NO ONE CAN REACH!
To KURUMBA, I would like to thank you for the support that you have been giving...most of all an event this time, you announced and held like this...just on order to help children,where few loud mouth can't help. I deeply appreciate from my heart as a Maldivian your effort putting your time into this.Universal has done the best! Universal have helped people to go abroad for their studies... I know personally few of them....Thank you KURUMBA AND THE TEAM.. for making this wonderful event.....YOU HAVE DONE WELL I AM PROUD OF YOU ALL....
Oh! We smile to your effort
We appreciate from our heart
Children of our nation, your help
We value them from our soul.
Thank you Krumba and staff
The wonderful event you contributed
Your example to us, and we are proud for people like you ….
Anyhow, it is a help to those in need. An act of humanity. Bringing smiles to poor kids. Bringing new hope to them. It's great to see things like this being done.
and Lubna, you just wasted an hour or so on commenting on something that's already been done. Whatever political/religious point of view you're seeing this. Imagine if you were the one in need. A $5000 being spent on beds and furniture for you. You won't decline it, would you?
I think this was a very nice way of showcasing the maldivian culture to tourists, and doing it for a good cause.
Lubna has a point too though.
It's a shame to see how ungrateful people can be ! What would be the Maldives with the resort businesses ? At least some of them participate in a cause they believe to be useful.They could have simply organize the event and keep the benefit for themselves. Not to mention all the charity activities Kurumba's management work on regulary without promoting them. You should have seen the kids' faces from the orphanage on that day and only for this, it was worth it !
Lubna.
You have a wife?
Glad to know that you have revealed your true side . A Lesbian!