Selimiye Sale 3 Girls

As you all know, we collect money throughout the year to be able to neuter the street cats and dogs in my village, with donations.

But this year, we decided to try something a little different. We held a table-top sale on market day and it went really well.

For a few weeks before, we collected up bric-a-brac as we all know one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Also, lots of ladies throughout the village baked cakes and made jams and marmalade for the stall.

On Wednesday morning, armed with all our goodies, we set up tables, arranged everything to look inviting and awaited our customers. Soon, they were arriving and I was really pleased to see lots of our local Turkish neighbours giving their support to this worthy cause.

By just after lunch time, there was hardly anything left to sell and many satisfied customers. We will definitely do another couple of these sales before the end of the year as we raised lots of money and it was really fun.

It gave me a chance to catch up with lots of old friends and to make some new ones, as I am so busy working on boats that I am not around too much at the moment. I so enjoy seeing a village community working together to improve the lives of all our four legged friends! 

Jo Tempest

Ollie Dog

street cats

Soweto Strings

Soweto Strings - Order DVD

Today, I watched this DVD and it was truly wonderful, and felt I just had to share it with you all.   A friend of mine has just come back after spending time on Tilos, a Greek Island. He met up with a friend he hasn’t seen for many years. Her name is Rosemary Nalden, a British viola player, now working with young people from the townships in Soweto, an urban area of  Johnannesburg, South Africa.

She set up the Buskaid Project as a registered charitable trust to give the children the chance to learn classical string instruments virtually free of charge. They have performed concerts around the world to standing ovations.  This DVD features the Paris concert, her work with the children, and much, much more.

Rosemary is a very special lady, dedicating her life to these children, but I can also see the great rewards she is getting when these children are playing. They love it, and so many of them are gifted. On one of the interviews, there was a young teenage boy who said,”I do not feel I am different to other people, I just want something different for me.” And he achieves that big time!!

Obviously donations are the only way this project can keep going, so go and buy this DVD. You will not regret it, I promise! You will hear Mozart, Grieg, Bartok, vocals, South African traditional music, and much more. If I got this in my Christmas stocking, I would be thrilled!!

I have not been moved so much for a long time and it gives us hope for a much better future when we are nurturing the youth of today with some hope of their own.

Soweto Strings……a film by Mark Kidel…..featuring The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble.

Order the Soweto Strings DVD here

and help Rosemary help these amazing children.

Find out more about Buskaid Here.

Watch Here!

Jo Tempest.