Valentine Mega show organised by Gilgal–The Church College at Kigali Events Centre in Lilongwe on Friday managed to raise K17 million in donations.
The money would be channeled to needy students.
The show attracted performances from well-known musicians such as Theresa Phondo, Temwa, Kell Kay, Kelvin Sings and Skeffa Chimoto.
Gilgal–The College Church Lead Pastor, Reverend Nicky Chakwera, described the event as a success.
“Apart from the K17 million that was raised, more pledges were made and they will change this figure. Our target was K30 million. The main takeaway from all this is that people are willing to invest in others and have fun while supporting the cause,” Chakwera said.
He said they decided to use this year’s Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to raise funds for such a cause.
“Many students lack fees, accommodation and food. The situations and stories are heart-wrenching. Apart from the many that come to us directly, we are working with student deans of various campuses to identify genuine and most desperate cases,” Chakwera said.
He also hailed various players who, he indicated, offered services, including sound equipment, for free.
“All the artists who performed did not charge normal prices but only asked us to cover logistics for their bands. We need more of such events,” Chakwera said.
He said this was not the first time they had such a show.
“We have always done so and will continue, hopefully get better at it too,” Chakwera said.
On utilising artists for such a cause, Chakwera, who is also a musician, said art was key to development.
“Music and art in general go together with love. Next time, it could be a basketball tournament,” he said.
Skeffa, popularly known as The Jamming Machine for his energetic performances, said he enjoyed performing at the Valentine Mega Show.
“It was important for me to perform there since it was a show for a cause. I come from a background where we faced difficulties in paying school fees and, so, I should be part of raising money for such causes,” he said.
The ‘Kankha’ and ‘Chiyambi’ maker, who is set to contest as member of Parliament in the September 16 2025 election, hailed organisers for offering them a platform at which to entertain people.
“It was Valentine’s Day but we had to use our talent to raise funds for needy students. It was not a huge audience but those who came were given a proper treat. The sound was good,” he said.
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