SAWO 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND FUND RAISING DINNER
SAWO was formed 20 years ago by a group of women and men who were particularly concerned about, among others, the increasing incidence of violence against women and children in the State. SAWO is celebrating it's 20th anniversary with a fund raising dinner on Friday, 10 September 2004 at the Putera Theatre Ballroom, Tun Fuad Park, Bukit Padang, Kota Kinabalu.
Due to public demand, SAWO will be re-launching the HELPLINE Project in September 2004. The funds raised will be used to sustain the HELPLINE Project which was discontinued in 1999 after being in operation since 1989. The HELPLINE Project provides information, support and assistance to women and families in crisis. This includes, among others, counseling, legal assistance, support to make police and medical reports and to liaise with the relevant agencies, and short-term economic support to low-income families. In addition, the Project will also provide support and networking to all those individuals and agencies who are working in this area of community service.
We would like to invite the public and all sectors of the community to support us in our cause by attending our dinner, or sponsoring a table or tickets for the physically or intellectually challenged, or providing attractive prizes for lucky draws, or sponsoring a page in our souvenir programme.
We promise an entertaining evening with performances by a visiting group Fireflys, and by our very own Sabah born Leaps & Bounds Theatre group who will be performing its debut with a theatre musical entitled "Happier Than Happy".
This musical is directed by Christopher Chong, vocal instruction provided by Joey Wong, choreography by Chan Han Fei with a cast of 19, and also includes the debut performances by M. Bisoni and Susan C. Bansin. Leaps & Bounds Theatre was formed early this year to create an independent theatre group for Kota Kinabalu and hopefully to add more vibrancy to the entertainment industry in Sabah.
We shall also be introducing at the dinner the all-men group - MAvIO (Man Against Violence) who will be launching the White Ribbon Campaign in Sabah. This is a group of men who got together on Friday, 21st May 2004, to speak out against the increasing number of reported cases of violent crimes committed against children and women. The meeting was initiated by SAWO with the aim of forming a group of concerned men to work in solidarity with women towards the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children.
The White Ribbon Campaign was started in Canada in 1991 by Michael Kaufman and his friends, as a reaction against the gunning down of 14 women and children in Montreal, Canada. Since then the White Ribbon Campaign has been adopted by many countries around the world. In December 2003, the White Ribbon Campaign was launched in Malaysia by Man's Action Network against Violence (MAN.V) in partnership with All Women's Action Society (AWAM) in Kuala Lumpur.
MAvIO wants to bring about a change within Sabah, and to encourage and challenge men to speak out against such violence. They feel that men have not, and should, actively condemn the violence being perpetrated within the State. SAWO and MAvIO would like to invite other men to come to the dinner and show their support and to join us to work towards a better and caring society.
For tickets and further information, please contact SAWO at Tel/Fax: 088-269291 between 9.00 a.m. - 12 noon, or Email: sawo2@tm.net.my or Susan at 016-8449078 or Vivian at 012-8334563.
