DreamChild Foundation launches HoodTalk music festival

An innovative musical initiative aimed at creating the needed awareness to help provide affordable Paediatric care to ease the plight of underprivileged children including girls was launched at the Wan-Shi event centre in Accra yesterday..

Dubbed the HoodTalk Music festival, it was initiated by the DreamChild Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation with partnership from the Virtual Hub Entertainment Ghana Limited, an audio visual production company and other NGOs in line with the foundation's objectives of using the culture of music to empower and to support the African child. 

The festival will also create awareness of the foundation’s initiative to raise the funds and also give corporate Ghana the Corporate Social Responsibility opportunity to support by highlighting the plight of the girl child, mobilising the millennials for tree planting to curb the effects of climate change and finally get the youth to network for economic development.

Musical concerts

The festival will feature youth musical concerts, youth summits, fashion shows, arts exhibitions and mentorship sessions with the maiden edition taking place at the Kingdom gardens at Ashiyie in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
 
After the maiden musical concert, similar ones will take place in the country on Saturday September 2023, at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale, Northern Region; Saturday October 7 at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti Region; Saturday October 28, at the Gyandu Park in the Western Region; and Saturday November 18, at the Ho Sports Stadium. 

The musical shows will be climaxed with a grand musical concert at the Black Star Square in Accra on Saturday December 9, 2023.

Colourful launching

Dignitaries that graced the launching event included some members of the diplomatic corps, government functionaries, representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and key industry players.

Also in attendance were the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited(GCGL), Ato Afful, the President of the foundation, Reginald Laryea, the foundation's Co-founder, Kofi Amoakohene, the Director of the foundation, Paa Kwesi Holdbrook-Smith and other friends, public-spirited individuals and organisations who want to support the initiative.

The occasion was used to unveil a new logo for the festival while guests and patrons were treated to live band and rap music performances by the Patch Bay band based in Accra and a Ghanaian musician Jayvado King which combined to give the event a deserving pleasant and soothing ambience. 

President's endorsement

An Assistant Secretary, Research, Office of the President, Ibrahim Adjei said the President was highly appreciative of organisations like the foundation that have the vision and mindset of creating a legacy thereby becoming a partner of Ghana's development goals.

He further read out a portion of the President's earlier endorsement letter dated March 23, 2023 which read “ the President conveys his appreciation to the DreamChild Foundation on the laudable initiative to officially launch the foundation's fundraising drive for the construction of five Paediatric clinics in Ghana and HoodTalk musical festival project”.

Community interventions 

The Chairman of the foundation, Chief Olorogun Oskar Ibru in a speech read on his behalf by a Maritime Consultant and  Business Strategist, Sir Henry E. Muogho, said the foundation had over the years successfully partnered other institutions to embark on community interventions.
These included various donations to the Korle Bu Children’s Hospital, Orphan Aid's Oyibi Orphanage, and the Apam Special Needs School. 

The foundation he said had equally held three fund raising concerts-the first one at the National Theatre in 2011, Alliance Francaise Dreamchild 2012 and the Dreamchild concert at the National Theatre in 2013.

Technical know-how 

The Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Hub Entertainment Ghana Limited, James Amoakohene, said the role of the company in the festival went beyond just providing equipment, logistical support and technical know-how.

“With our expertise in live streaming, live stage performance, high-definition video production and interactive engagement tools, we can guarantee that music enthusiasts and change makers will truly enjoy the Hoodtalk Music festival" he noted.

UNESCO

The UNESCO Country Director, Abdourahamane Diallo, in a message delivered on his behalf by the National Professional Officer, Natural Sciences sector, Melody Boateng said the music festival was in line with UNESCO's commitment to leverage the power of music for social transformation and it also resonated with the organisation's global objective of fostering education, culture, science,  and information.

Graphic

Mr Afful for his part said “for those of us at GCGL our mandate is very clear.It is a mandate anchored on the premise that anything that is Ghanaian, anything that is enabling this country to move forward to stitch together, to bring up our communities and to extend our information across the length and breadth of this country we are obliged to support".

The Graphic MD further explained that one of the GCGL's cardinal initiatives to support children in the country in terms of their reading needs was the introduction of its subsidised Junior Graphic paper, started in 2000 when the company celebrated its Golden Jubilee.