At the end of each choir season, Tina Filippino brings her three choirs together for a Big Sing. These are wonderful events where singers from the neighboring communities of Quadra Island, Black Creek and Comox come together to sing their common repertoire, building community through song.

Each singer contributes $10, and after direct event expenses are paid, the remainder is sent to The Ubuntu Choirs Network, and from there, to Mozambique. The first amount went to fund two teachers for a year in the traditional music program in Kapasseni Village School. A second amount went to purchase musical instruments, as well as band and choir t-shirts, for AIDS orphans in Caia, Mozambique. Both these gifts have brought immense joy to the children.

Their recent Big Sing raised funds to provide a well for the Caia Orphans Breakfast Program in Mozambique. Project coordinator, Manuel Miandica, says:

“I’m so happy for the well. It has always been a big problem in Caia. People have to go long distances to fetch water since the water system here can not respond to the population. Only a few people have access to clean water that is why there is a lot of water borne diseases. In the area where men are doing constructions there is only one well which dries up often. Water is life.”