Voice Of The Speechless Online Benefit Concert

Local and international artists came together to host an online benefit concert in order to support the VOICE OF THE SPEECHLESS (VOS) project, which is part of the Brain Child Fund (BCF) organization. This concert, which is a celebration of life together and dedicated to the special needs community that VOS and BCF support, will take place on Sunday, 13 December 2020 at 20h00 SAST and 1PM EDT and tickets are available NOW for only R75 on https://go.raindust.co/vos

Exciting news is that well-known actors/filmmakers Anel and James Alexander will be hosting this beautiful show, all the way from their home in Hollywood! Artists like Rubber Duc, Nathan Smith, Ziya, Christiaan Baartman, Sincerely Anne, Petronel Baard, Brad + Nicole (from the USA) and Stefan Jansen gave up their time, special songs and talent to support this worthy cause. This is definitely a show not to be missed!

Earlier this year, Ziya,a South African musician, composer, songwriter and co-founder of the Brain Child Fund, who currently lives in Philadelphia in the USA, with her husband – Hannes – and their four children, had a conversation with a mother in the Brain Child Fund network. “I asked how they were doing during lockdown. Her response was that if this was lockdown, they were permanently in it. Their son has compromised immunity, which essentially means that they cannot go anywhere as he is very fragile,” explains the musician, who herself has three children with special needs. That is when the lyrics of the heartfelt song, LONELY TOGETHER, which was released to radio stations worldwide during lockdown, came to Ziya.

LONELY TOGETHER forms part of the Voice of the Speechless project, which marries the singer’s passion for music with her heart for the special needs community.

VOS is ultimately a social awareness project that uses edutainment to raise awareness and to destigmatise special needs individuals using music and videos,” explains Ziya. The project is truly pioneering – it records special needs children’s sounds and environments, documents parts of their journey, and captures their stories in songs and music videos. The aim is to offer people a glimpse into the worlds of nonverbal special needs children from various backgrounds and countries.

Brain Child Fund (BCF) is an organization that has a heart for the special needs community. They help special needs families thrive by connecting them with:

HOPE for the future

TRUTH for the now

SUPPORT for the journey

They focus their energy on educating and supporting special needs families as well as raising awareness in the general public of the humanity and beauty of special needs individuals through sports and culture. VOS online benefit concert is a project in support of this vision.

The concert was produced by VOS, Starburst Promotions and Fathom Media.

Buy a ticket and support this vision or visit www.voiceofthespeechless.org to donate to this worthy cause.

The day will come when we’ll not only accept but also celebrate individuals with special needs. We want to celebrate that day with you.” – Jana Viljoen aka Ziya 


Plaaslike en internasionale kunstenaars het kragte saamgespan om ’n aanlynkonsert te reël ten bate van die VOICE OF THE SPEECHLESS (VOS)-projek, wat deel is van die Brain Child Fund (BCF)-organisasie. Hierdie konsert, wat ’n lewe saam met mense met spesiale behoeftes – wat VOS en BCF ondersteun – vier, sal plaasvind op Sondag, 13 Desember 2020 om 20h00 SAST en 1NM EDT. Kaartjies is NOU beskikbaar teen slegs R75 op https://go.raindust.co/vos

Die opwindende nuus is dat die bekende akteurs/rolprentvervaardigers, Anel en James Alexander, hierdie pragtige konsert gaan aanbied, al die pad van hulle huis af in Hollywood waar hulle tans woon! Kunstenaars soos Rubber Duc, Nathan Smith, Ziya, Christiaan Baartman, Sincerely Anne, Petronel Baard, Brad en Nicole (van die VSA) en Stefan Jansen het hulle tyd, spesiale liedjies en talent gegee om hierdie saak te ondersteun. Dit is beslis nie ’n konsert om mis te loop nie!

Vroeër vanjaar het Ziya –’n Suid-Afrikaanse musikant, komponis, liedjieskrywer en mede-stigterslid van die Brain Child Fund wat in tans in Philadelphia in die VSA woon saam met haar man, Hannes, en hulle vier kinders – ’n insigewende gesprek gehad met ’n ma wat deel is van die Brain Child Fund-netwerk. “Ek het gevra hoe dit met hulle gaan gedurende grendeltyd. Sy het geantwoord dat dit nie verskil van hulle normale, alledaagse omstandighede nie. Hulle seun het ’n verswakte immuunstelsel, wat beteken dat hulle nêrens heen kan gaan nie,” verduidelik die musikant, wat self drie kinders met spesiale behoeftes het. Dit is toe wat die lirieke van die hartroerende liedjie – LONELY TOGETHER – wat tydens grendeltyd aan radiostasies regoor die wêreld vrygestel is, begin vorm aanneem het.

LONELY TOGETHER vorm deel van Voice of the Speechless-projek, wat die sangeres se passie vir musiek en mense met spesiale behoeftes kombineer.

VOS is ’n sosialebewusmakingsveldtog wat van opvoedkundige vermaak gebruik maak om bewusmaking te skep oor mense met spesiale behoeftes, deur gebruik te maak van musiek en video’s,” verduidelik Ziya. Die projek is regtig die eerste van sy soort – die geluide wat gestremde kinders maak en hulle omgewing word opgeneem en so word hulle stories in liedjies en musiekvideo’s vasgevang. Die doel is om vir die publiek insae te gee in die wêreld van diegene wat nie vir hulleself kan praat nie. Kinders uit verskillende agtergronde en lande is hiervoor gebruik.

Die Brain Child Fund (BCF) is ’n organisasie wat fokus op mense met spesiale behoeftes. Hulle ondersteun die gesinne van gestremde mense deur hulle toe te rus met:

HOOP vir die toekoms

WAARHEID vir die hede

ONDERSTEUNING vir die pad vorentoe

Hulle fokus hul energie daarop om gesinne met spesiale behoeftes op te voed en te ondersteun, asook om die publiek bewus te maak van die menslikheid en uniekheid van individue met spesiale behoeftes deur middel van sport en kultuur. Die VOS-aanlynliefdadigheidskonsert is ’n projek om hierdie doelwit te ondersteun.

Die konsert is vervaardig deur VOS, Starburst Promotions en Fathom Media.

Koop ’n kaartjie om hierdie inisiatief te ondersteun of besoek www.voiceofthespeechless.org om ’n skenking te maak.

Die dag sal kom waarop mense met gestremdhede nie net aanvaar sal word nie, maar ook gevier sal word. Ons wil daardie dag met jou deel.” – Jana Viljoen aka Ziya 

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By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb