RAISE YOUR VOICE - An afternoon of music, food and frivolity to raise funds to build and stock a library at Nkowa Nkowa Primary School, South Africa

Tim Coady & Miffy Innes invite you to come along to the Mornington Peninsula for an afternoon of music, food, family, friends and fun, to help raise money to build and stock a library at Nkowa Nkowa Primary School, South Africa. This will be a space for the school community to thrive, with access to books, resources, and educational tools. To help make this dream a reality, we’re hosting a special benefit gig to raise funds for the construction and stocking of the library. Every ticket you purchase, and every donation you make, will go directly toward helping build this amazing space for the Nkowa Nkowa community.

Your attendance will not only give you a night to remember, but also the chance to make a meaningful impact. Please bring along a book that is new or in very good condition to put on the shelves. The children are aged 4 - 13, so anything from picture story books to teen novels are appropriate. 

Food trucks will be supplying delicious meals to purchase. BYO Picnic, picnic rug, chairs. PLEASE NO GLASSWARE OR PETS. 

Which bands will be playing? 

Music will be by Makepisi and The Avenue. Please read below for some more information. 

MAKEPISI 

Makepisi is an exciting cappella line up, singing contemporary and traditional South African songs. In the style of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, this group contains powerful voices hailing from different South African choirs and shows, including the Lion King. The rich, invigorating sound that is MAKEPISI is made up of Melbourne based South African voices. You are guaranteed to be uplifted! 

THE AVENUE  

The Avenue is a Mornington Peninsula covers band that specialises in Ozzy rock, American rock, traditional Irish, modern rock and pop! It is an electrifying experience that will have you screaming for more!! 

How did Miffy and Tim get involved? 

In 2024, Miffy and Tim, along with their extended family, were participants on Valanga and Andrea Khoza's TOUR LIMPOPO. The tour is multi-layered, educating participants about Valanga's history of being a youth activist, fighting for freedom for his people. They also experienced the vibrancy and beauty of the South African culture through music, singing, dance and generous hospitality. Growing up under the apartheid regime, Valanga was educated in the township of Nkowa Nkowa, in a school that lacked many facilities including desks, chairs, toilets....let alone a library. On the visit in 2024, the school now has many of these very basic facilities, however the teachers and children shared their dream of having a library full of books! Tim and Miffy, along with other Tour Limpopo participants, have committed to make their dream become a reality. 

When is the library being built? 

In July 2025, Valanga and Andrea Khoza will be hosting their 25th Tour Limpopo. At the end of the tour, Valanga Khoza (from the band Makepisi), Tim Coady and Ed Richardson (from the band The Avenue), will be staying up in the Limpopo Province to help facilitate the build. The plans have already been drawn up (shout out to Amnon Weber Achitects and Cosentino Group Engineering for volunteering their expertise), and the final preparations are being made to gift the Nkowa Nkowa community with a place where students can go to grow their love for reading and connect to the literary world. 

RAISE YOUR VOICE is a fundraising initiative by Khoza Entertainment (Valanga and Andrea Khoza), to raise funds for varying community projects in South Africa alongside leading their tour, TOUR LIMPOPO.