HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CONCERTS
Concerts
to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity – a Christian
organisation providing decent, affordable housing for families
world wide.
During his
career as a singer/songwriter, Al Ponting penned a number of peace
songs which he put together as a peace concert with a variety of
musicians at the invitation of Caputh Church, Perthshire, Easter
Sunday 2003. This concert was so successful that another followed in
August of the same year in Dumbarton, Scotland.
A builder and
blacksmith by trade, Al always had a desire to provide decent,
affordable housing for folk in need – this vision being frustrated
by his lack of millionaire status! Jacynth Hamill who sings with
Al’s wife Heather in their duo “Caim” directed Al and Heather to
Habitat for Humanity when she worked as a volunteer on a Habitat
project in Capetown, South Africa in July 2003.
Al contacted
Habitat for Humanity in England and donations from his first peace
concert went towards Jacynth’s Africa fundraising. From then on Al
decided to continue the concerts as fund raising events for Habitat
for Humanity worldwide.
“Habitat for
Humanity” was founded in the US in the late 1960s by Millard Fuller
a wealthy businessman. A man of strong Christian faith, he felt
called to begin this work of providing decent affordable housing for
people. He saw this as a way of showing Christ’s love practically –
helping to provide a basic need.
Jacynth
Hamill of “Caim” has worked as a volunteer on houses in her native
Northern Ireland and on two houses in Khayelitsda Township on the
outskirts of Capetown in South Africa. As well as singing with
“Caim” in the peace concerts Jacynth shared some of her experiences
as a volunteer worker with Habitat for Humanity.
Sadly Al died
September 1st, 2007 but the legacy of his music still lives on. In
July 2007 Al recorded a number of his songs at Right Real Records
studios in Yorkshire, England and these will be part of a memorial
CD of Al’s songs to be released by Right Real Records in 2008, the
proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. Al’s song “Valley of Love”
which was played at his funeral service, has been chosen by Right
Real Records to be promoted as a single throughout the Christian
media in the USA and again, any profit from that release will go to
Habitat for Humanity.
Check out
www.habitat.org for more
info.
