Message from PAWA Chair of the Trustees
Dear friends, benefactors, donors, champions, and partners,
As we approach the end of 2023, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for all that we have achieved together at PAWA. This year has been nothing short of remarkable, with two successful match-funded campaigns that have allowed us to consolidate support for our projects. Through your unwavering support, we have been able to further our goal of helping teenage girls from underprivileged backgrounds unleash their potential.
The positive economic and social effects of educating girls are well-documented, yet there are still many barriers that stand in their way. However, when we receive heartfelt letters from the girls we have supported, we are reminded of the impact we can make together. Your contributions have played a significant role in breaking down these barriers, and we are grateful for your continued support.
Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce that next year marks our 15th anniversary. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our community. We have a number of exciting initiatives lined up to celebrate this occasion, and we hope that in the next 15 years, PAWA can empower even more girls to break the cycle of poverty. Together, we can transform not only their lives but also the fortunes of their families and communities.
As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Your generosity and time have been instrumental in our success, and we are truly grateful for your unwavering support. It is because of you that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of these young girls.
Finally, I would like to invite you all to our Annual Meeting on March 4, 2024. It will be a wonderful opportunity to come together, reflect on our achievements, and discuss our plans for the future. We look forward to seeing you there.
Wishing you all a joyous holiday season filled with love, happiness, and fulfilment.
With heartfelt thanks,
AZLINDA ARIFFIN- BOROMAND
Chair of PAWA
Projects Update
With donations from the Serena Janssens Memorial Fund, PAWA is supporting the university education of three girls from two different PAWA projects. This is a letter from one of the girls, who was a recipient of PAWA funds at JMB Nepal and is now in law school. June Corpuz of JMB says of the letter:
“I hope you will find this very heart warming and fulfilling as we did at JMB. She has fulfilled the PAWA dream “Educate a girl, change a life, break the cycle” by her own admission. Her grades have shot up to GPA 3.44 which is 89% and in the UK that is beyond a first class at 70%. It is in the prize winning category. I am sure she will keep it up in her remaining 2 plus years at law school”.
Fund Raising
Past Events
PAWA Arts Jam, December 4
The night of December 4 saw a fabulous turnout for our annual Arts Jam. In partnership with the Temple of Art and Music (TAM), the evening featured some amazing artists — JoElise, Chiara Filomeni & Daniel Michalek, Jemilah Sharmarke, Marina Chan, Malala, Bianca Ventura — and a great band headed by Asha ‘Keys’ Elfenbein.
There was also a very successful raffle with prizes that included pottery, ceramics and original artwork.
A fun evening for all, and a great way to end the year. With special thanks to our volunteers Sophia and Tia for their impeccable hosting skills!
PAWA Champion Events
The launch of the new edition of Ibu Sri Owen’s ‘The Rice Book’ at the Indonesian Embassy, November 9th
“I felt really privileged to be at the launch of Sri Owen’s updated edition of her prizewinning ‘The Book of Rice’ at the Indonesian Embassy. Sri is a consummate story-teller and in her fascinating discussion with the FT’s John Aglionby she spoke about her life-long passion for rice and the journeys she undertook with her late husband Roger as they travelled the globe to hunt out the best recipes, resulting in this erudite, beautifully illustrated encyclopaedia of rice.
Sri has always been a passionate champion of and fundraiser for PAWA . She generously donated the funds from this event, which included a signed copy of her book, to PAWA.
HE Dr. Desra Percaya welcomed everyone and played his saxophone, together with the Indonesian Embassy’s anklung orchestra. There were tasty rice dishes from Warung Windsor as well as delicious tempeh donated by Protempeh. A big thank you to David and Silvija who helped organise the drinks and to Paul Bloomfield who donated the waiting staff. PAWA’s Betty Yao skilfully chaired the evening’s proceedings.
“It was a wonderful and unforgettable occasion.”
— Phyllis Hatful
Since this event, the ‘Rice Book’ has been nominated by the Guardian as one of the five best food books of 2023
William Lui’s concert, 30th November
“Four enterprising young musicians enthralled the audience on Thursday 30th November 2023 at the beautiful St. Barnabas Kensington, in a programme entitled ‘A Celebration of Women Composers in Classical Music’ – organised and directed by the irrepressible William Lui on the cello who was very deservedly awarded the coveted ‘PAWA Champion’ for his sincere contribution to PAWA’s incomparable work of supporting underprivileged teenage girls’ education in Asia.
Watched on by his supportive sister and his mother who had just flown in from Shanghai, William Lui on the cello was joined by Lucy Barratt and Roxanna Shini-Mehrabzadeh both on the piano as well as Yeva Volkava on the violin – these excellent young musicians performed beautiful chamber music composed by the iconic Clara Schumann, Indian-American composer Reena Esmail and by the beloved sisters Lili and Nadia Boulanger. It is indeed rare to find such excellent young musicians already embodying the elusive magic of giving to others less fortunate than themselves – a truly moving evening of exquisite music-making.”
— Bobby Chen
PAWA Partner Events
Japanese Women’s Association concert featuring Yuki Negishi, October 20th
“Concert Pianist Yuki Negishi gave us an elegant lunchtime performance. The opening of the Allegro from the Sonata in E by Marianna Martines was in a delightful and a graceful classical form interpretation.
Her second piece was Chopin’s Noctourne no 9 in which Yuki demonstrated Chopin’s imagination beautifully. This was followed by two Japanese pieces, Moshiogusa by Tsune Matsushima a delightful children’s song, and the second Kagome-Variation by Kisyoshige Koyama. Then came an Impromptu in E flat major Op.90 no 2 by Franz Schubert, a lyrical compostion which matched Yuki’s flying fingers. The next piece was Enigma by Melanie Spanswick with its very melancholic mood in the opening and a switch to the major key to bring light and hope to the ending. Superbly interpreted by Yuki.
The two simple elegant Claude Debussy of Arabesques were dreamy performances, which were followed by Sergei Rachmaninoff’s two contrasting preludes op23 no 4 and 5. Finally Yuki played the three George Gershwin preludes in a wonderfully classical manner. It was indeed a very lush and beautiful concert.”
— Marina Chan