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Robert Mukondiwa
It has been splashed in the papers, on billboards and numerous other platforms and is billed to be one of the biggest concerts with a philanthropic twist.

It is dubbed the “Change A Life Concert” and is under the stewardship of one Sam Dondo of Impala Car Rental along with his Alfred Dondo Foundation in memory of his late brother.

Apparently, attending this concert will see some of the proceeds going to some charities towards underprivileged children in resource poor settings helping with their basic necessities, clothing, food healthcare and education.

And one can feel good about not only having had a good time, if the show lives up to its billing, but also contributing towards a ‘‘worthy cause’’ and many such phrases that have become clichéd in such instances.

Jah Prayzah

This is not exactly Bob Geldof’s Live Aid nor is it the Human Right Now concert that also had mesmerising acts on the bill that could woo and wow the masses but rather a home-grown brew that features what one can call your ‘‘everyday culprits’’.

With an underwhelming list of locals, would such an initiative really convince people to attend on the back of simply giving back to the community and are the local crowd the type that would go to a concert with the underlying knowledge that they are contributing to a ‘‘worthy cause’’ being the biggest motivation?

To their credit they have the pull factor of Jah Prayzah who has become like furniture at any concert; there all the time. And then of course Nasty C makes the trek to his neighbouring land, Zimbabwe, for the said conference.

While the line-up is decent, it hardly passes for one that will make this a ‘‘must attend’’ concert, leaving the ‘‘charity factor’’ as being the unique twist to this shindig.

August has brought with it a gust of poverty with many salaries absolutely spent and coming out of a blistering election period holiday as well as the further Heroes long holiday, many people are applying for loans from church mice, who have better savings than most workers.

Nasty C

The ‘‘tombstone month’’, which sees many taking the trek to their rural homes to lay and unveil tombstones is hardly the best month to hold any concert let alone at the very heart of the month when the organisers hope to have their do.

Other nations have a better scenario where doing something one enjoys coupled with the ‘‘do good’’ factor motivates someone to go out and spend.

Some even have monies taken out of their monthly earnings for causes including breast cancer, malaria and other non-communicable diseases in order to help research and the response to such scourges.

Yet charity is one person who only gets monetary attention locally if it is the name of your girlfriend. Charity is hardly loved in Zimbabwe if she is anything other than a lover.

“We do not live in a perfect world, but there will always be people who need help and something that each of us can do to make a difference.

‘‘So to change the lives of these children the least you can do is to be at the concert if you can’t volunteer to give,” the concert organisers plead.

The big question is, does anybody really care? And will the will to do good prevail and bring out the numbers? Time will ultimately tell.

@zimrobbie