Jamming with intention
Fundraiser to benefit humanitarian projects around the world

Having the freedom to pursue passions and do what we love is a beautiful thing. Here in Durango, it can seem as though conditions are perfect to go exploring for fun. Between the natural beauty that surrounds us and the close-knit community in town, fun can be found in almost every direction.

To be able to translate that fun into a community-wide good time has the potential to benefit those in and outside our small town.

Raja Braford, a student at Fort Lewis College, also serves as the fundraising coordinator for the Village Aid Project, or VAP. According to Braford, VAP is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to partner with underprivileged communities around the globe to find sustainable solutions to critical engineering problems.

“Some solutions include water, sanitation and hygiene systems, as well as schools,” she said. “These solutions are a manifestation of a collective desire to help communities in a way that honors different cultures and promotes sustainability.”

Braford is organizing an event to benefit VAP at 7 p.m. Fri., March 17, at The Hive, 1150 Main Ave. For the low price of $15 and the high reward of feeling linked to the greater good of serving communities abroad, you’ll get a night of music, camaraderie and pop-up merchandise from Yikes ski apparel.

Desiderata will provide the tunes for the night. The band fuses jazz, soul and indie pop, forming potent grooves topped with hypnotic vocals.

“One of the band members is a current VAP member and will be traveling with us this spring,” Braford said.

This season, VAP will be heading to a small town in Nicaragua. Braford said when the group goes to these communities, it tries to involve the community as much as possible. “The projects wouldn’t be possible without the help of the community members,” she said. “Before we arrive, they do a lot of preparation, and once we are there, they continue to help us until the project is complete. It’s an amazing feeling to watch us all come together.”

A sense of community, Braford said, can be just as fulfilling as a warm meal or just as crucial as having a sustainable wastewater management system. Traveling with VAP has shown her how rewarding it is to be a part of something bigger than herself.

“We don’t go to your typical tourist spots; we go off the beaten trail and get experiences most travelers won’t get,” she said. “We get to spend a large amount of time in one village and build relationships with the community members that will last a lifetime.”

In order to get to Nicaragua, build these systems and connections, VAP is looking to the Durango community for financial support. All ticket sales from the event will go toward students’ airfare as well as monetary needs of the project. VAP hopes to raise roughly $20,000 for each of its projects abroad.

Braford said the end result is always worth the effort.

“It’s not always easy working with VAP; it forces me to step out of my comfort zone,” she said. “But that’s where the most personal growth happens. Working hard side by side with community members is an incredible and humbling experience. You work hard and get dirty, but once you see running water in a village or a brand new school, the incredible amount of gratitude from the community makes it all worth it.” 

What better way to serve our worldwide community than by enjoying local music and purchasing local apparel from a brand promoting women in winter sports? All the while, you’ll know your money and energy is going to remote places to encourage healthy and sustainable engineering, economies and communities.