Butterfly of Hope Fundraising Concert

Butterfly of Hope Fundraising Concert Join us for a special concert supporting Butterfly of Hope Humanitarian Organisation and vital humanitarian efforts. Our work focuses on displaced Afghan families who have fled conflict, only to be forced back into Afghanistan—often with nothing. Many are women and children facing severe hardship: limited rights, disrupted education, and a lack of basic necessities including hygiene needs. Through this initiative, we aim to provide food, shelter, medical support, and access to education through underground schools to help break cycles of poverty. This includes thousands of unaccompanied minors with around 50% of returnees being children. When you throw women into the mix, 60% of returnees are women and children. It’s interesting to note, that thousands of Afghan unaccompanied minors remain displaced globally. As of recent figures, Afghans account for one of the largest demographics of unaccompanied minors awaiting asylum decisions in the European Union (over 8,000 cases). Even European countries, such as Turkey, Austria and Germany are deporting people back to Afghanistan. We will also support Palestinians through a trusted partner charity (to be confirmed). While the contexts differ, the core issues remain the same—self-determination, freedom, and dignity. By bringing these causes together, we hope not only to raise funds, but also to build awareness and solidarity. All our volunteers and directors have been involved in the pro-Palestinian community. While working on this, it is difficult to find the time to devote as much as we would like to this equally important cause, so we decided to combine the two. 🎶 Event Details • Location: St Andrew’s Uniting Church, 299 Ann St, Brisbane. It is diagonally across the road from Central Railway Station. • Accessibility: Wheelchair access (Ann St entrance), quiet room available, and a children’s play area • Performances: • Mundy-Turner (Cath Mundy & Jay Turner – see https://mundyturner.com) • Jumping Fences (Sue Monk & Lachlan Hurse – see https://www.jumpingfences.com.au) • Afghan cultural music and Hazaragi dancers All performers have a commitment to social justice and helping displaced people. Mundy-Turner and Jumping Fences perform at a lot of the pro-Palestinian events in Brisbane. 🎟 Tickets • Adults: $30 • Concessions/Students/Children: $20 • Family tickets available for $80 (2 adults plus 2 or more children) • Free tickets offered to First Nations people, LGBTIQA+ community members, and people of colour. • If cost is a barrier, please select a free ticket—we want everyone to feel welcome All proceeds will be split equally between Butterfly of Hope and our partnered Palestinian charity. 💔 Why This Matters Since early 2025, over 3 million Afghans have been forced to return—many arriving without food, shelter, or support. Children make up nearly half. Even boys face risks like the loss of education and girls can’t go to school past 12 years old. Girls are at risk of people trafficking and forced marriage. Some families have been pushed to extreme measures just to survive. Your support will help provide immediate relief and long-term hope. 🌍 Our Approach We already have teams on the ground in Afghanistan delivering aid. Funds raised will go toward: • Essential supplies (food, clothing, shelter) • Basic healthcare and medical aid • Education support for children • Establishing the organisation and meeting legal requirements in Australia We are in the process of registering as an Australian not-for-profit and seeking tax-deductible status. 🎤 On the Day • Live performances and cultural showcases • Presentations from our Afghanistan team (via Zoom) • Personal stories from displaced individuals and Australian-Afghan speakers 🤝 Get Involved Attend in person or watch online—every contribution makes a difference. • Buy tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/butterfly-of-hope-fundraising-concert • Donate: https://chuffed.org/project/138011-butterfly-of-hope-afghan-support • Volunteers: We need many more volunteers on our planning community and on the night to set up and clean up. Imagine losing everything overnight—your home, community, and future—and starting again with nothing. Together, we can help restore hope, dignity, and opportunity. Contact Details: Email: [email protected] Ph Chris Schmidt: 0439 151 682 Sources: 1. https://afghanistan.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1071/files/documents/2025-06/iom-afghanistanflash-update-1.pdf 2. https://www.savethechildren.net/news/nearly-50000-afghan-children-pushed-out-pakistan-first-two-weeks-april 3. https://www.unhcr.org/af/about-unhcr/figures 4. https://www.amnesty.org.au/afghanistan-forced-returns-to-taliban-rule-must-end-as-latest-figures-reveal-millions-unlawfully-deported-in-2025/ 5. https://www.unicef.org.au/stories/nowhere-to-turn-afghan-families-forced-to-return?srsltid=AfmBOopyN-Nr4YbsDBe0QxHOUit0nXFcntYQaSqxZfA2EqX2p9o3gv_5 6. https://www.unrefugees.org/news/afghanistan-refugee-crisis-explained/ 7. https://www.rescue.org/article/millions-afghans-endure-crisis-three- years-after- taliban-takeover 8. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/afghanistan 9. https://www.rferl.org/.../afghan-children.../33527798.html 10. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162706 11. https://www.savethechildren.net/news/one-child-returns-afghanistan-every-30-seconds-amid-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-save