Established in 1992 in Perth, Western Australia, the ICYO’s mission is to empower and become a foundation for young Indonesian Catholics in Perth to enhance their social and spiritual life. Photos: Grady Gunawan and Jonathan Thewira.
The fifth charity choir concert organised by the Indonesian Catholic Youth Organisation (ICYO) was held on Saturday 7 October in an effort to raise funds for the Karya Mulia School for the Deaf in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Organised together with the Rotary Club of Mount Lawley, the event saw some 400 people attend over two sessions on the day, with approximately $16,000 raised so far for the Karya Mulia School for the Deaf.
With the Indonesian language largely derived from Sanskrit, the concert was named after the Sanskrit word, ‘svara’, meaning ‘sound’.
After the success of the first charity choir concert, Swara Perdana (The First Voice) in 2007, ICYO has continued to support the community through subsequent charity concerts.
Starting out with a mere five members in 1992, the ICYO has grown into a community of approximately 100 members, many of whom are still active today. Photos: Grady Gunawan and Jonathan Thewira.
Chairperson of the SVARA concert and Music Coordinator for ICYO Steffanno Soedjatmiko explained that the concert title, ‘SVARA’, was chosen as it signifies the appreciation of sound by delivering voices through music.
“The gift of hearing is one we so often neglect, so through our prayers and hard work we hope we can help our brothers and sisters in Surabaya,” he said.
Steffanno added that the hope was for the charity concert to provide the drive for the ICYO and its members to continue on with the tradition of holding these events in service of others.
“We always take the time to reflect on our past events, so I hope that our following concerts become bigger, brighter and better each time.
“Our organisation also hopes that through our prayers and charitable services, the lives of those around us may be touched and filled with God’s grace,” he said.
The event saw some 400 people attend over two sessions on the day, with approximately $16,000 raised so far, with the ICYO still accepting donations from individuals or companies who are interested. Photos: Grady Gunawan and Jonathan Thewira.
With a mission of empowering and being a foundation for young Indonesian Catholics in Perth for the enhancement of their social and spiritual life, Steffanno said the charity choir concert is driven by the ICYO’s focus on service.
“Our spirituality is enriched through the acts of service for the community, accompanied by our regular fellowships and Bible study groups.
“Through such activities, our organisation lives out the teachings of the Catholic Church and imitating Christ in loving one another as He has loved us,” he said.