[UPDATED July 25, 2023: 10:25am]
“This year’s fundraiser was memorable in that we had invited 21 children from shelterhome.org and 20 members from Pertubuhan Kesihatan dan Kebajikan Umum Malaysia to join us at the TGV Cinema to watch ‘Barbie’,” Pranava told FMT Lifestyle in a follow-up email.
“Special thanks to our donors who not only purchased tickets to support the cause but were also more than happy to give the tickets to children who would enjoy the movie.”
Read on for the original article published on July 14, 2023:
In just a few weeks, “Barbie” will waltz into cinemas in a whirlwind of pink. For those hoping to catch this whimsical film, why not support a good cause at the same time?
Enterprising college student Pranava Shanta Mohan is organising a charity screening of this much-anticipated movie to raise funds for Hospis Malaysia.
All proceeds from the screening will go towards this community palliative care organisation, whose services are usually provided free to patients.
“I feel that palliative care often gets overlooked. Towards the end of your life, most people want to go through their days as comfortably as possible without pain, and Hospis Malaysia really strives to support these goals,” Pranava, 17, told FMT Lifestyle.
Palliative care refers to treatments that improve the quality of life of patients and their families who face challenges associated with life-threatening illness, whether physical, psychological, social or spiritual.
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 56.8 million people, including 25.7 million in the last year of life, are in need of palliative care annually. Unfortunately, only about 14% of people worldwide usually receive it.
This charity screening of “Barbie”, also known as the Ripple Effect 4.0 project, will take place at TGV Jaya Shopping Centre at 7.30pm on July 20, the date of the movie’s premiere, making this a perfect opportunity for movie lovers or Barbie aficionados to catch it early, Pranava said.
The venue has been sponsored by Brickfields Asia College as part of their Make It Right programme.
Asked why they had chosen to screen “Barbie”, Pranava laughed, saying there was no particular reason. It’s simply a fun film people can enjoy, and the best choice among other titles in the cinema at this time.
Jegadeva’s legacy
The screening marks the fourth instalment of the Ripple Effect Charitable Fundraiser Programme, which is part of the Asia Weaves charity initiative. It was started by Pranava’s brother Visaghan Shanta Mohan in 2019.
Visaghan, now 19, was inspired to start the programme from his late neighbour and family friend, K Jegadeva, who passed away from cancer in his 80s. Thanks to palliative care, Jegadeva was able to live the last days of his life with comfort and dignity.
“He kept telling us how Hospis Malaysia’s services helped keep him upbeat and happy. They had given him so much, and he wanted to ensure they could help others as well,” Pranava said.
Visaghan and Pranava have been working hard to raise funds for Hospis Malaysia over the past three years. The first iteration of the Ripple Effect Charity Fundraiser programme, a charity screening of “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker”, raised over RM27,000.
This was followed by The Ripple Effect 2.0 and 3.0 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, which saw funds raised through online Christmas and New Year bazaars.
A full house for the “Barbie” screening would allow about RM13,000 to be raised for Hospis Malaysia. Pranava is hoping to reach this target, which will help boost palliative care efforts in Malaysia.
“I hope everyone comes out for a good time, and helps us support a good cause,” he concluded.
The Ripple Effect 4.0 charity screening of ‘Barbie’ was held on Thursday, July 20
Ticket price: RM100
Bank: Maybank
Account no: 5141 3212 1211
Bank account name: Hospis Malaysia
Kindly transfer monies directly to Hospis Malaysia and send the transfer slip to Pranava at 012-594 3987 with your name, IC number, and address to obtain a tax exempt receipt. Use this receipt to claim your ticket at the venue on the date of the screening.