This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Shifa Community Clinic‘s annual cultural show, in which various volunteers and school-affiliated organizations perform for friends and family. I attended this event last year as well, as my roommate/best friend is one of the clinic’s volunteers.
Shifa Community Clinic is a volunteer-based organization that serves the uninsured and underserved Sacramento community. They provide free primary care services as well as other additional services such as blood tests, urine analyses, health education, prescription refills, physical exams, pap smears, and much, much more.
These services are all provided to patients who would otherwise be unable to afford such medical care. Shifa particularly accommodates for the South Asian and Middle Eastern community by providing a comfortable environment that meets their cultural expectations, with translators available to aid with preceptor-to-patient interactions. Coming from a Middle Eastern background myself, this is particularly meaningful for me. However, Shifa is open to everyone, regardless of race, who needs primary care assistance.
The theme for this year’s show was “Unity in Diversity,” which pretty much sums up the entire show. Acts included: a Mexican cultural dance, a Passover song sung and played on guitar, an Indian cultural dance, a Spanish rock band, UC Davis’ a capella group Jhankaar, the Davis Chinese Dance Group, an Indian classical dance, UC Davis’ Mariachi Cielito Lindo, and many others.
Every single performance was amazing and a pleasure to watch, but here are some of the standouts for me.
Passover & “Lives of Glass”
This performer began the show by sharing a Jewish Passover song that is very special to her. She sang while playing an acoustic guitar, and it was clear the entire audience was mesmerized. Her voice was simultaneously beautiful and haunting; my friends and I definitely agreed that her indie style and voice reminded us of artists like Birdy or Florence + The Machine. She concluded her performance with an original song, “Lives of Glass,” which was an absolute treat to hear.
Indian Cultural Dance
A medical student involved with Shifa performed an Indian cultural dance that required impeccable technical skills and footwork. The dancer wore small bell bands on her feet, which immensely added to the performance’s mesmerizing quality. Later, another volunteer performed an Indian classical dance whereby each movement is purely math-based. I have no idea how that works, but it sounds incredibly cool!
Davis Chinese Dance Group
This campus group performs numbers that mix traditional or classic Chinese dance with modern and contemporary Chinese dance and music. It was so interesting to see the different styles (of both dance and dress) performed alongside each other.
Mariachi Cielito Lindo
I had never heard of this group before, but I’m happy I was finally introduced to them! Mariachi Cielito Lindo is a group composed of Davis students and faculty as well as members of the Davis community. Their aim is to “share an appreciation of Mariachi music and culture,” and I think they’re doing a wonderful job. The group played both Spanish and English songs, and the happiness produced by their music was infectious.
The show included a delicious meal served during intermission that respected the dietary restrictions of many of the Middle Eastern/South Asian audience members. There was also a raffle, which gave the show another fun element.
All profits from the cultural show go directly toward the cost of the free primary care services provided in Shifa. These include medical supplies, clinic programs, specialty clinic referrals, and so much more. How could you not love this organization?!
If you’ll still be in the Davis area next year, I highly recommend attending their next cultural show. It’s a fun experience with both friends and strangers, and the sense of community around you is such a wonderful feeling – especially if you may be far from home.
In summary: very rad show and organization! You can learn more about Shifa Community Clinic and the services they provide here.
All images courtesy of the author.