Santa Fe resident Jenny Sanborn says freedom, mobility and dignity are basic human rights, and she knows other Santa Feans would agree with her.

"I think that Santa Feans recognize that and want to support people," Sanborn said. At least she's hoping they'll want to support those three things by purchasing a ticket to hear the Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars play a concert tonight to benefit the Santa Fe nonprofit SoulfulPresence and Hope International for Tikar People. Together, the groups work to provide medical care and equipment to people with disabilities in Tikar, a remote village in Cameroon, Africa.

The money raised from the concert will help purchase supplies and pay for medical care and help Sanborn and Issa Nyaphaga, the founder of Hope International for Tikar People, travel to Tikar with supplies. The wheelchairs to be purchased are Cameroonian produced, and the three-wheel chairs are designed specifically for the dirt roads of the region.

Nyaphaga and Sanborn, who works with SoulfulPresence, teamed up shortly after they met just over a year ago. Nyaphaga was in Santa Fe completing a residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute. The art educator and former political cartoonist wanted to do something to help his village, and Sanborn was right there to help.

Nyaphaga explained that he wanted to help this way because of his history with his country.

"I was a political cartoonist for a newspaper in Cameroon, where I drew information for the nonliterate population, and I went to prison for that," he said. He was exiled and moved to France and "wasn't able to go back because I lost my citizenship."

Once in 2002, he returned to see his parents, who were ill. It was on that trip that Hope International for Tikar People was born. He met a young polio survivor who had to use a wheelchair. Nyaphaga raised money to purchase a wheelchair for the boy, who is now a mechanic and electrician. The young man now helps to fix other people's wheelchairs and coaches a Tikar soccer team.

"My idea is to connect my community with different, other communities around the world," Nyaphaga said in a recent phone interview. "I want to create bridges between communities through this project."

Nyaphaga's mission is in line with SoulfulPresence's goal to serve people with disabilities in New Mexico. SoulfulPresence has done international work before, but mostly in Latin America. Last year was the first time it helped people in Africa.

Sanborn hopes the groups can raise $10,000.

"Ten thousand dollars will get us everything we'll need," she said. "By simply coming to our concert, by purchasing a ticket, that could allow a villager to see a doctor for the first time; or to provide a pair of crutches to a person who has a disability."

Sanborn said it's fitting that the Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are playing the benefit concert.

"They sing about peace and freedom and harmony," Sanborn said. "They're dedicated to putting on concerts and sharing that word of peace and survival."

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Concert by Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars to benefit SoulfulPresence and Hope International for Tikar People

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight

Where: The Santa Fe Brewing Company

Cost: $25 in advance (call the Lensic box office, 988-1234); or $29 at the door.

To donate: Visit www.soulfulpresence.org/donate.php