Children’s music tells of plight in Uganda

Hope remains in the lives of these orphans – children who have lost parents to war, violence and AIDS.

They continue to dance despite the deaths of their loved ones. They continue to sing on behalf of the 2 million other orphans in their native Uganda.

Every year, members of the Watoto Children’s Choir travel to North America to share their culture and raise awareness of the growing AIDS epidemic in Africa.

This month, they’ll be in Washington and Idaho – not only to dance and sing but also to tell their own stories of survival.

The 16 children on tour are among the more than 1,300 who have been served by Watoto Child Care Ministries, an organization that cares for orphans in Uganda by providing housing, education, medical coverage and other services.

Established in 1992 by Canadian missionaries, WCCM has helped support the extended families of about 500 orphans. It also has created three villages made up of small homes, a school, medical clinic and a multipurpose hall for about 850 other youngsters.

“These children are the next generation of Ugandan leaders,” said the Rev. Chris Banas, a Canadian pastor who moved his family from Edmonton to Uganda to become part of WCCM. “We do everything we can to help them reach their full potential.”

Banas and eight other WCCM staff members have spent three and a half months traveling throughout England, the United States and Canada with the Watoto Children’s Choir.

Children who become part of WCCM get a chance to audition for the choir and travel before returning to their village.

Their performances inform audiences around the globe of the plight of orphans in Africa, while raising funds to support WCCM.

Among the children who will be in Spokane and staying with host families this week is 6-year-old Moses Omurezi Akantorana, who was abandoned in a swamp when he was a toddler. He was found and taken to a hospital, where he recovered from severe illness.

When he was adopted by WCCM shortly thereafter, staff members named the child after the biblical figure, who also was rescued from the water.

“No one was taking care of me before I came to Watoto,” said Charity Mirembe, another member of this year’s choir. The 9-year-old said her father was killed in the civil war, and her mother died of AIDS.

Charity lived in her grandmother’s house for a while, but until she became part of Watoto, she said, she often didn’t have enough to eat.

“Life was hard,” Charity said during a phone interview from Victoria, B.C., where the children spent the holidays. “Now, I get to sing. … I like all the adults who take care of me.”

The children are also excited about their tour, which is the first time they’ve ever left their villages, let alone Uganda. Edward Lutaaya, 10, especially enjoys the cold weather in the Northwest, he said.

“It’s not as hot,” he said. “I also like the chicken and fries.”

The tours are made possible through the sale of Watoto CDs, DVDs, T-shirts and African jewelry.

WCCM also gets help from numerous individuals who each contribute $25 a month to sponsor a child, and from volunteers who travel to Uganda to help build homes, classrooms and other facilities in the villages.

Audiences will gain much from these children’s visit, Banas said. Besides learning more about the AIDS epidemic in Uganda, people will be inspired by the stories, he said.

“Look at these children who have been down and out, who have witnessed death as an everyday occurrence,” Banas said. “They support and love each other. They are full of life. … If they can find hope after all that they’ve been through, then there’s hope for everybody.”