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Choir Offers Escape from Poverty
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| top photo courtesy Matthew Mayer, bottom courtesy Eric Young |
(posted July 12)
Life Church Indianapolis wanted to make summer camp a unique experience for the children at LeGore
Boys and Girls Club by inviting the Uganda Orphan Choir to perform.
The Ugandan Orphan Choir is part of the Childcare Worldwide Christian ministry that provides children in 12 countries with food and education through
a sponsorship program. The choir is just one aspect of the ministry.
According to Eric Young of ChildCare Worldwide, ten kids are selected each
year to tour the United States for ten months, raising awareness of the
poverty level of the third world countries. The children are selected based
on academics and not musical talent because the children complete the same
class assignments in two and half days, compared to a regular six day school
week. The children have compressed educational classes in order to be able
to perform on the other days.
Young recently went to Uganda. He said some parts of the country had some
luxury, but the impoverished sections are worse than any area in the US.
The trip made Young grateful to be an American where there is abundance
and freedom.
After the ten month tour, the children will return to Uganda in November.
Young said there are 7,000 children that are sponsored in Uganda out of
a population of out about 6 million orphans. A child, by third world standards,
can be considered an orphan with one living parent or even both. The program
is really about providing food and education, so indigent families don't
have to choose between food and education. Young said Childcare Worldwide
realizes that it can't find sponsorship for all orphans, but it "rejoices
in the one life that is changed." Eric and his wife Savannah are traveling
with the Ugandans to assist with scheduling and hosting. The group changes
hosts families about every two to three days.
Scott Himes of Life Church said most of the kids at LeGore, located 5228
W. Minnesota Avenue, never get out of their inner urban environment, so
the church decided to integrate the two cultures on July 11. The kids watched
the Ugandan children perform their traditional dances that consisted of
some wearing grass skirts.
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