Watoto, a non-governmental organization based in Uganda, is bringing the Watoto Children’s Choir to the Okanagan as part of their six-month ‘We Will Go’ tour performing their newest album across Canada.
The album and tour present the story of abandoned African children and vulnerable women who have been empowered to rise above their circumstances and answer the call to be part of a new Africa and make a difference in the world.
Like Africa, the production is vibrant and colourful, taking listeners on an emotional journey from utter despair to joyous celebration, as the children and women share their personal stories of triumph in story and song.
The choir will perform on Feb. 1 at Bethel Church in Penticton, located at 945 Main St., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Then on Feb. 3, they will travel first to Vernon to perform at the Landing Church at 10 a.m. and then to Summerland for a performance at the Summerland Baptist Church at 6:30 pm.
Jackie, an 11-year-old who will be travelling on the choir, was abandoned by her parents when she was only four-years-old. She was found by a good Samaritan before Watoto became her permanent home and family.
When we asked her about travelling on choir, she said in a release from the choir, “I heard that Canada is very cold. When I travel on the choir, I want to play in the snow. I dream of becoming a teacher when I grow up, so on tour, I will continue to help my friends with their homework. I also learned the Canadian anthem and I can’t wait to sing it there.”
Watoto Children’s Choirs have travelled extensively since 1994, sharing a message of hope for Africa’s most vulnerable children and women. On almost every day of the year, the choir is performing somewhere in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people get to meet some of Africa’s future leaders. People see their smiles and are embraced by their hugs.
The children have the privilege of telling people, “It’s possible to have joy, to laugh and to have hope, no matter what you’re going through.”
The We Will Go album can be downloaded on iTunes at https://bit.ly/wewillgo. All proceeds made from the album go to Watoto in Uganda to provide vulnerable children and women with homes, education, medical care, and most of all the love of a family.
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