You wouldn't know it from their bright young faces, angelic voices and playful smiles, but behind their eyes, the children of Matsiko Children's Choir have seen a great deal of hardship in their short lives.
On Feb. 1, through song and dance, they shared their story with students at McClure Middle School.
Hailing from Uganda, the group of orphans were rescued from what seemed like a hopeless struggle by the International Children's Network (ICN), a nonprofit that provides educational sponsorship through the university level. It was founded by Don Windham and his wife, Jennie, of Kent.
The couple traveled extensively working with kids before founding the Network. "We thought to ourselves, we would really like to help these kids break through this cycle of poverty," Windham explained. "We wanted to help." Through a friend, the Windhams met Moses Mbuga, who had been working with Ugandan children since 1989 and now works to book performances for the choir. "I like to see them going to school," he added, "preparing and working for a better future."
Matsiko, which means "hope" in Lunyankole, one of the local languages of Uganda, travels around the country as an ambassador of the 6 million orphaned and at-risk youth worldwide who are in desperate need of sponsorship. As Anna, one of the children, put it, "This is enough, if we were all holding hands, to wrap around the world 18 times."
Like the 6 million, these gifted Ugandan kids once faced the hopelessness of being uneducated, homeless, hungry and alone. But through sponsorship, they have been given a second chance.
So far, more than 1,000 children have been sponsored through college as a direct effect of the Matsiko Children's Choir performances. These have taken place at a wide array of venues including the Staples Center, Six Flags, Disneyland and numerous churches and schools. Sam Straxy, a musician who is himself a product of the ICN sponsorship program, has been the choir director of Matsiko since 2004. "The idea is having the children come and be the voice," Straxy said. "Giving the children education is giving them the greatest tool. Greater than money, greater than anything."
Although the goal of ICN is to provide all children with an education, "the biggest need right now is a home," said Mbuga. "Right now there are 42 kids living in the home in Uganda, and when we return there will be 67. We ran out of space." Land has been purchased to build the home, which will be erected in Kampala, Uganda, but donations are still needed to finish the project. "Whoever is interested is most welcome to help," Mbuga said.
To sponsor a child, donate to the housing project or book a future performance with the Matsiko Children's Choir, visit www.icnchildren.net.[[In-content Ad]]
