WATOTO CHILDREN’S CHOIR

of Uganda

comes to

Danville, PA

Music lovers in Danville and the surrounding area had the rare opportunity to enjoy an unparalleled entertainment experience when the internationally renown Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda, East Africa, presented a series of rousing local performances on Monday, December 18th at the Danville Middle School Auditorium.  Throughout their stay in our community, the children and their leaders will relax as well as enjoy our region’s recreational opportunities.  A special farewell concert, featuring the Christian music of Uganda, will take place in the sanctuary of the Grove Presbyterian Church, 332 Bloom Street, Danville on Tuesday, January 2nd from 6:30 - 8 pm.  What could be a more fitting way to celebrate the holidays than to welcome this Choir and celebrate with them the music they share?

Watoto means "The Children".  Called Concerts of Hope, these performances, which are free and open to the public, epitomize the triumph of the human spirit over tragedy through the joyful actions of orphaned Ugandan children.  The children provide a captivating blend of native African rhythms, contemporary gospel music and ethnic dance.  As African drums resound, the children dance down the aisles, one-by-one, in their colorful Ugandan costumes with glowing smiles on their faces.  Audiences typically find themselves caught up in the energy of performances as they sense the joy and hope these beautiful Ugandan children have found through WCCM’s impact on their lives. 

The special mission of the choir is to heighten awareness of the mounting AIDS problem in Africa, publicize the vision of Watoto Child Care Ministries (WCCM), and raise funds and support for ministries initiated by WCCM.  WCCM works to take care of Ugandan children left orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, civil strife and other catastrophic events.  Thirty of the forty million people infected with HIV/AIDS in the world today live on the African continent.  With each 24 hours that pass, 6,500 more people there will die from AIDS.  Currently, there are two million plus orphans from AIDS in Uganda alone.WCCM is the vision of Canadian native, Pastor Gary Skinner and his wife, Marilyn Skinner.  While working with their church, the Skinners were so moved by compassion for Uganda’s parentless children that they started Watoto Child Care Ministries in 1992 to address the Ugandan orphan crisis.

“Our mission is to provide these precious children with their physical needs, as well as values and life skills,” says Pastor Gary Skinner, Director and Founder of WCCM.  “We will provide all we can to ensure that these children reach their full potential, so that one day they will be able to help their fellow countrymen and heal Uganda from the damage done by the tragedies these children have experienced.  We are raising the next generation of Ugandan leaders.” 

Concerts of Hope performed by Watoto Children’s Choir are WCCM’s primary way to raise funds to improve the lives of Ugandan orphans. Currently, Watoto (pronounced Wah-toe-toe) Child Care Ministries is bringing hope to 1,300 parentless children in Uganda through a proven program of services and the efforts of the Watoto Children’s Choir.  The long-range goal is to build homes and schools for 10,000 parentless children.

Orphans are cared for in WCCM’s Watoto Children’s Villages and many are in the homes of their extended families.  Each village is designed as a community and provides homes, schools, a medical clinic, a clean-water project and a multi-purpose hall for the children.  Existing Watoto Children’s Villages include Bbira , Buloba, and Suubi, which means hope in Luganda.

To date there are 54 homes on the site with expansion plans that include 162 homes to accommodate 1,296 children (eight children and a house mother in each) as well as other core buildings that are part of each village.  The Suubi village also includes an agricultural endeavor to train villagers and surrounding residents so they can acquire self-sustaining farming and business skills.

Since the Watoto Children’s Choir was formed in 1994, 18 choirs have performed internationally.  As a result, approximately 324 children have had the opportunity to develop personally and prepare themselves academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually to become leaders.  Concerts have been performed in the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and Rwanda. Tours by the Watoto Children’s Choir are self-supporting and paid for by the sale of Watoto CDs, DVDs, T-shirts and African jewelry.  Funding for WCCM comes in a variety of ways including offerings at the end of each performance as well as donations from individuals, churches and communities.

Individuals who chose to contribute regularly can support a child or mother for $30 a month.  Businesses and faith communities are encouraged to sponsor homes and classrooms.  Another way to help is to become part of an international volunteer team from churches and other groups, who visit Uganda each year to assist in the construction of homes, classrooms, and other facilities in the villages.