The Prime Minister and Sarah Brown have welcomed the children of Destiny Africa, a children’s choir from an orphanage in northern Uganda, to perform in 10 Downing Street.
As well as performing song, dance and drumming for the Number 10 audience, the children spoke about their experiences of conflict and of their hopes for the future.
Nicole Nabunya, speaking through her friend and co-singer Irene Ayugi, explained how the Kampala Children’s Centre had changed her life after her parents were killed by rebel soldiers.
She said:
” We were still crying after the death of our parents when we had news of people coming to take names of orphans in our village. We told them what had happened and they loved us and took us to Kampala Children’s Centre. My life has totally changed direction because of Kampala Children’s Centre.
“I am now the happiest girl in the world…I am safe. I no longer beg for food, I no longer run from rebels. I am part of a family that loves me. I love being [part of] Destiny Africa children’s choir. I could never imagine this happening to me. I am working hard in my studies, because of the future I want to have. I want to be a teacher.”
The Destiny Africa choir is made up of 17 children, aged eight to 16, who have been orphaned or left with a parent who can no longer look after them due to war or HIV and AIDs related illness. The children’s choir is touring the UK to raise awareness of the Centre and its work.
Arnold Muwange, Director of the Kampala Children’s Centre, spoke of the KCC’s mission to rescue children and give them a new start, especially those that are abandoned and affected by war.
The children would return to Uganda with “renewed hope that someone somewhere is willing to listen and maybe understand our story”, he said.
More information is available on the Kampala Children’s Centre website (opens new browser window).
delicious
digg
facebook
