A children’s choir raising money for education in Africa is coming to Maple Ridge.
The African Children’s Choir is made up of children seven to 10 years old from several different countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
The first choir was formed in 1984 by White Rock native Ray Barnett. Choir members were selected from among orphaned and vulnerable children in the Kampala and Luwero regions of Uganda during the country’s bloody civil war.
Many of them had lost one or both parents through war, famine or disease.
The choir started touring among the North American church communities and money raised went towards education for its members and the building of an orphanage in Kampala.
Music For Life, the fundraising organization for the choir, has educated more than 52,000 children and impacted the lives of over 100,000 people through its relief and development programs since its inception.
The African Children’s Choir has performed for presidents, heads of state and, most recently, the Queen of England, for her diamond jubilee.
The choir has also performed with Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Keith Urban, Mariah Carey and Michael W. Smith, as well as at Live8, the House of Commons and Pentagon.
To date, millions of dollars have been raised to establish numerous schools throughout Africa, along with emergency relief and development programs in Somalia, Sudan and Rwanda, as well as to help orphaned children in South Africa.
The African Children’s Choir will be performing at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 at Maple Ridge Christian Reformed Church, 20245 Dewdney Trunk Rd. in Maple Ridge.
The program will feature well-loved children’s songs, traditional spirituals and gospel favourites.
The concerts are free, but donations are appreciated to the support of the African Children’s Choir programs, such as education, care and relief and development programs.
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