Ugandan orphans take world tour to Waubonsie High

The lives of Waubonsie Valley High School students and children from the Watoto Children's Choir are like night and day.

But Friday they struck a common chord.

The choir, made up of orphaned children from Uganda, spent the day with students in Waubonsie's Mosaic Ensemble to learn about each other's songs, dances and cultures before performing a concert at the school.

Mosaic Director Mark Myers said he hoped the experience would further his students' understanding of the unifying power of music.

"Just the fact that when they got together and sang together … forgive me for being cheesy, but it's magical," Myers said. "It's really amazing how it happens and we can connect so easily even though there are so many barriers between cultures."

The 18 children in the Watoto Choir range in age from 7 to 12. Most have lost one or both parents to AIDS, while others simply have been abandoned. The Watoto organization currently cares for roughly 1,700 children.

"These choirs are traveling advocates for the millions and millions of children who have lost their parents," team leader Eugene Stutzman said. "In society in Uganda, children have been thrown out like trash and forgotten. But we believe God has not forgotten about these children."

On tour for seven months, the group was at Naperville North High School for a concert Thursday night as part of ThinkGlobal Art Foundation's Celebration of Peace month.

While at Waubonsie on Friday, Watoto and Mosaic members took turns singing for each other. Watoto children also taught Mosaic students their dance moves and popular phrases in their native language.

In turn, the Mosaic Ensemble taught the young Watoto children the song, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" and talked to them about their own challenges and sources of inspiration.

"The impact was huge. I couldn't believe they were so young and they had so much energy at such a young age and they were all dedicated," senior Brittney Thomas said. "It made me want to perform even more (knowing) that they've been through so much and could still be so happy."

Both Thomas and senior Ta-Tynisa Wilson said it made them think about things they take for granted.

"It was so inspiring, it was amazing. I never expected it to be like this," Wilson said. "I expected to meet new people, but I never expected to have this much of a connection with them. I was so shocked. I was overwhelmed with excitement."

The visit with the Watoto choir was especially fitting for the Mosaic Ensemble, which plans to travel to South Africa in June for a service trip in which members will work with underprivileged high school students in Cape Town, participate in a peer mentoring program to raise AIDS and HIV awareness, and perform in a benefit concert. They also hope to visit the University of Cape Town for an educational experience of their own.

Donations to the Watoto organization can be sent to Watoto USA, PO Box 1320, Lutz, FL 33548-1320 or though www.watoto.com.