Asante Children's Choir travels from East Africa to Marengo

Submitted by Asante Ministries International

Asante Ministries International recently announced that the Asante Children's Choir from East Africa will be bringing their “Jericho ... Moving Forward” tour to Marengo.

The choir will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, at Victory Rock Fellowship Church, 20503 Telegraph St. (Route 176), in Marengo. The concert is free and open to all. For directions, visit www.victoryrockfellowship.com.

For a complete schedule, including other stops in Illinois, go to www.asantechoir.org.

The choir will perform worship music, African folk songs, drum music and vibrant dance. The choir is made up of children from East Africa, age 7-15. Many of these children are orphans or have parents who are unable to provide for them. The children will be sharing their joy and hope while raising support and awareness for the plight of children in need in East Africa.

The work of Asante began in 1999 in Rwanda, just four years after the genocide that claimed the lives of more than one million Rwandans. The founder, Amon Munyaneza, grew up as a child refugee in Uganda. As he attended university in Butare, Rwanda, he began to support one girl, Naomi, by paying her school fees. Soon after, his friends also started to support children. Today, Asante is supporting more than 2,500 children and running three schools in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda — countries which have been torn by years of civil war and extreme poverty.

The mission of Asante is to care for orphans, widows and children in need in some of the poorest communities in East Africa. Asante accomplishes this mission by nurturing physical health, providing educational empowerment and providing safe environments for children. Asante's work is supported by local churches, donors and a growing network of volunteers.

For information or to schedule the choir for your church or community event, go to www.asantechoir.org.