The Watoto Children’s Choir will share their amazing stories of courage as they take centre stage at the Cuckoo Restaurant.
By Tania Martin
HILLS people will be amazed to hear the heart-warming stories behind the dazzling smiles of the Watoto Children’s Choir.
They will get the chance to do just that as the choir takes centres stage at Olinda’s Cuckoo Restaurant on Saturday at a fundraising lunch.
The children will dazzle audiences with their brilliant African costumes and performances, mixed with an amazing spirit for life.
But behind the scenes, these children have faced and overcome poverty and AIDS to dream of a better life.
Choir member Joy, 12, dreams of one day becoming the Prime Minister of Uganda, which is no mean feat for an orphan.
When Joy was just a toddler, her father died in a car accident, but the worst was still to come.
Her mother was then diagnosed with AIDS and died, leaving Joy and her siblings all alone.
Joy says her situation felt hopeless and she wondered if life would ever get better.
“An aunt tried to help us but she had children of her own and could not afford to give us our basic needs … life was tough,” Joy said.
But the light at the end of the tunnel came when Joy’s aunt stumbled across the Watoto children’s mission.
The mission is a non-profit organisation that helps to rescue orphaned children in Uganda from rubbish dumps and find them a family and a place to stay.
Joy now has a new family – a mother, brothers and sisters who love and care for her.
She has hope of one day fulfilling her dream of being Prime Minister.
“I know that in spite of my background, in spite of my tears, I can become a successful person in life,” she said.
The Watoto choir travels the globe, performing and raising cash for the children’s villages.
The mission operates three villages with more than 130 homes, each accommodating eight children and a “mother” who cares for them.
It also provides a school system for the children, a medical clinic, church, and community centre.
Cash raised from the lunch at the Cuckoo will go towards helping the mission to continue helping children like Joy.
The lunch will be held on Saturday 30 August at the Cuckoo Restaurant, 508 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Olinda.
Bookings are essential and can be made by calling 9751 1003.
