A children's choir from Uganda performed in Sundre on Feb. 17.
Held at the McDougal Chapel, 33 people sang, danced and shared their stories with a full crowd.
The choir, belonging to the Watoto organization, has been coming to Sundre for eight years, said organizer Heidi Werdal.
ìAfrica has always been very close to my heart and the situation there,î said Werdal, noting that she spent three years in Africa from age 10 to 13.
ìAs I raise my own kids, I want them to see other parts of the world and what other people's living situations are like,î she said.
The organization builds villages in Uganda and recently opened one in Sudan, she said.
The villages become homes for orphans in Uganda.
ìNot only are they helping the orphaned kids, but they are also pulling woman off the streets who are struggling or maybe widowed, then they become these kids' mom,î she explained.
Since 1994, children from the villages are given the opportunity each year to tour Canada, the United States, Europe or Australia, she said.
Each child tours once, so each year there is a new choir.
This choir is touring Canada for six months and will then return home to Uganda.
At each place where they perform, they offer items such as necklaces and books for sale, in order to cover the costs of the tour, she said.
Money raised by the offerings is what they use to keep the villages running, along with the sponsorships of the individuals in the villages, she said.
ìI think it helps all of us to understand more of what's going on around the world,î she said.
