All I knew when I showed up was that kids, from Africa, would be giving a choir concert. Makes sense yes? I learned from being there that the choir is so much more than music. While music is a huge part of what they do, they are really about changing lives (to read more about their mission see their webpage). Of course I took photos. I'm talking with the organization now about where to send a disk with all of the images to. I hope that my images can in some way be used to further their ministry.
I used to get frustrated at the television commercials for "feed the children" and other organizations like that which depicted African children as all shoeless orphans huddled into a run down shack. I wondered to myself how long the film crew had to search to find those sorts of kids. Well, from my time in Kenya, I can assure you it is much more difficult to avoid those types of kids than to find them. That is truly how the majority lives and goes to schools (for those that have schools). Many do not have shoes. They walk through fields that have thorns you could use to build a house (I know, I had one go through my shoe!!) Street orphans are real. Just outside of our hotel in Isiolo there were 3 kids, probably around the age of 12 addicted to sniffing glue, trying to "cook" food found in the garbage, in a soup can from the garbage, using sticks and matches. This is how they survived. They had no one to look out for them. Their hopes lie in finding scraps to eat and the next glue bottle to sniff. Our prayers were for God to get through to them, somehow, some way, in such a way only God can. Largely because of the glue, human attempts to communicate with them were pointless.
Many of the kids that are selected to the choir are in similar situations or are at high risk for being there. Parents are either dead or just simply gone. To see innocent children being so brave to embark on a journey and bring blessings half a world away was truly moving. Despite their hardships, each child in the choir had a smile that I only wish I could keep for a few days at a time.
So what does any of this matter and how does it apply to you? Well, if you have a couple of minutes check out the choir's website (www.africanchildrenschoir.com) see what they are about, and if it is something you lead to do anything with.
I can assure you however, if you do choose to something, you won't regret it.
Be Blessed.
-Ryan
