By Emma Sylvia
The African Children’s Choir celebrated its 40th anniversary this year at Fisk Chapel AME Church in Fair Haven. The October event was one of many that has melted the hearts of audiences, with the choir performing popular children’s music, traditional spiritual songs, and African cultural pieces. Tina Sipp, Choir Manager for the African Children’s Choir, said in a statement, “The African Children’s Choir proves just how powerful music can be. These concerts provide hope and encouragement, not just to our audiences, but to the children whose lives are forever changed by their experiences with the Choir.”
The African Children’s Choir is actually a part of a larger international organization called Music for Life. Originally running in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Sudan, it now runs in four African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa.
Jim Luzze, the Ugandan Chaperone for the African Children Choir, spoke highly of the organization. A former member of the 16th children choir, Luzze graduated college in 2009 with a degree in social sciences. “It enabled me to be the changemaker I am today,” he says. He greatly attributes this milestone in his life to the choir. The organization was looking for volunteers, and since he was already seeking to return and aid the choir that contributed so much to his life already, Luzze applied to volunteer in 2019. He is now the leader of Choir 53, and he explains more about the organization.
“Music for Life is a nongovernmental organization,” he elaborates. “We do a focus on raising funds for children who have a very poor background. It’s need-based. Our focus is to give hope to children who do not have hope, or look like they don’t have a future. We do this through education, which lets them make it through life and change their past. We also provide medical care, clean water, and regular nutrition.”
Music for Life has several different programs, with participating children being ages 8 to 11. Luzze says that for his choir, there are 17 children — nine girls and eight boys, from the ages of 8 to 10. Their mission statement is an altruistic one: “We help Africa’s most learnable children today, so that they can help Africa tomorrow.”
It’s not just the choir that aims to shape these children’s lives. Music for Life enables a primary and secondary school, as well as other outreach programs. Luzze elaborates, “[The programs] reach out to communities. It gives education, health, and empowerment to thousands and thousands of children in these communities. They’re mostly run by children who were part of the choir and now have time to give back to the community and have a positive impact on children’s lives.”
The organization has accomplished much in its 40 years. Unfortunately, they lost their dear founder, Ray Barnett, in September of this year. Lovingly called “Daddy Ray,” Barnett visited Uganda 40 years ago on a humanitarian trip. A lover of music, he witnessed decimation and wished to bring hope to the communities that he visited. According to the choir, “In 1984, he founded the African Children’s Choir and served as the director and visionary for Music for Life, the non-profit organization working to develop the Choir program while raising funds to help the thousands of destitute children receive an education and hope through other relief and development programs.” Over the next four decades, the Choir raised enough funds to educate over 53,000 children.
Those funds have gone to various good causes. In Kenya, they have implemented the Music for Life Kindergarten Program. Striving to make leaps and bounds in education and mentorship, the three kindergartens made possible by the program are aimed primarily at children with impoverished backgrounds. Meanwhile, in South Africa, the foundation aims to provide life changing opportunities for an area devastated by drought and HIV/AIDs. In 2002, the Choir began its work in the country, and two decades later, continues supplying former Choir children with their education. Music for Life began its relief efforts in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. Aside from educational relief, the group also provided support for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Finally, in Uganda, the Choir comes full circle, as it was in Uganda that Barnett began with his efforts to give back to the community. Focusing greatly on education, several schools have been built, with their alumni being supported through a college/university level education.
With already great strides being made in the past 40 years, Music for Life shows no signs of slowing down. Luzze remarks, “By God’s grace, we will have future plans of expanding. We continue pushing. We are going strong and looking forward to the future.”
The work done by Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir wouldn’t be possible without the effort of others. Luzze is thankful, saying, “I want to appreciate and thank all the donors, and everyone who has made this possible. If it wasn’t for people with kind hearts, this wouldn’t have been possible. We are truly grateful for the impact that this has had in thousands of children’s lives.”
For more information on performances, scheduling, or how you can help Music for Life and the African Children Choir, visit africanchildrenschoir.com
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