Recently I travelled to Uganda to see the choir. I visited the homes of six choir children in the North of Uganda, (one of the most remote areas). I have visited these communities many times before, but never before when I knew specific children so well. For the last year I had seen each of the children develop, through the choir training and the hours of mentorship from the chaperones and staff. But most of this time was spent either at our guesthouse in Kampala or on the tour in the U.K. The last time I saw the kids, I was saying goodbye to them at the airport, and now we were walking down a mud lane in the middle of rural Africa.
I wanted to know how the children have settled back into life in Uganda and how the families viewed the tour. It was very encouraging to speak with the parents, all of whom had noticed significant changes in the children. Their English had improved, (surpassing siblings who were 10 years older), they were much better disciplined, their health had improved, their confidence had increased and they mixed better with friends (and a few of the boys didn’t fight anymore). The parents did highlight some challenges. A few children had had some sickness or stomach upsets when they came home at first, but overall they were massively positive about the whole experience and the communication from Abaana.
As we visited Prisca and sat with her family, Prisca started to speak to her Mum in her local language. Prisca told her that as they had visitors, they should pray for them. Then Prisca stood and started to pray for their guests.
Meeting all the children in their school environment was also encouraging. Yes, all of them miss the UK and would love to come back, and maybe someday that will happen, but they are also very excited about their education and the potential for the future.
Please watch the below video to hear how they are getting on!