World-touring charity group to perform at Union United Methodist Church
As a college student, it’s really easy to get caught up in the overwhelming amount of responsibility that comes with living away from home. It’s easy to take for granted the opportunities that college students have, especially when things get stressful. For many in the world, the opportunity to receive any type of education is far out of reach and they will never get the opportunity to learn material that USC students do. Fortunately, there are programs and people that dedicate their lives to providing those opportunities for children that would otherwise never have them.
The African Children’s Choir is one of these organizations. The choir takes the talents of young children from different parts of Africa and uses it to raise money for providing new educational opportunities for them, as well as other children and families in Africa. The choir is coming to both Irmo and Columbia in November. The choir performed for Queen Elizabeth II, the Pentagon and the United Nations. When the choir began in 1984,there were no other choirs like it, and it set the trend for future children’s choirs. Three African Children’s Choirs are currently on tour; one in the United Kingdom and two touring the American Southeast, but all offer the same benefits for the children. Sarah Lidstone, North American choir operations manager, said the best thing about the choir is the impact it has on the children.
“We go into a situation where children don’t have many opportunities, and we change their life,” Lidstone said.
Having helped over 100,000 children through relief and education programs, the African Children’s Choir’s impact is apparent. It doesn’t just affect the children in the choir either. Lidstone said that one thing she would want the public to know for sure about the choir is that it helps more than just the children you see at the concerts, but also the children’s families back in Africa as well as other children that need the same help.
It’s easy to get involved with the African Children’s Choir, and with the choir coming to Columbia on Nov. 10, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
“The choir is always accepting creative ways to offer donations. Whatever people can do, we would accept,” Lidstone said.
Things like bake sales and giving the proceeds to the choir, hosting the choir for a concert or even sponsoring a child are all ways to help the organization. For more information on the choirs, visit africanchildrenschoir.com to see how you can help, the choir’s tour dates and success stories. The choir will be in the area Nov. 10 at the Union United Methodist Church at 10:30 a.m. and at Christian Life Assembly at 6:30 p.m. Admittance is free, but donations are accepted.