MoVal Welcomes the Watoto Children

It was like traveling across the world into the heart of Uganda, Africa as the children of the Watoto Children’s Choir stepped onto two local stages: The Blessing Center and CrossWinds Church during two recent performances. The children, dressed in colorful traditional African clothing, began to twirl and sing a mixture of Swahili and English and were able to capture their audiences in no time. While the vibrant performances kept the audience members engaged, locals share that it was the message behind the mesmerizing performance that stood out amongst the rest. On stage, the children had nothing but smiles that lit up the room but it was the history of each of their lives that brought meaning into an otherwise amazing show. The Watoto Children’s Choir comes directly from the Watoto Program which was initiated in 1994 by Gary and Marilyn Skinner in Kampala, Uganda in the fight against the overwhelming number of Ugandan children becoming orphans and cases of war, AIDS, and the abandonment of young children. As a holistic care program, Watoto has been bringing orphans into the Children’s Village for years and has “given them a place to live with a new family, where the children are raised in a traditional house with a housemother and other house brothers and sisters” according to Watoto spokesperson, Stephanie Guthrie. Guthrie shares that in the Watoto Children’s Village, children are not only given the opportunity to live a life with a loving family but are also given the education, support, and guidance needed for each of them to grow into independent, productive citizens of Africa. When asked about the purpose of the world tours experienced by the Watoto Children’s Choir ever since they began performing in 1994, Guthrie states that the children “serve as ambassadors to share their stories and raise awareness and support for all of the orphans back home in Uganda as well as all across Africa” which, needless to say, has provided not only the children with hope but also the varying audiences that they have performed for throughout the world. The children have even performed for the White House and the queen of England amongst other political leaders and normal citizens which has proven to show that their message is thoroughly being presented. The children’s choir consists of children between the ages of 6-14 which allows the other children of the three Watoto Children’s Villages a fair opportunity to experience the life-changing adventure of touring and performing. And once a child reaches the age of fourteen the Watoto program supports him or her until he or she graduates from college. The choir has been touring for the past six months, beginning on December 14, 2013 in Queen Creek, Arizona and holding some of its most recent performances in Moreno Valley. The children are traveling all across the west coast of the United States performing free and open to the public shows in an effort to spread their message of faith and hope throughout their tour. The Watoto Children’s choir has had almost 64 tours world-wide and has visited countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, France and the U.S, among others. The group will continue to tour until April 4, 2014 where their efforts will draw to a close in Washington. For further information on the tour schedule or to enjoy videos of recent performances find the link by locating this article on Moreno Valley's front page at www.citynewsgroup.com. [END] Watoto Children’s Choir Performance *THIS HAS TWO DATES AND LOCATIONS* Date: Friday, January 31, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. Google Map Event Location: The Blessing Center Address: 23525 Hemlock Ave. Moreno Valley CA 92557 Description: Free, open to public. Choir acts as Watoto ambassadors to raise awareness about the plight of orphaned children of Africa. CONTACT INFO Phone: Email: Website: www.watoto.com/the-choir/see-the-choir -OR- Date: Saturday, February 01, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. Event Location: CrossWinds Church Address: 29263 Ironwood Ave. Moreno Valley CA 92555 African children’s choir to perform local shows The Watoto Children’s Choir traveling from Africa kicked off their six month U.S tour in Queen Creek, Ariz., on Dec. 14 and are continuing their tour through the West Coast — ending in Washington on April 4. Local performances entitled “Beautiful Africa: A New Generation” include: Moreno Valley, Jan 31, 7 p.m., The Blessing Center, 23525 Hemlock Ave. Moreno Valley, Feb 1, 7 p.m., CrossWinds Church, 29263 Ironwood Ave. Beaumont, Feb 2, 8:30 and 10 a.m., Beaumont Presbyterian Church, 702 Euclid Ave. Temecula, Feb 9, time to be determined, Mountain View Community Church, 26201 Ynez Rd. Suite 104 All performances are free and open to the public. The Watoto Children’s Choir acts as Watoto ambassadors to raise awareness about the plight of the orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa. Watoto is a holistic child-care solution initiated to serve the dire needs of Africa and its people. Each of the children in the choir has suffered the loss of one or both parents. They live in Watoto Children’s Villages where they receive the care and nurture they need to grow up as productive citizens of their own country. With vibrant, original African music, dance routines and life-transforming stories, the tour is indicative of the new generation of leaders emerging out of Watoto. “Through the choir’s Concert of Hope, we share a message of transformation by telling the story of Africa’s rescued orphans and women. We hope to reach out to audiences with the message of Christ’s healing power,” said Gary Skinner, Watoto founder. With an energetic fusion of contemporary gospel and traditional African rhythm, the Watoto Children’s Choirs have traveled internationally since 1994 as ambassadors for the millions of children in Africa, orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS, war and poverty. Since its inception, 64 choirs have traveled globally, providing the children with a bigger worldview, an opportunity they would otherwise never get. The choirs have been to Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, France and the U.S, among other nations. Their audiences have included royalty, presidents, and ministers. To preview a performance of the choir visit: www.watoto.com/the-choir. For the full choir schedule in the U.S. go to www.watoto.com/the-choir/see-the-choir. About Watoto: Watoto is a holistic care solution providing for the physical, emotional, medical, spiritual and academic needs of children in Africa. Watoto was initiated as a response to the overwhelming number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Africa. It is positioned to rescue an individual, raise each one as a leader in their chosen sphere of life so that they in turn will rebuild their nations. About the Watoto Children’s Choir: Accompanied by a team of adults, the choir presents Watoto’s vision and mission through their stories, music and dance. Watoto choirs act as ambassadors to raise awareness about the plight of the orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa. Thought you would be interested in covering the Watoto Children’s Choir from Africa when they stop in your city in California. The children are ambassadors for orphans in Africa and each have a personal story to tell. They will be performing in El Cajon, Chula Vista, San Diego, Spring Valley, Upland, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, South Pasadena, Moreno Valley, Beaumont, Anaheim and Los Angeles between the dates of January 14, 2014 and February 2, 2014 (see full schedule below), then continuing their tour through California through March 4, 2014. High-resolution photos available upon request as well as interviews with the children. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! Media Contact: Amber Sakis Amber Sakis- Design4 Media Relations Phone: 813-849-0076 E-mail: amber@design4.org