On February 26, The Watoto Children’s Choir will be will be performing live at 6 p.m. (Courtesy photo).
HAMLET — A very special event will be taking place at the Cole Auditorium at RCC in Hamlet, Wednesday, February 26, when all the way from Uganda, The Watoto Children’s Choir will be will be performing live at 6 p.m. The children’s’s choir has delighted and entertained American presidents, and other world leaders- including the Queen of England, Elizabeth the Second. The choir has performed at nearly every major parliament in the world.
Their performance at the Cole Auditorium is in conjunction with the Morven-based HOLLA! Development Corporation’s Black History Program, which seeks to educate, energize, and inform young African-Americans about their history.
HOLLA! founder, Mr. Leon Gatewood says, “People ask me why I’m so adamant about getting our community, especially our youth, to this event. It is because our past has taught me to have faith to believe that our God is alive and in order for us to have any kind of hope for the future, we must continue fighting the good fight and feeding positive images and information into our minds and souls.”
The Watoto Choir has sang the good news about the love of Jesus Christ all over the world for over 25-years now, sending out over 100 choirs to act as a light to the world.
According to Watoto’s website, “At the heart of the Watoto Children’s Choir is a message of God’s unfailing love. It’s what each of our kids has experienced in their own lives—He places abandoned and forgotten children in families full of love. When people see our children from Uganda, with their hearts healed and their dreams restored, they can’t help but realize that this same God cares for them, too.”
The children’s choir tours internationally and is composed of 18 to 22 children from Uganda. Concert tours help raise money and awareness for the Watoto Orphanage, also in Uganda.
“We are working to acquire enough financial support for every child in the Anson County School System who wants to, to attend, says Gatewood, who says he feels the community support for the event has been amazing.
He adds, “Doors will open at 4 p.m. for a resource fair-reception sponsored by the North Carolina Black Alliance. Supreme Home Care is sponsoring 200 students, and Gatewood Insurance, Attorney Fred Poisson, and the Anson County NAACP have supported by sponsoring 100 children each. A total list of sponsors will be listed on our programs and social media.”
Watoto is more than a children’s choir- it is a church made up of people from around the world who share the common bond of being a member of the body of Christ.
During a time of civil war in Uganda, Watoto established a church in 1984 with the goal of rescuing orphaned and abandoned children to then place with loving and stable families.
Watoto also seeks to strengthen and empower vulnerable women and mothers to teach them the skills necessary to be strong, protective leaders of their children- as God intended for them to be.
