On January 15, I saw the
amazing performance of Children of Uganda’s Tour of Light, put on by the Performance
Arts Series at Shepherd. It was extraordinary!
Tour of Light transports you
across Africa’s vast cultures through song and dance. It is vivacious and fun.
You cannot help but smile as you watch the performance. They sing in Swahili, Luganda,
Ryunyege, Kinrwandan, Ruto, Zulu, and English.
Not only to they teach you about
African culture, but they raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, and fund to educate,
feed, and clothe their brother and sisters in Uganda. All the performers come
from extreme and vulnerable conditions. Many of them are orphaned, affected by
poverty, or has one or more family members living with HIV/AIDS. However,
tragic their stories are, they do not let it affect them. Each time they’ve
been at Shepherd, I saw nothing but pure joy and gratefulness.
This was my second time seeing
them perform. They came to Shepherd back in 2012 when I had just started
working for Program Board. The kids were so joyous when they arrived on the campus.
They immediately hugged us as they got off the bus. Many of them had never been
to the US before, it was heartwarming to see them enjoy things like ice cream, full
buffet at the dining hall and bowling for the first time; many things we take
for granted. It was a moment I will never forget, and definitely reaffirmed my
love for programming and Shepherd.
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