Imagine growing up in a country beset by a severe AIDS epidemic, high illiteracy rates and civil war. Then imagine rising from that adversity to sing and dance the cultures of your homeland in an effort to aid its people.
The 20 performers of the 2002 Tour of Light, an energetic group of 6 to 17-year-old Ugandan orphans, are doing just this. The group, which has toured the U.S. biennially since 1994 with the goal of raising funds to provide fellow children living in orphanages in and near Uganda’s capital of Kampala with education and basic necessities, performed for the public at Stanford Universityís Dinkelspiel Auditorium this past weekend and put in a guest appearance Sunday at Christ Episcopal Church in Los Altos.
Sponsored by the Uganda Childrenís Charity Foundation and Stanford Universityís Committee on Black Performing Arts, the performances will be part of a four-month-long tour, begun in January, during which the group plans to visit 17 major cities and surrounding communities across the U.S. The Uganda Childrenís Charity Foundation, a grassroots organization established in 1994 to provide educational and economic support to Ugandan orphans and to raise awareness of the effects of the AIDS crisis in Africa, created the Children of Uganda group to preserve the rich Ugandan oral tradition among the East African nationís youth. The Tour of Light performers are among the Children of Ugandaís best, chosen to represent the 1.7 million Ugandan children who have been orphaned by AIDS. ìOur focus is the well-being of children,î said Robin Stavisky, Board Member and Bay Area Coordinator of the UCCF, ìthe things that make for a healthy, happy child, and keeping these orphanages afloat.î
Clad in authentic Ugandan gowns and leg rattles, the children will perform native dances and tell stories of their homeland to the rhythms of traditional Ugandan harps, xylophone, and hand-made drums. Over the past eight years, the group has received national acclaim from the ìNew York Times,î performing on the ìLate Show with David Letterman,î and at the White House and Kennedy Center.
This week, during their second visit to both Palo Alto and Hidden Villa, their host for the weeklong stay, the talented group of performers will also make visits to local schools and organizations, such as the Childrenís International School and the Keys School in Palo Alto, Saint Josephís Elementary School in Atherton, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula in East Palo Alto. These visits, with the aid of dozens of community volunteers, will provide opportunities for Bay Area students to enjoy performances by the Ugandan visitors and for children from both nations to explore each otherís cultures in classroom activities. ìWhen the Children of Uganda come back to the same schools, thereís a connection going on. We want to build on that connection,î said Robin Stavisky.
Also on the agenda is a recital at Christ Church in Los Altos Hills on the morning of Sunday, March 24th. After welcoming churchgoers as they arrive, the performers will greet their audience with selections from their celebrated repertoire. In return, the church has promised to donate its entire morning collection to the childrenís cause.
The Children of Uganda will perform at Stanford Universityís Dinkelspiel Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 23rd and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 24th. For ticket information, call (650) 725-2787. For further information regarding the Uganda Childrenís Charity Foundation and the Tour of Light 2002, visit https://www.uccf.org.
