My Rwandan Experience

Several months ago, over 200 talented children were gathered from AMA’s two primary schools in Rwanda, to perform songs and dances for the AMA staff and professional musicians from America. Little did these children know that they were being auditioned for AMA’s Asante Children’s Choir to perform in churches and schools across the United States and Canada for nine months. Twenty-four children with Great Spirit, talent and

from situations of great need were chosen. The children have become a voice for Rwanda, and a bridge between their home country and those in America, Canada and beyond. Through this ministry, their hope in God is shinning through them so brightly and inspires people in America and Canada in their faith and in their generous involvement in the lives of women and children in Rwanda. Each of the children in the choir is able to participate because they are being sponsored by someone in the West.

The children journey began by being admitted in Africa Mission Alliance’s Music Academy in the town of Butare, Rwanda. It’s from here that the kids have been vigorously preparing for the adventure. The children, who range in age from seven to twelve years old, all come from very poor families, and many of them are orphans or have parents with HIV/AIDS. They haven’t had regular meals or healthcare for most of their lives, so many of them are underdeveloped physically for their age, but they are all very smart. Many have worms in their stomach because they didn’t have clean water back home, so their stomachs become very big. But gradually the children have been getting healthier. At the training Academy they enjoy clean water, three big meals a day, healthcare, and access to doctors, actual beds with mattresses, toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, and even multi-vitamins - which they love, and let melt in their mouths like candy.

Needless to say however, they have now been plunged into a very different living situation in preparation for going to America, and they have to learn Everything. English and the music are the big things of course, but then there are so many others - how to use toilet paper, how to mop a floor, how to bathe in a bathtub, how to wash their bed sheets and make their beds, etc. Most of them had never seen a flushing toilet before, and one little girl even cried the first time she saw the bathtub because she was afraid she would slip and hurt herself. But now the kids are used to their daily routine, and have learned so quickly. When they had just arrived at the academy, I would wake up to chaos, flooded toilets and children saying “and-y you!” and pointing at things because they didn’t know any English. Now, I wake up each morning and leave my room to find children coming to hug me and say ‘please, auntie, may I have some soap?’

As an Auntie living with the kids, I can testify to what a miracle God is doing in their lives.

Laura Uva

Read Laura’s blog at http://laurauva.blogspot.com