HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
By Debbie Kreuser
Of the many photos taken of Bono through the years, one of the most memorable is of Bono dancing cheek-to-cheek with teenager Ireen Nassaka in Uganda during his fact-finding trip to Africa in May 2002. Ireen is a performer with the Children of Uganda, a group of nearly 1,000 AIDS-orphaned children who have been given hope, nurturance and a place to call "home" through the years by the Ugandan Children's Charity Foundation.
The UCCF began in 1995 in response to the tremendous struggle Uganda was having with HIV/AIDS. While on a business trip to Uganda, American Alexis Hefley was moved by the plight of so many Ugandan children left alone without any means of support after losing one or both of their parents to AIDS. Upon returning to her home in Dallas, Hefley started the UCCF in an effort to provide basic needs, such as education, food, clothing, shelter medical care, and a nurturing environment to some of the estimated 1.7 million AIDS-orphaned children in Uganda.
Over the years, the UCCF has contributed to the lives of over 1,000 children in several homes and outreach sites around Uganda. The Kiwanga Home is located on the outskirts of Uganda's capitol Kampala and provides for around 200 children, including those in Philip's House, a residential home for about a dozen special needs children. Philip's House helps the children with specialized educational and physical therapy programs in addition to giving these children basic care. The Sabina Home is in the AIDS-ravaged Rakai District of Uganda (approximately about five hours southwest of Kampala) and is home to 400 children. A primary school operated by the UCCF is located there to serve the orphanage and the surrounding community.
The UCCF has a community outreach program in this area which provides financial and educational support for dozens of children living with HIV-positive mothers, enabling these families to stay together for as long as possible. It also supports a vocational training program for children who will not be pursuing a university education as well as a U.S. scholarship program to give higher-achieving students the chance to study abroad.
To support these efforts, the UCCF sponsors the Children of Uganda's Tour of Light, an award-winning song and dance troupe comprised of AIDS-orphaned children ranging from 8-18 years of age. Under the direction of Frank Katoola, a renowned Ugandan dancer and musician, the Children of Uganda present the audience with a selection of traditional Ugandan songs and dances, including a segment where the girls of the troupe get the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency on the Engoma, the drum traditionally reserved for men. In February 2003 the group performed for Bono in when her was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year.
The Tour of Light travels around North America every two years. The troupe has completed its 2004 tour but is projected to return to North America in 2006. In the meantime, you can experience some of the troupe's performances by going to the UCCF Web site where you can purchase their CDs.
For more information on the Ugandan Children's Charity Foundation visit: http://www.uccf.org
Of the many photos taken of Bono through the years, one of the most memorable is of Bono dancing cheek-to-cheek with teenager Ireen Nassaka in Uganda during his fact-finding trip to Africa in May 2002. Ireen is a performer with the Children of Uganda, a group of nearly 1,000 AIDS-orphaned children who have been given hope, nurturance and a place to call "home" through the years by the Ugandan Children's Charity Foundation.
The UCCF began in 1995 in response to the tremendous struggle Uganda was having with HIV/AIDS. While on a business trip to Uganda, American Alexis Hefley was moved by the plight of so many Ugandan children left alone without any means of support after losing one or both of their parents to AIDS. Upon returning to her home in Dallas, Hefley started the UCCF in an effort to provide basic needs, such as education, food, clothing, shelter medical care, and a nurturing environment to some of the estimated 1.7 million AIDS-orphaned children in Uganda.
Over the years, the UCCF has contributed to the lives of over 1,000 children in several homes and outreach sites around Uganda. The Kiwanga Home is located on the outskirts of Uganda's capitol Kampala and provides for around 200 children, including those in Philip's House, a residential home for about a dozen special needs children. Philip's House helps the children with specialized educational and physical therapy programs in addition to giving these children basic care. The Sabina Home is in the AIDS-ravaged Rakai District of Uganda (approximately about five hours southwest of Kampala) and is home to 400 children. A primary school operated by the UCCF is located there to serve the orphanage and the surrounding community.
The UCCF has a community outreach program in this area which provides financial and educational support for dozens of children living with HIV-positive mothers, enabling these families to stay together for as long as possible. It also supports a vocational training program for children who will not be pursuing a university education as well as a U.S. scholarship program to give higher-achieving students the chance to study abroad.
To support these efforts, the UCCF sponsors the Children of Uganda's Tour of Light, an award-winning song and dance troupe comprised of AIDS-orphaned children ranging from 8-18 years of age. Under the direction of Frank Katoola, a renowned Ugandan dancer and musician, the Children of Uganda present the audience with a selection of traditional Ugandan songs and dances, including a segment where the girls of the troupe get the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency on the Engoma, the drum traditionally reserved for men. In February 2003 the group performed for Bono in when her was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year.
The Tour of Light travels around North America every two years. The troupe has completed its 2004 tour but is projected to return to North America in 2006. In the meantime, you can experience some of the troupe's performances by going to the UCCF Web site where you can purchase their CDs.
For more information on the Ugandan Children's Charity Foundation visit: http://www.uccf.org
