This is just too much, even for my cynical self.
The SIFA African Children's Choir might need to add some Chicago blues to its repertoire after thieves again struck the traveling group of Ugandan orphans....The article is a bit of a sob story about how the orphans' ONLY copies of their dying parents were on the computers that were stolen the firs time around. (Which orphans in Uganda have digital photos? Or if they scanned the photos, where are the originals? And, if you do scan that kind of thing, you back that shit up!)
The choir has been traveling around the U.S. since April to raise money to build group orphan homes and a school in their tiny village.
Orphans, especially robbed orphans, do tend to bring out the best in otherwise not philanthropic businessmen, and one has donated $10,000 and one donated $5,000. Though Chicago tourism may need a boost from both businessmen to recover from this kind of evil.
The article says the kids were there to fund raise - but how much does it cost to buy across-the-globe plane tickets?
Anyway, for a more articulate and less whiny account of orphans choir in Uganda, visit the always lovely and informative Ugandan Insomniac.
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This story has made me laugh. And also sad. That I'm sure these kids don't know they're being exploited. Yes, that 15,000 USD does not even cover costs of visas and air tickets for about 15 children. How big are these traveling choirs anyway? Sigh. I can think of better ways to raise money.
@Carlo: You know ways to raise money? Please share. I promise to keep it a secret from the orphans.
Can't speak for SIFA--i think they're pretty new--but African Children's Choir (the original) definitely raises enough through the tour to go well beyond paying for the plane tickets... and that doesn't end up lining someone's pockets in the US or elsewhere... financials are all available online...
I can understand why people feel like these efforts are exploitative, but I believe that a deeper look would reveal that the children themselves are the primary beneficiaries. Also, a big part of the idea is to go *beyond* the exploitative campaigns that have been part of many fund-raising efforts... Let's give these children the chance to show their abilities, their personalities, their culture--instead of just letting them be identified and categorized by their needs or desperation. I work with ACC and I can't speak for other choirs, but I know we are really firm on *not* taking advantage of any of the kids' individual stories... we will *not* have kids coming up to the mic and sharing what happened to them, and we really make every effort to keep that information private, so as to *not* exploit children's individual circumstances. Of course we still want to communicate the need, so our solution is that every tour will have chaperones who were part of the choir themselves 15 or 20 years back and have grown up, gotten an education through the support of the organization, and come back to help out--and can make the choice themselves to share their own stories to whatever extent they see fit.
@Dave. Thanks for that info - I feel like part of the reason there's so much doubt about a lot of organizations like this is precisely the paucity of information that a comment like yours seeks to fill. And maybe I'm just being a little less cynical today than average ;-).
I think cynicism is justified - and even necessary. I hope we don't paint with too broad of a brush, but there has definitely been some abuse and exploitation that have taken on the form of a globe-trotting children's choir. I don't remember the name, but there was one from Zambia that provided an extreme example--they kept a schedule so rigorous that the children themselves eventually mutinied. The director had an order put on for their deportation and a church that the choir had recently sung at stepped in and found adoptive parents for all of the boys. That's another can of worms that I won't get in to, and how that all happened so quickly, I couldn't tell you... when the organization was looked in to, it was found that it really was just making money for the fellow who had founded it. Disgusting, if you ask me. All that to say, again, I think the cynicism is important, and something I won't leave home without... You can imagine what my gut did when I got a call one day about a job with World Vision... not that I could make a particular case against WV, I'll claim ignorance there, but my inclination is definitely towards an eyebrow raised in distrust.
I try really hard not to slag on other choirs - there's no reason for it to be a nastily competitive thing - but I do think the practice of having kids go for the real emotional gut-twister by talking about their own lost parents, etc., is well beyond tacky and somewhere into the realm of just plain wrong... I'm encouraged by the fact that ACC is intent on keeping a positive and hopeful and even celebratory tone throughout the performances.
The most encouraging thing for me is the opportunities I've had to spent with graduates of the program, both on this side and in Uganda, and to see what they're doing now...
Logistically speaking, yeah, guys, back up your pictures. Back up everything. In several places.
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