Uganda is a special place for the African Children’s Choir®. It was in Uganda that Ray Barnett first envisioned the African Children’s Choir. The first Choirs toured from Uganda and it’s where most new Choirs are currently trained. Uganda has benefited from many different relief and development projects since 1984 and is home to hundreds of children who are supported through our sponsorship programs.

Over 1,000 children are provided education daily at two primary schools located in communities around Kampala, plus one in Luwero. These are some of Uganda’s most desperate communities where the school programs serve as a lifeline to the most needy and vulnerable. Students in different areas experience different needs; depending on the school, students may be given necessities like a daily meal and a school uniform in addition to learning opportunities.

All children sponsored through Music for Life are supported through their secondary education. Today approximately 550 sponsored pupils attend secondary schools in their communities. Many sponsored children are now serving their communities as teachers, doctors, business people, and more.

Many of the Choir children are from Uganda. There is almost always a new group of children in training at the Choir Training Academy, in Kampala. These children have been selected from communities across Uganda to become the next touring Choir. They will spend approximately five months here, learning English, catching up on schooling and preparing for life on tour.

Following the tour, many Choir children are enrolled at the African Children’s Choir® Primary School on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe. This boarding school addresses all the needs of former Choir children during their Primary education (Levels One to Seven). In addition to the traditional Ugandan curriculum, the students receive extra training in music, art, computer studies and life skills. Students are cared for by loving staff and receive the physical, emotional and spiritual support needed to reach their full potential.

Students graduate from ACCPS and continue their secondary education under the care and sponsorship of Music For Life. For the last two years students have been able to attend our purpose built secondary school Empower International Academy. This new school, our latest project, offers students a world class education in a loving Christian environment equipping them to compete internationally in the job market.

Music For Life continues to support choir alumni through college/university level education. While at College students have the opportunity to volunteer in the Music For Life outreaches in local schools in deprived areas.

Currently, there are almost 400 former choir children in full time education in Uganda.

Each year teams of Music for Life volunteers from around the world visit the schools to provide enrichment camps to the students.