NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The African Children's Choir afforded the chance for James Luzze to find opportunity and a way out of poverty through its international tours and education programs.

 

"I had a development of the mind in terms of mindset, I learned to dream," he said during a phone interview after arriving in the United States. "And what I saw here, I saw, you know, possibility of a better Uganda because of what I found in this country."

 

Luzze was a child in his native Uganda when he joined the choir, a Christian-based nonprofit that seeks to improve the lives of impoverished children largely from Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. Now a chaperone and tour leader, he emphasized the choir's role in providing hope and opportunities for children, as he himself had benefited from it.

 

He'll be leading the group to First Baptist Church this week for the first stop of the choir's 2024-25 tour. The performance is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church; the group will also be at Northshire Baptist Church in Manchester Center, Vt., at 6 p.m. on Friday. 

 

The children will sing popular children's music, traditional spiritual songs and African cultural pieces. Performances are free and open to the public though attendees are encouraged to arrive early to get a seat. Goodwill donations will be accepted.

 

The 40-year-old choir is a program of Music for Life, established by Ray Barnett, an Irish-Canadian who had been working in humanitarian causes in western Africa since the 1970s. Barnett, who died earlier this month at age 87, had been inspired by the singing of a young Ugandan boy he'd helped.

 

The choir raises awareness of the children's needs through its tours and offers the opportunity for the youngsters to see the larger world. It's not just singing — Music for Life operates educational institutions from primary grades through teacher training. It leads sponsorship programs and has provided emergency aid in conflict areas such as Somalia. 

 

Luzze was part of the 16th choir, touring the United States in 1997-98 at the age of 7 after about six months of training. 

 

"We traveled, and we were able to visit two countries that is USA and Canada," he said. "It was quite a wonderful experience, having never traveled before, having never left Uganda. That was the very first time I had boarded a plane, and so the very first time I was visiting the Western world. ... So my eyes were really open to that level of development in the U.S. and Canada, and the different culture that we found out here compared to the one that we had back home in Uganda."

 

The nearly eight-month trip was eye-opening for the young Luzze — so many different, fascinating foods to try and a "mind-blowing" trip to Disney World. 

 

The choir is a commitment for the youngsters but it's also an opportunity, he said. "You really learn a lot, and that is a lot of exposure that will definitely be something worth remembering for the children as they grow older."

 

More importantly, it set him on an educational path and he earned a degree in social sciences. Now he's giving back this tour as a volunteer and mentor for the newest choir members. 

 

"The organization in general is an opportunity that everybody out there in Africa may need," he said. "Coming from a poverty-stricken home, I was given hope through the organization, through education and with my degree and calling, I'm able to be a testament to what the organization makes you become at the end of the day."