April 4, 2024
By:
The Sozo Children’s Choir from Uganda, Africa will perform at Smithville First Baptist Church on Sunday, April 7. The choir will perform in the morning service at 10 a.m. and will host a full concert at 6 p.m. The free performances are part of a schedule of more than 80 concert dates on the U.S. portion of the choir’s 2024 Revolution Tour.
The choir, which performs in churches, schools and businesses around the country, is comprised of 13 children from Uganda who launched their 5th U.S. tour in February with performances in Alabama. The choir, which last toured in 2022, will perform at stops in New York, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. The children performed in churches in Uganda for most of 2023 before beginning the trip to America.
“The choir began as an outreach program for us in 2016 and is a great experience for the kids we serve in Uganda,” said Suzanne Owens, CEO of Sozo Children. “The choir tour is a mission trip but it’s more than just a chance for the kids to visit America. We want the kids to come away from this knowing they are loved and that they matter,” said Owens.
The performance is appropriate for all ages and will feature a traditional Ugandan dance, a video tour, upbeat Christian music and a chance to meet some of the children and staff after the show.
“Our goal as a ministry is to equip each of the children in our care to be effective disciples for Jesus,” said Owens. “They are the next generation of leaders in their homeland, so we aren’t trying to westernize them but we equip them by walking alongside them in faith sharing the common faith in Christ.”
Sozo Children is a Birmingham-based ministry serving children in Uganda who have been rescued from extreme circumstances such as abuse, abandonment and trafficking. The ministry provides housing, healthcare, counseling and an education to more than 150 children in Uganda and operates an upscale thrift store, Sozo Trading Co. in Birmingham which provides a portion of funding for the ministry and serves as a launching point for local outreach opportunities.
Doors at the church will open approximately one hour prior to the performance. Admission to the performance is free of charge. To learn more about the choir’s tour schedule or to make a donation to support the children, visit www.sozochildren.org/sozochoir.
About Sozo Children
Sozo Children was founded in 2010 to serve the needs of vulnerable children in the nation of Uganda. Currently, Sozo provides for more than 150 children and maintains an upscale thrift store, Sozo Trading Co. in Avondale, benefitting the ministry. To learn more about Sozo Children, or to support the ministry, visit www.sozochildren.org.