Matsiko means Hope

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the Matsiko Children's Choir. These children hail from Uganda and have come from devastating circumstances. They are at risk and orphaned children who have been scooped up by the International Children's Network (ICN). The children are given all that they need and a chance to join this choir and travel the world as ambassadors for their country. They sing in churches, schools and other venues to relay their message to the world. They are raising money for the children of Uganda to get clean food and water, medicine, shelter, safety and an education. Their stories are unimaginable, yet they sing of hope and thanksgiving and a future for themselves and their communities. They have a large responsibility to get an education and help their villages and their country. The ICN provides an opportunity for people to sponsor a child for $30 a month. The sponsor "parent" is providing the supplies, education, and health care with their money. The children are sponsored through ICN until they have completed their course of study (university or vocational school). Sponsors not only donate, write and receive letters, they also have the opportunity to actual meet their child in their home! The ICN appears to be currently sponsoring children in Guatemala. Peru and the Philippines. You can go to their site and actually see pictures of and read profiles on children who are waiting for sponsorship right now.

This is Eric, he is one of the children who sang with the choir last night.

ICN educates children all
the way through the university level and allows sponsors to meet their children face to face. In addition to these two unique qualities, International Children’s Network has one of the highest financial giving ratios at over 95% to the intended purpose!!! These three attributes define ICN as a sponsorship organization and are the main reasons why ICN is so significant in sponsoring a child and trusted with every penny and pound. International Children’s Network wants its sponsors, and anyone else who may be interested, to personally see how ICN operates behind the scenes. ICN is committed to meeting the needs of deserving children around the world in order to allow them to be a helping hand for their nation, instead of another hand out.

As we've read before, education is the key to saving a child, his or her family, their village/community, their county... the world.

Obviously we do not always have the means to do exactly what we'd like to help, but there is always something... some small way that we can do our part. Check out the Matsiko Cd's.