Watoto Choir, made up entirely of Ugandan orphans, will play at Littlehampton Community School next Saturday (22), to raise awareness of, and funds for, their plight.

The gig, part of a UK and Europe-wide tour, has been set up by Rustington-based charity, CompassionArt, which supports the project on the ground in Africa, and Arun Community Church.

CompassionArt member, Paul Smith, who is also brother to the charity's founder, and Delirious? lead singer, Martin Smith, said: "This is an amazingly good cause. Without the project, these kids would still be abandoned on the road side. That is the reality of it."

Watoto Childcare Ministries was set up in 1994, by missionaries Gary and Marilyn Skinner, as a response to the number of children being orphaned by AIDS.

The aim of the charity is to provide residential care for such children, creating "families" of eight orphaned children and an adopted mother in homes within Children's Villages.

Watoto, which means children in Swahili, provide houses, schools, a medical clinic, a church and community hall, a clean water source, roads and electricity in these villages.

CompassionArt aims to build a creative centre for the charity, with funds raised through an album and book released late last year.

Paul said: "Part of their schooling is that they get taught to sing in
a choir arrangement. All the money goes back into the village projects.

"They have no dedicated facilities for this training, which is why we want to build the creative centre, with a dance centre and a studio,
which can be tagged into one of the schools"

* Watoto Children's Choir will perform at Littlehampton Community School on February 22, at 6pm. Tickets are free, and a collection will be made for the charity.

To book a seat, call Arun Community Church on 01903 782744.

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