Ugandan children visit Camp Sherman

Six Ugandan children visited Camp Sherman last week as part of a four-month tour of the United States with a message of hope and need for their country.

Their tour started in Maryland and has included Ohio, Michigan, parts of Canada, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Washington and Oregon. They’ll finish the tour in California’s San Fransisco Bay area.

The orphan children, ages five through 12, sang at Sunday services for the Chapel of the Pines congregation on June 25, after which they joined local residents and friends at Bill and Nanci Carmichael’s home for a midday barbecue.

After lunch, the children — three boys and three girls — performed rhythmic dances and songs on the backyard lawn for a delighted audience.

While touring the U.S., the group has been housed in private homes.

“One of their surprises are the meal choices in this country,” said volunteer Chris Carmichael. “At home, they have very limited choices, usually rice, beans and vegetables.”

Sunday’s feast included hot dogs, wursts, hamburgers, salads, and desserts, which the children and guests enjoyed together.

“Generous, loving people have opened their hearts to these children,” said Carmichael. “In Portland, Dr. Honrer provided free dentistry work and David Gibson donated vans for traveling.”

The Carmichaels have shared their home while the children spend time in this area.

Part of the message that these children bring is that in their home country, AIDS has decimated the adult population leaving many children orphans. There are no orphanages in Uganda. Rather, the orphaned children are settled in family villages where they live with a family and have a “mother and/or father.”

AIDS, which has ravished the African continent, creates about 1,000 new patients weekly in Uganda.

Thirty-five-year-old Sam Tushabe has dedicated his life’s work to helping save these orphans and give them a chance at a better life. His organization, Action for Empowerment, where he is Executive Director, is trying to meet the Ugandan challenge. It takes $30 a month to feed, house, and educate a Ugandan orphan.

Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is landlocked and located in eastern Africa, with a population just under 30 million. It covers an area slightly smaller than Oregon. Sudan borders it on the north; Kenya on the east; Tanzania on the south; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west.

The children will perform at Sisters Coffee Co. on Thursday, July 6, at 5 p.m.

For information on Action For Empowerment, visit http://www.orphanseducation.org.