Ubuntu African Children’s Choir originally denied entry to Australia almost ruining the opportunity of a lifetime

After originally being denied their Australian visas, a group of performers have embarked on a tour around Australia. Coming from humble beginnings, they are here to convince audiences to be grateful for the little things.

The Ubuntu African Choir will perform at the Maleny Primary School Hall on on Sunday, June 8.

A group of young African performers were getting ready to travel more than 12,000km across the world for a two-month tour – then their visas were denied.

The tour, organised by KwaYa Australia, invited 14 young Ugandan and Kenyan singers to perform across Australia supporting education for underprivileged children.

After being welcomed into Uganda with open arms while volunteering in 2017, Toowoomba musician Elaine Coates helped organise their tour across Queensland and was furious when she found out the performers’ visas were denied.

“When I was over there, I couldn’t believe just how welcome we were made to feel,” she said.

“It was just a slap in the face that they were refused entry based on the fact that they couldn’t prove they wouldn’t go home again.”

Ms Coates and numerous others involved in the event wrote letters to local MPs to get their visas reconsidered, and their urgency got results.

The 14 performers are graduates of the African Children’s Choir.

It is run by Music for Life, an organisation that gives thousands of impoverished children an education.

Ms Coates said many of the singers were hoping to enrol in tertiary education but didn’t have the money.

“People can sponsor them or even help sponsor some of their essentials,” she said.

“This is a chance to get to meet the kids themselves who would end up being sponsored along with others back home.”

Ms Coates said when you had nothing, music became everything.

“Everybody is so grateful for what they get,” she said.

“I was so impressed with their integrity.

“They put on the most fantastic and high energy shows you’ve ever seen.”

The choir will perform in Toowoomba at 6.30pm on June 4 at the Toowoomba Anglican School’s Millenium Hall.

They will then perform in Warwick on June 5, Dalby on June 6, then Esk on June 7, before heading further north to Maleny and Redland Bay.

Buy tickets at https://www.kwaya.org/events.