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Greetings from the beautiful state of Montana!  We began our journey through Montana in the city of Missoula and will continue to travel east throughout the state over the next month.  We have thoroughly enjoyed traveling through the mountains and the children are in awe of how big the state is!  Since our last post, we have also enjoyed a break week in Spokane, Washington.  The families at Northwest Christian Schools went out of their way to provide a week of fun and relaxation for the children and it was so much appreciated!  We were blessed with a few dental and eye appointments for the children as well.  What a wonderful and much needed gift!  This will be the second in our Meet the Choir series!  Check out our first child as well, Ssenono Henry!

Nakyanzi Daphine

Meet Nakyanzi Daphine!  Daphine is 11 years old and will turn 12 in August later this summer.  Daphine has an infectious smile that melts the audience and her sweet personality charms people at every performance.

Daphine is a wonderful dancer and shines in the Kiganda dance!  She often assists Aunty Betty in teaching students to dance at our school performances.

One of our brightest students, Daphine is in Primary 6.  She loves to go to school and English is her favorite subject.  When she grows up Daphine would like to be a teacher to help other children learn.  When Daphine came to America in March she spoke English well but now after two and half months her ability to comprehend and learn new words is amazing.  A trademark Daphine phrase is, ‘it has refused’ or ‘you have refused,’ referring to anything or anyone that has either not worked or said no.

Daphine’s favorite thing to do in America is to ride bicycles.  She also loves America because it has “beautiful cities and good buildings.”  Bellingham holds a special place in her heart because it is where the Childcare office is located and it is where a few of the choir member’s sponsors live.  Daphine also loves babies and loves to care for them in the host homes that she stays in.

Daphine enjoys being on tour but also misses her home in Uganda.  Her favorite food in Uganda is rice fried with tomatoes and onions.  She also enjoys matoke and potatoes.  A typical lunch or dinner for Daphine is posho and beans.  Posho is a porridge made out of white maize.  In America, Daphine loves popcorn, rice and spaghetti but popcorn most of all!

Daphine is such a bright spot in our choir!  Every time that I see Daphine she has a big smile on her face!  People are often drawn to her during performances because of the smile.  She has the best laugh that is heard often and above the rest.  Daphine has a truly sweet and gentle spirit and we thank God for placing Nakyanzi Daphine on the 2011 tour.  We love her so much and can’t imagine these months without her smile, her laugh and her joy!

Playing at recess!

There are little girls like Daphine all over the world who never get a chance to go to school or express their joy simply because of the circumstances they were born into.  Without the assistance of organizations like Childcare Worldwide and the willingness of individuals to sponsor through education, Daphine would never have the opportunity to be a child or dream about a future.  Providing an education to a little girl in a developing country like Uganda, Sri Lanka or India can literally save their life!  Girls who are educated are more likely to marry and have babies later, to fight against poverty and injustice and to contribute to their society.  There is an African proverb that states, “ You educate a boy, and you’re educating an individual.  You educate a girl, and you’re educating a village.”

We believe that Daphine will grow up to be a woman of knowledge and integrity and that she will make a lasting impact on the generation that comes behind her.   Please take a moment to look through the children awaiting sponsorship on the Childcare Worldwide webpage.  Sponsoring a child’s education is one of the most influential ways that you as an individual can make a difference!

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