The Hope for Africa Children's Choir Shares Story about HIV/AIDS

Children of Africa and the HIV/AIDS Crisis

There are 15 million AIDS orphans living around the world, 13 million of whom are in Africa. The Hope for Africa Children's Choir were privileged to represent the children of the world suffering with HIV through song and story on Capitol Hill and around the Washington DC Metro area. They have done an incredible job singing and sharing original poetry and story about the challenges and dreams that they face living with the devastating effects of how HIV has affected their lives, their country and continent. UNAIDS and its partners including Keep a Child Alive, RESULTS, Save theChildren, The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Crossroads and UNICEF provided support, coordination and funding the bring the choir to the United States of America this year. The Hope for Africa Children's Choir have been sharing their story with crowd pleasing performances in Washington DC, Virginia, and New York. Of the 33.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS across the world, 22.5 million are in Africa. Some people may not know how big Africa is, but it becomes clear in this map. Learn more shocking facts about HIV/AIDS in Africa here.

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir Performance

The children from Uganda Africa share a story about HIV/AIDS in this performance by The Hope for Africa Children's Choir.

Global Solutions for Global Issues

Crowdsourcing: Where GOOD IDEAS COME FROM

Crowdsourcing is the act of sourcing tasks traditionally performed by specific individuals to a group of people or community (crowd) through an open call.

Jeff Howe established that the concept of crowdsourcing depends essentially on the fact that because it is an open call to a group of people, it gathers those who are most fit to perform tasks, solve complex problems and contribute with the most relevant and fresh ideas.

How Crowdsourcing works and where good ideas come from is explained in this video.

Crowdsourcing a Strategy to Combat HIV/AIDS

CrowdOutAIDS is a collaborative online project to develop a new way for UNAIDS to work with young people.

It uses online tools to help young people come together to crowdsource a UNAIDS youth strategy on HIV.

Connect with this effort:
Twitter: @CrowdOutAIDS, #CrowdOutAIDS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CrowdOutAIDS-Africa-English/304773609536112.
Also see, "What Does The UNAIDS Report Mean to Me? @mtvstayingalive"

Great People Leading Change on Twitter

• @CrowdOutAIDS
• @UNAIDS
• @kk
• @disgeneration
• @Imeneba
• @rodmccullom
• @alissasadler
• @hummingbird604
• @great_impact10
• @OloriSupergal

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir will be performing in Washington DC on World AIDS Day.
Event: World AIDS Day
When: December 1, 2011 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where: Union Station, East Hall, Washington DC
Speaker: Jeffrey S. Crowley - Director, Office of National AIDS Policy, The White House

Map to Union Station Washington DC


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The Hope for Africa Children's Choir will be returning home soon. They will be giving their full performance show of song and dance before they return to HUMBLE School in Uganda Africa.
Event: Hope for Africa Children's Choir Performance
When: December 2, 2011 - 7:30pm
Where: Crossroads UMC, Ashburn, Virginia
43454 Crossroads Drive Ashburn, VA 20147-7778
(703) 729-5100
Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Ashburn Farm 10k for HUMBLE School in Africa

Thanksgiving Day Ashburn Farm 10k

Supporting the Children at HUMBLE School

Crossroads United Methodist Church and the Ashburn, Virginia community hosted the 18th Annual Ashburn Farm Thanksgiving 10K/5K & 2K Fun Run, Thursday, Nov. 24. This was a record breaking fund-raising event, more than 2,500 people gathered together for some friendly competition and fun that supported a good cause. The Ashburn Farm 10k Committee believes the use of Social Media Networks, Twitter and Facebook contributed to these record breaking numbers and appreciate people sharing this event with friends and family. Runners can see all results from the Ashburn Farm 10k here.

All proceeds from this race support needy and vulnerable children at HUMBLE school and orphanage in Lukojjo Village, Uganda, Africa.

HUMBLE School is a primary school located in Lukojjo Village, Uganda. Operating since 2004, it is now home and school to 266 needy and vulnerable children, many orphaned from war and disease, all victims of poverty. Forty-two children who have graduated from HUMBLE are fully supported by the proceeds of the Ashburn Farm 10K as they continue their education in nearby secondary schools. All proceeds from this race support those children and the children at HUMBLE School. This year’s 10K will featured a special performance by the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir from HUMBLE School. Since arriving in the US in October under the sponsorship of the United Nations AIDS Awareness program, the choir has performed in Washington, D.C. for Congress and World AIDS Day and around Northern Virginia, Richmond, Virginia and New York. The Hope for Africa Children's Choir will also be in concert in Washington DC supporting World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 and at Crossroads UMC on Dec. 2 at 7:30PM. For more information, visit the Crossroads UMC website at http://www.everydaylifewithgod.org.

Thank you to the Ashburn Farm 10k Sponsors, local business owners donating food and prizes, and all compassionate runners for making this a special Thanksgiving day for the children at HUMBLE School.

Thank you to Journalist, Bloggers, and people using Social Media that contributed to the success of the Ashburn Farm 10k!

• Race Report - Ashburn Farm Turkey Trot 10k
• Washington Post: Get active on Thanksgiving day
• WUSA9: 2011 Ashburn Farm 10k/5k Fun Run
• LeesburgPatch: Ashburn Farm 10K/5K/Fun Run
• AshburnPatch: Thanksgiving Day Ashburn Farm 10k/5k
• Ashburn Farm Association: Thanksgiving Day 10K, 5K and 2K Fun Run

Hope for Africa Children's Choir in the News

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir Tour USA

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir is a special group of children from HUMBLE School and orphanage in Lukojjo Village, Uganda, Africa. These young ambassadors of hope are currently on tour in the United States of America.  They share their message of hope and joy with their spectacular performances of song and dance.  Their performances have touched the hearts of people in Washington DC, Virginia, New York, and around the world.  Many thanks to the people that have graciously shared their time and homes, providing these children a loving family-friendly experience during their visit.

HUMBLE School is a primary school located in Lukojjo Village, Uganda. Operating since 2004, it is now home and school to 266 needy and vulnerable children, many orphaned from war and disease, all victims of poverty. Forty-two children who have graduated from HUMBLE are fully supported by the proceeds of the Ashburn Farm 10K as they continue their education in nearby secondary schools. All proceeds from this race support those children and the children at HUMBLE School.

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir in the News

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir perform on television during the News Channel 9WSYR program in this video.

• Hope for Africa Children’s Choir thrill Richmond
  by Grace Nakajje
Hope for Africa Children's Choir from Uganda performs at Woodlake United Methodist Church
Richmond Times Dispatch

 

Thanksgiving Day Ashburn Farm 10k

Join Crossroads United Methodist Church and the Ashburn community for the 18th Annual Ashburn Farm Thanksgiving 10K/5K & 2K Fun Run, Thursday, Nov. 24. In this annual fundraising event, more than 2,000 people are expected to gather for a time of fun, fellowship, and a good cause. All proceeds from this race support needy and vulnerable children at HUMBLE Place, a school and orphanage in Lukojjo Village, Uganda, Africa.

All races will start from Crossroads UMC, 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn, VA. The 10K starts at 8:15AM; the 5K starts at 8:25AM, and; the 2K starts at 8:35AM.

Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 female and male 10K finishers: 1st place, $300; 2nd place, $200; 3rd place, $100. The top 3 5K finishers will receive: 1st place, $150; 2nd place, $100; 3rd place, $50.
Online registration is available at www.active.com. For more information about the race and registration, visit http://www.ashburnfarm10k.com.

HUMBLE School is a primary school located in Lukojjo Village, Uganda. Operating since 2004, it is now home and school to 266 needy and vulnerable children, many orphaned from war and disease, all victims of poverty. Forty-two children who have graduated from HUMBLE are fully supported by the proceeds of the Ashburn Farm 10K as they continue their education in nearby secondary schools. All proceeds from this race support those children and the children at HUMBLE School.

This year’s 10K will feature a special performance by the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir from HUMBLE School. Since arriving in the US in October under the sponsorship of the United Nations AIDS Awareness program, the choir has performed in Washington, D.C. for Congress and World AIDS Day and in the northern Virginia, Richmond and New York areas.

In addition to performing at the 10K on Thanksgiving morning, the choir will also be in concert at Crossroads UMC on Dec. 2 at 7:30PM. For more information, visit the Crossroads UMC website at www.everydaylifewithgod.org.
http://www.everydaylifewithgod.org/events/2011-11-24/ashburn-farm-10k-5k-2k

Amazon Kindle Books for Children in Africa

Amazon Kindle Books for School Students in Africa

Gift of Reading for Children of HUMBLE School in Uganda

Providing people with resources for learning enables people to improve their lives and the lives of people in their community and the world. Change starts with education and understanding. The Amazon Kindle provides a delivery system of digital ebooks for supporting the education process in areas where printed books are not feasible or available. Using eBooks for education and entertainment also reduces the drain of our planet's natural resources. Learn more about education in Africa and the children of HUMBLE School here, "Education is a Foundation for the Future".

"Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books."
--Bell Hooks

Pastor and Mission Leader, Dave Norman of Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn, Virginia explains how Kindle ebooks can help the children and staff at HUMBLE School in Mukono Uganda Africa. He also uses SKYPE video conferencing service to connect with others in Spain that explain the Worldreader program. This type of effort requires a collaborative effort. The underling goal of this mission includes establishing real relationships for solving real needs. A young man shares his story about the value of relationships in this video.

Worldreader

Worldreader.org's mission is to make digital books available to all in the developing world, enabling millions of people to improve their lives. They identify schools, train teachers, work with communities, and partner with publishers to bring millions of books to underserved children and families in the developing world.

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
--Dr. Seuss

Thanks to UMC, USAID, Amazon, and everyone supporting educational programs for children!

Learn more about this Kindle ebook program for children in Africa by contacting Dave Norman: Crossroads United Methodist Church
43454 Crossroads Drive
Ashburn, Virginia 20147
Phone: (703) 729-5100

Hope for Africa Children's Choir

The Hope for Africa Children's Chior

Songs of Hope and Joy

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir from HUMBLE United Methodist School in Uganda Africa has been sharing their message of hope & joy through their spectacular performances.  The Choir has received the honor of being invited by UNAIDS to perform at an event drawing attention to the continuing HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa on Capital Hill on October 26th. They have also been invited to perfrom at a World AIDS Day, an event in Washington DC on December 1st.  They have been performing in the Washington DC Metro area and will be performing two shows at Crossroad United Methodist church in Ashburn, Virginia on Sunday November 6, 2011.  Please plan to attend this free show at:

Crossroads United Methodist Church
43454 Crossroads Drive
Ashburn, Virginia 20147
Phone: (703) 729-5100
Map

Show Times: 9:00am & 11:00am

Children of HUMBLE School on a Mission

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir

HUMBLE School Uganda Africa

The "Hope for Africa Children's Choir" from HUMBLE School in Uganda Africa are on tour in the United States. They are on a mission to help raise awareness to Humble School and the impact of AIDS in Africa. They deliver a message of hope in their high energy performances filled with dance and songs of joy.

Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn, Virginia has the pleasure of hosting the Hope for Africa Children's Choir from HUMBLE School this fall! This year a group of 11 students will perform concerts at several locations in New York, Virginia and in Washington D.C. to bring awareness to HUMBLE School. They have even been invited by UNAIDS to present at an event on Capitol Hill to raise awareness on the continued HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. They will also be performing at a World AIDS Day event on December 1st before they will return home to HUMBLE United Methodist School in Uganda Africa.

There are several events scheduled in multiple areas to help support the children of HUMBLE School. Discover how you can show your support by contacting the friendly people at Crossroads UMC:

Phone: (703) 729-5100
Email: information@ecrossroadsumc.org

HUMBLE School Students at Crossroads UMC

The "Hope for Africa Children's Choir" (children of HUMBLE School) share stories about their journey with families at Crossroads UMC Ashburn, Virginia.

HUMBLE School Mission Trip Overview

Volunteers from the Washington DC area and around the world have joined the Crossroads Uganda Mission team over the years to support the needs of the students, teachers, and staff at HUMBLE School in Uganda Africa. Information about the school and mission trips is available at "About Humble School and it's Students". This year's mission team strengthened relationships and worked with others on a new girl's dormitory. An overview of the mission trip is available in this video.

First Performance of Hope for Africa Children's Choir

The children of HUMBLE School had a few hours to rest after their long flight from Uganda Africa, but jumped right into their mission and gave a heartfelt performance at a local church in Virginia. The compassion and energy of these children can be witnessed in this video.



Find out where you can attend one of their free performances and information about other events supporting these children at Crossroads UMC.

Social Media Matters: Blogs, Facebook, & Twitter

Blogs, Facebook, & Twitter

A Social Media Strategy Story

A few weeks ago, I met with some people from a local organization to discuss how to use the web and social media to share some of their stories. The goal of phase 1 was to connect with others and obtain good placement in search engine results from Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Here is the situation:

• Little Time
• No Money
• Minimal Tech Skills

A quick analysis of the situation lead us to Google Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and the creation of Children of Humble School Africa Blog. Most of the people in the organization were already familiar with these Social Networking Services. These Social Media tools are free and can be activated in minutes. These tools don’t require a Computer Science degree to use, in fact they are simple enough to be used by a child, grandparent, or anyone in-between.

Social Media Gets Results

Using Social Media to share stories and connect with others has a positive effect in top search engines. Here are the results after 14 days.

Google: Search Engine results for our site after 14 days was top four results out of 13.2 Million.

Google: Search Engine results for our site after 14 days was the top result out of 29.2 Million.



Bing: Search Engine results for our site after 14 days was two of the top four results out of 4.2 Million.


Yahoo: Search Engine results for our site after 14 days was two of the top four results out of 4.3 Million.

Social Media for Small Businesses & Non-Profits

The Social Business of Web 2.0

Once upon a time, the power to reach out and connect with others beyond your local community was reserved an exclusive group of people. Social Media extends this ability to all people and bursts open the door of new opportunities.

Google Blogger

I was not as familiar with Google Blogger compared to other types of Social Media tools, but was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get started. The ability to integrate other social media is also very simple.

Blogger is a web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly – whenever the urge strikes. It’s the leading tool in the rapidly growing area of web publishing known as weblogs, or “blogs.” Google Blogger gives you a way to automate (and greatly accelerate) the blog publishing process without writing any code or worrying about installing any sort of server software or scripts. And yet, it still gives you total control over the look and location of your blog. Details on how to get started are available in this video.

Web Gadgets, Widgets, & Apps

There are countless gadgets, widgets, and apps to support social media integration. Some of these for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other Social Networks can be found in these collections, “25 Great Blogger Widgets“, “Google Gadgets Directory, Collection of Google Blogger Plugins, and people can easily create their custom social gadgets with the Google Blogger API.

Mobile Device Support

The ability to support displaying your content in “app-like” format on multiple mobile devices at the flip of a switch is one of the main strengths of this free service.

Photo Walls

You can also add interactive photo walls to your blog, created with pictures from Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, YouTube, and RSS. You can share these photo walls on web sites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, WordPress, and more. You can create and share amazing photo walls for your web sites and blogs using Cooliris. You can see the Children of Humble School Photo Wall here.

Social Media Engagement

The Children of Humble School Africa Blog with Social Media integration is just a tiny example of the real possibilities. There are many great people that share helpful tips about how small businesses and non-profits can leverage the power of social media. Some of these very talented people include:

• @kanter: Let's talk about networked approaches & social media for training and capacity building for the nonprofit sector that leverage learning and impact.
• @2morrowknight: Co-Creator of the #TwitterPowerhouses Series, and #TwitterCharityFacts. Blogger for @Huffingtonpost & @Smedio. Marketer, Do-Gooder, conservationist, Surfer!
• @goodlaura: Twitter Junkie | All things Sacramento | SMCSac Exec Dir | SARTA.org Program Director | Good Friend | Dog Lover | SciFi enthusiast | Auntie | Love Jesus
• @rosettathurman: I help nonprofit leaders + passionate entrepreneurs change the world. Keynote speaker, author, career coach, social media trainer. Lover of happy hours. Vegan.
• @chrisbrogan: President, Human Business Works.
• @JessicaNorthey: Social Media, Broadcasting, Country & Music Blogger/Writer, Speaker, Daily Columnist AllAccess, #CMchat Host (Mon 6pPT), Online Correspondent, Sissy's Mom.
• @scedmonds: Speaker, author, senior consultant with @kenblanchard, author #CORPORATECULTUREtweet & Leading At A Higher Level,
• @Philanthropy: The Chronicle of Philanthropy's official Twitter page, updated by Peter Panepento
• @briansolis: Author of Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web

Sharing Stories of Hope & Joy in New Ways

The Power of Social Media

People over Platforms

The power of Social Media enables us with the ability to share stories in new ways. Social Networks have eliminated the degrees of separation and continues to bridge gaps between communities and cultures around the world. Social Networking Tools and Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, & Blogs empower people with new abilities to participate in meaningful engagement. These new forms of communication are transforming old "broadcasting" models of media into new "conversation" models of Social Media.

New Communication Strategies

Bridges Connecting Communities

Have you ever met someone and felt you have known them forever? Last year I met Grace Nakajje during my travels in Uganda Africa. She amazed me with her compassion for others. She is the communications director for East Africa Annual Conference United Methodist Church. She travels around Uganda Africa and surrounding communities with her camera, a beautiful smile, and a listening ear to discover real stories about real change. Last year she talked about her ideas about using Social Media to share stories while connecting with others in meaningful ways. Now she is using web sites, blogs, facebook, and twitter to share stories of hope and joy around the globe. She publishes a newsletter people can get delivered to their inbox by an easy email subscription. Grace is also experimenting with a web-based radio show. Her creativity and willingness to try new things shows us the power of community does fuel real change. You can discover more at http://eaac-umc.org

People at Local Airport Defy the Laws of Physics

Relationships Matter

Ordinary People Defy Laws of Physics

Children, Women, and Men seemed to defy the laws of physics during reunions filled with tearful smiles of joy. While waiting at the International Gate at Dulles Airport, I was astonished at how people seemed to defy gravity as they leaped into each others arms. Many magical moments transformed the average person into an athlete with world class gymnastic skills . Everyone witnessed a little girl break free from her mother's grip and fly through the air into her father's arms. Couples reunited in a beautiful silence that the crowd could not miss hearing. The International Gate at the local airport is an amazing place. Anyone feeling cynical about life should spend a few minutes near the international gate of their local airport.

"Relationships Matter" was defined a thousand times in each of these moments.

Relationships are the core value of the Crossroads UMC Mission Team. Establishing relationships with others is the key to helping the team understand what needs done and the collaborative efforts of everyone is what makes real change possible. Purposeful interaction gives people the opportunity to learn about each other and each others' culture. These type of activities provide the building blocks for creating more than dormitories or school rooms.

Thank You
Thank you to all the children, sisters, brothers, moms, dads, friends, communities, and organizations for making these type of mission opportunities possible.

What's Next?
The children of Humble School in Uganda Africa have written a ton of letters and some desire to have pen pals. Contact Dave Norman at Crossroads United Methodist Church, if you are interested in the Pen Pal opportunity. He can be reached at (703) 477-7427 or dnorman@crossroadsnova.org for additional information.

People in Brambleton, Virginia U.S. area have joined others from Ashburn, VA, Loudoun County, Virginia, and the Washington DC area to prepare for the next Humble School Family Day 10k walk/race.

We also have an endless collection of stories, photos, and video to process and share.

U.S. Volunteers Returning From Uganda Africa

Humble School Mission Team's Journey Home

Volunteers of Crossroads UMC Mission Team to Reunite with Families

The volunteers of Crossroads UMC Mission Team for Humble School Uganda Africa met with the students before embarking on their 25 hour journey back to the United States of America.

The team is doing well and their are on their final leg of their journey back to Dulles Airport, Washington DC, U.S. with expected arrival time of 2:32pm.

Family and friends can see the mission team's current location in the flight map below.

UPDATE JULY 11, 2011 - 2:32pm
I just got back from Dulles Airport a few minutes ago.
The mission team arrived safe-n-sound. Some of the mission team members from other parts of the United States will spend the night in the Washington DC area before their journey home.

Mission Team Flight Map

Uganda Africa to Washington DC U.S.


The Mission Team's flight from Heathrow Airport departed 24 minutes late, but they are expected to arrive at Dulles Airport at 2:32pm.

W = Dulles Airport
F = flight
L = London
U = Ugnada
Red = Where they have been
Green = Where they are going

You can get more details about their current flight here.

This map was created using Google's API. You can quickly and easily create all kinds of maps for your blog or web site using Google's map and charts APIs.

Acts of Random Kindness

Good Gifts

How Children Remind Us of Good Things

So today I arrived at Humble School and one of the girls walked up to me to greet me.. and went to shake my hand... which was weird for her.... then i realized she was secretly giving me something. I looked down and it was a necklace with a cross on it. Before i could thank her she was walking away.. turned back and smiled. awesome day.

- Jen Schoenmann

This story has challenged me to perform Acts of Random Kindness every day.