- The mission of The Bitone Children’s Home/Troupe is to restore the lives and hopes of Ugandan children between 8 and 18 years old who have been traumatized by the death of their parents or loss of their home due to disease, war, or economic hardship. The program was founded by Branco Sekalegga, and Hassan Kayemba with the vision of “Restoring Hope by Nurturing the Body and Spirit.”
Bitone youth are provided with basic food and shelter, a nurturing environment, an academic education, and counseling. Through learning traditional African music, dance, folklore and theater, the children build self-esteem, become self-reliant and contribute to creating a peaceful future for the next generations of Ugandans and others worldwide. Bitone means ‘talents.’
This record was recorded with a laptop and one microphone in the center’s living room (which also serves as the dining and bedroom depending on the hour), and is being sold as a fundraising tool for the center’s growth and stability.
Bitone primarily funds itself with performances around Uganda; unfortunately we must rent the necessary sound equipment, costumes and instruments for each show, which depletes a large portion of our earnings. For each performance a minimum of eight microphones, 2 large speaker cabinets, a mixing board and several cables are needed for our 25 musicians, vocalists, and dancers to sound effective. All the proceeds for the sale of this record will go toward helping Bitone attain the necessary equipment to sustain itself.
