Members of the Bethany choir from Tanzania are set to perform at schools and churches across the county.

The choir will perform first at the Ernest St Baptist Church in Accrington tonight (Saturday 2 November) before taking their tour to Wigan, Nelson, Blackburn, Burnley, Clitheroe, Blackpool, Bolton, Preston and Rochdale.

The children visiting the UK are aged between seven and sixteen and perform in Swahili, Sukuma and English.

Graham Pountain from the initiative said, “The project has been going for 28 years and every three years we bring the children over to the UK.

“They are staying at with us throughout the duration of their visit. 

“There will be performances at over a hundred schools throughout the next seven weeks. They are joined by their teacher Jesca who accompanies the group everywhere.

“It is the first-time half of the group have been out of the country. The first thing they mentioned was familiarly that it was a bit cold!”

The choir has toured schools and churches across Lancashire in the past and enjoy singing and dancing.

The Bethany Project was launched in October 1991 when a group of Christians from Oswaldtwistle travelled to Tanzania to build a children home for those in need.

In 1989 Paul Morley and Dave Shore visited Mwanza, Tanzania and saw the poverty of the people and children. The following year Paul and Dave visited once more and undertook the building of a  Children’s Home.

A year later twelve people arrived in Yitwimila village on the shores of Lake Victoria and started digging the foundations. They were helped by the local villagers who had also made the land available.

The group are now involved in providing financial support and volunteers to visit both long and short term to share in the work both in the UK and in Tanzania.  

The group says it ‘aim is to help the most underprivileged,  deprived and vulnerable members of society,  especially orphaned children,  providing education where possible.'

Graham added, “We survive on donations to help to provide for the Bethany Project primary school and Children’s Home in Tanzania. Anyone wanting to support us can visit our website.”

You can view the full list of performances here