A popular question for Spirit of Uganda members is Where do the children train for the tour? There are 30 members of the Spirit of Uganda dance troupe, though only 22 of them are traveling on the 2008 tour. They all attend boarding schools in and around the capital city of Kampala, Uganda. On the weekends and school holidays, they travel into the city to the Kisugu House (pronounced chi-su-gu), which is named for the neighborhood where it’s located. This house is where the children live and train while they are rehearsing for the tour.
Kisugu is considered a middle-class suburb of Kampala, and most of the neighbors really enjoy the music. They’re often caught peering over the fence to get a peek at the show, and who can blame them? The children train outdoors on the asphalt driveway in front of the home, set against the lush, green flowering landscape that’s common to central Uganda.
Children sleep in bunk beds — similar to the sleeping arrangements at their schools — and have a home administrator who lives with them to care for them and enforce house rules. They also have a cook who prepares healthy meals each day and a guard who protects the compound.
On longer holidays, the children go home to their stay with their families. Most of the children have lost at least one of their parents, but they each have family members whom they can visit. Of course, it’s important for them to stay connected to their family, culture, and community. After training for the weekend or holiday break, the children return to their respective boarding schools.
Check out a photo gallery of Spirit of Uganda training in Kampala, Uganda at the Kisugu House and Sharing Hall.
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