The acclaimed South African Youth Choir (SAYC) is a unique social upliftment project where musically talented young learners from different backgrounds and cultures are developed in almost all aspects of life. The Choir currently consists of 44 high school learners and students between the ages of 13 – 25 years. Since its inception, the SAYC has showcased its vast abilities on both local and international platforms, entertaining a variety of audiences across the globe.
The choir has recently been awarded “Best National Choir” at the prestigious international ATKV Animato International Choral Competition on 1 Oct 2017. We won each and every category in this competition. An ensemble of 16 members was invited by the S.T.A.R.S. Foundation and TIME (The International Music Exchange), to tour the USA on a high profile cultural exchange from 11 – 23 October 2017. All expenses in the US, i.e. domestic travel, accommodation, sight seeing, meals, etc were covered by the foundation. The tour included inter alia booked television performances and performances at both Embassies.
We performed at the United Nations, at concerts in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angelos and Minneapolis. Prior to the tour, we failed to secure sponsorship/funding and on the eve of departure, we were going to cancel the tour. One of our parents saved the day by making the funds available from his business capital to cover flight expenses to the US. This loan of R250k needs to be paid back as soon as possible, hence our plea for funding. Without this loan, we would have failed to honor our commitment, and it would have had dire consequences for the choir, and a major diplomatic embarrassment. This tour was a dream come true and life-changing experience for these kids.