Frequently Asked Questions

10 months of traveling, 24 states, 13 kids from Liberia and Peru and 578 gas station & bathroom breaks. How does is all work? Many people often ponder to themselves or ask questions about the logistics of all this Matsiko madness. Well here are some fun and interesting questions and answers that you to may have once pondered!

FAQ 1: Where are the kids from, how old are they, and how many of them are there?

Answer: The children in Matsiko are from Peru (4 girls, 2 Boys) and Liberia (4 girls, 3 boys) they ranges from 8 years old to 16 years old. There are 13 total children in the Matsiko Choir.

FAQ 2: Where do the children stay while they are on their tour?

Answer: Every city we go to we find a school, church or community group who would like to host the choir anywhere from 1 day to 1 week. They then will find host families who take on average one Matsiko leader and 2 Matsiko kids. The families give the choir a place to sleep, food to eat, and many fun memories for the choir to take back home with them!

FAQ 3: What types of food do they eat?

Answer: For the most part they eat EVERYTHING and lots of it. Who eats the most you may ask, well Alonso (12 yrs Peru) once ate 8 burritos for dinner, and William (13 yrs Liberia) once ate 15 eggs for breakfast. Don’t be fooled by those cute little girls either; Jessica (12 yrs Liberia) has eaten a large pizza and even little Sarah (10 yrs Liberia) had 4 plates piled sky high of nothing but rice and chicken at a church potluck. Where does all the food go? We are still trying to figure that out :)

FAQ 4: How do you travel around the country?

Answer: They kids travel over to the United States in planes (obviously) but when they are here the choir travels in three twelve passenger vans. Each child is assigned to a van with a seat. The kids have grown to love being in the vans, it’s the only place they can sleep when they want to, be goofy with friends and not have to worry about putting on a show!

FAQ 5: Are the children schooled on the road?

Answer: Yes they are! It is just like home schooling. When the children travel over to the United States they bring with them a years’ worth of school curriculum. Whenever the choir has free time, it is spent with their noses in books. But who teaches the kids? Their brilliant leaders of course! Every leader has a student they work with and tutor throughout the year.

FAQ 6: Who are the leaders, and how do you pick them?

Answer: The leaders of Matsiko are all Volunteers who have given up a year of their lives to travel and take care of the choir. Each leader has a job they do working in the trailer, selling the merchandise or driving a van are just a few. The leaders are chosen based on personality, flexibility and the want to help children who have come from all walks of life. The leaders all are very disciplined and very committed to traveling and Matsiko. All the leaders must have thorough background checks that must be approved before traveling with the choir.

FAQ 7: Are all the children in the choir orphans?

Answer: No not all the children are orphans. Some children live with their parents but they are so poor that they cannot afford the basic needs of life. They are what we call at-risk children. The children who are orphaned live in an orphanage where they are well cared for or with a guardian or relative.

FAQ 8: How are the children chosen to be a part of Matsiko?

Answer: If a child wants to be a part of Matsiko they will join the choir in their home country. They then get chosen to be in the choir based on their discipline, independent study, performance in the choir, and all around character. It is a very hard process chosen the best fit children to be in Matsiko.

FAQ 9: What is the main purpose of the choir?

Answer: They main purpose of the Matsiko World Orphans Choir is to bring awareness to the 6 hundred million orphaned and at-risk children around the world. At each performance Matsiko sings songs of hope and shares stories of the importance of education through sponsorship. Sponsorship covers the cost of school fees and any basic needs for that specific child (food, clothing etc.)

FAQ 10: What are some things the children learn while in the United States?

Answer: While the children are here traveling they learn many so things about the American culture, have met so many people, and do so many fun and exciting things. The most important thing to children gain from being on this tour is the realization of self-worth and hope of becoming someone important in the future.

FAQ 11: How YOU making a difference in these children’s lives?

Answer: Without people like YOU who are sponsoring the children, coordinating choir events, host housing them, making their meals, and providing clothes/hygiene products and many other things you so graciously do for the choir, none of this would even be possible. We the Matsiko Choir would like to thank you for all you have done for the choir!

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass

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We were in Austin, Texas and there were two things on our agenda for the day. Pictures at the texas stadium, and to visit the capital. Its true what they say... Everything's bigger in Texas!

So we loaded up the vans and got in our lineup with the addition of the lovely ladies, Kirsten Howren and Dawn Tysdal-Jean guiding the way to our destination!

First stop; University of Texas to see the stadium. Home of the Longhorns! Upon our arrival, it was evident our little mission would not be pulled off quite as smoothly as we expected. A quick jump out of the van and a group picture is a little harder to do when there are hundreds of families roaming the streets. "What's going on? Is there a football game?" Ezekiel (14yrs, Liberia) asked. "No... It's graduation" Kylie (20yrs, Seattle WA) responded. Congratulations to all the grads, but common folks! Dont you know Matsiko has a schedule to keep!?

After adjusting to the current situation, we drove down the road, found a decent spot to park on the side of the road, and snapped our photo!

Then it was off to the capital! With Dawn leading the way, and Kirsten trailing behind, we couldn't be stopped!

With Jenai (22yrs, Seattle Wa) driving, and Kylie's bladder about to burst, she leapt out of the van in a full sprint to the nearest bathroom she could find. "Sis kylie! Where are you going?!" the kids yelled. But it was too late. She was already across the street, disappearing on the path to the capital.

After re-parking the vans, with some serious parallel parking skills, the team gathered and found their travel buddies for their safety in the adventure we had waiting for us. As we approached the giant doors, "lean on me" was being played by the DJ on the patio. The kids couldnt help but dance as they climbed up the steps.

We entered the doors, and took off our rings, watches, belts, keys, and any extra metal hidden on our bodies as we walked through the scanners. "kylie!" zulmira (12yrs, Peru) exclaimed at the site of her formerly runaway leader. It seemed someone had finally found a restroom and was waiting for our arrival.

Once through the metal detectors, an angelic sound was heard ringing through the marble hallways. It seemed a childrens choir was performing that day in the center of the bottom floor. Of course our own childrens choir couldnt walk by without watching! So we took our seats and opened our ears to the last few songs of the day.

Once finished, it was time to find our travel buddies once again, this time mixing it up with our host families! Jessica (12yrs, Liberia) with Katia, Sarah (10yrs, Liberia) with Kelsey, William (13yrs, Liberia) with Hayden, and Ezekiel (14yrs, Liberia) with Tyler. And it was off to the State Senate Chambers!

While some took the elevator, the others took the scenic route, up the giant staircase to the second floor. With little time remaining, it was decided to take a quick look at the Texas treasury. This is where they used to keep the state money locked away, behind the bars, in the safe, hidden in a secret room. pretty intense.

After finishing our self lead tour, we said goodbye and made our way back to the vans, excited to get back for dinner. It was a great day in Austin!

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