African Children’s Choir to perform at June 10 benefit concert in Richland

Natalie Teeples met Ashlaf in Uganda.

The 10-year-old boy has cerebral palsy and doesn’t speak much, if at all.

But he and Teeples, from Kennewick, were paired during an event in January in the town of Lugazi.

It was aimed specifically at children with disabilities, and it included music. When guitar-playing started, Ashlaf was enthralled.

“I said, ‘Oh Ashlaf, you love guitar, don’t you?’ ” Teeples recalled. “And he said, ‘Guitar, guitar, guitar.’ ”

Later, Teeples said, she shared that with the boy’s mother. “She said, ‘No, no, he doesn’t speak,’ ” Teeples said. “I said, ‘He does now.’ ”

Teeples returned from that trip — taken through the nonprofit Musana — with a special place in her heart for Ashlaf, and with an ambitious goal.

She is raising $30,000 to help the group build an education center for children with disabilities in Lugazi.

A benefit concert, called A Song for Ashlaf, is planned June 10 in Richland to help. The concert starts at 6 p.m. and will feature the return of the acclaimed African Children’s Choir, who performed in Kennewick in April.

Some local performers are also planned during the June 10 event.

The Cottonwood Elementary School Mojo Marimba band will take the stage, along with musicians Rachel Mohlman and Kate Larsen.

Larsen also will accompany a group of special needs children.

The show is at the HAPO Community Stage at John Dam Plaza. Admission is free, with donations taken.

Teeples moved to the Tri-Cities about three years ago. Her husband, Tyson, is an oral surgeon.

Oldest daughter, McKinzi, 14, accompanied Teeples on the January trip to Uganda. Teeples also is mom to sons Isaac, 12, Ezra, 9, and Eli, 4.

She got involved with Musana International through an old friend, Melissa Sevy, who’s the founder.

The nonprofit sells jewelry made by women in Lugazi, with all the profits going to help the women with employment, education, health and entrepreneurship.

As one of its initiatives, it built a library in Lugazi. Building the education center also was a longer-term dream — at least until Teeples came along.

“I thought, that’s something I can do. Let me take that on,’” she said.

The center is needed because there are few resources for disabled children in the community, Teeples said.

“Because there are so many single mothers, many of these children are left home alone while the mother is working. Some may get around alright, but children with severe physical and mental disabilities wait patiently for their mother — going without food or drink, soiling their own clothes, looking at the same spot — all day long,” she wrote in a fundraising letter.

Despite some tough circumstances, the children she met in Lugazi were joyful and loving, she said.

At that special event, with Ashlaf and the guitars, “the kids lit up like light bulbs,” Teeples said. “I want them to have (more of) that. I want them to feel like there’s a place they belong, where they can learn things.”

She hopes to see construction begin on the education center by next summer. To learn more, go to bit.ly/SongForAshlaf.

If you can’t attend the concert but still want to donate, go to the website or send a check to Musana International, c/o Natalie Teeples, 297 Rachel Road, Kennewick, WA 99338.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 5:22 AM with the headline "African Children’s Choir to perform at June 10 benefit concert in Richland."