During the weekend from Friday 19th July to Sunday 21st July the parish of St. Joseph of Bissorã has given accommodation to 55 children and adolescents who came from a very populated and poor neighbourhood of the outskirts of Bissau, the area of Empantcha. The aim of going out was to know the different realities and to share the gift received: to know to sing with arts.
The children are part of a choir dedicated to Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock a Brazilian teenager from a Christian family who fought to preserve her purity at the point of shedding her blood for this reason.
The children are directed by Carlos Camnate better known as Uka, a passionate and attentive animator from the parish of St. Ann of Mansoa. He was formed as an animator under the guidance of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate and of PIME fathers. He is married and has two grown up children. He works as a director of two schools both nursery and elementary. It is started and dedicated to “sr. Alessandra Bonfanti” in the periphery of Bissau.
His passion for music and dance has made him to form a choir for children. The choir meets twice in a week for the practice and realizes many activities among which the animation of liturgical celebrations and organization of concerts.
In fact, Uka with his art of “music” capable of communicating the spirit of humour and of sympathetic capacity of expressions. He transmits the Christian and human values to the children through music and singing with joy but also with more resoluteness and determination.
He writes religious songs with a clear missionary spirit. His songs invite us to go out to proclaim the Gospel until the end of the world to create bonds of fraternal harmony, of love and reconciliation among all the Guineans. This is his simple and spontaneous way to animate the local church in a missionary sense and to spread the evangelical values.
To form and to educate the children are very demanding but at the same time it gives satisfaction. Uka gives a great testimony through his life who is at the service of the Church and of his little ones.
Sr. Ornella Garzetti, Delegation of Guinea Bissau