Tuesday after school, the kids at the Friendship House of Jesus piled into its auditorium as administrative director Josh Paske lined up more chairs for the growing crowd. The room was dimly lit, except for the spotlights directed at the stage.

“Have you ever had a bad day?” Dr. Ted Moody asked the dozens of kids and few adults in the room.

Moody introduced Alvin, a young Ugandan orphan who travels and performs with the Ugandan Thunder children’s choir.

“Let me tell you about his bad day,” Moody continued. “Alvin lost both of his parents on the same day.”

Despite the somber moment, the afternoon was filled with joy, laughter and music Tuesday as the children’s choir performed. The choir consists of 22 Ugandan children, ages 8 – 16, and has been touring the Southeast U.S. for the last eight months, visiting schools, churches and prisons.

The children come from about six different orphanages and schools in Uganda, Moody said.

Moody’s organization, Pennies for Posho, works with 18 orphanages that serve almost 6,000 children. Pennies for Posho is a non-profit, Christian organization that works to feed and teach African orphans.

“By the end of this calendar year, we will have served our 50 millionth meal,” Moody said. “It blows my mind.”

Moody founded Pennies for Posho – Posho is a grit-like food made of corn flour and water, a staple in Uganda – nine years ago after his first mission trip to Uganda.

“One of the pastors I met asked, ‘Would you help my children? They’re so hungry,’” Moody said, explaining that the children would fall asleep during school because “they’d rather be asleep than hungry.”

More information on the organization and choir, including donation information, can be found at penniesforposho.org.

The choir will perform at Southwest Baptist Church, located on Faceville Highway, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.