SONGS of east Africa will ring out across Swanage next week when the Watoto Children's Choir comes to town.

Hailing from Uganda, the choir has performed at the Victorian seaside town a number of times during the past decade.

This time around they will be singing at Swanage's Emmanuel Baptist Church.

The choir, comprising 18 children, aged six to 12, sing alongside eight of their 'uncles and aunties' and are currently touring Europe.

This tour is the main fundraising effort for the Watoto Charity, which rescues orphaned babies and children from the streets in and around Uganda's capital city Kampala.

The charity provides a safe, healthy upbringing and education for the youngsters.

A choir spokesman said: "The choir is made up of those children who show a love for music, dance and singing and they are trained to give an excellent performance.

"Their love for what they do shows in every song sung and every dance move performed. Their colourful, traditional costumes dazzle and delight and their concert is amazing, their testimonies awesome.

"The children will share stories of how their lives have been changed, and how they have been called into a life of purpose to transform their communities."

Eight-year-old Esther Kahangi is one of the children travelling with the choir this year. She was rescued by the charity more than seven years ago, after her mother abandoned her, as a premature baby, at a hospital on the outskirts of Kampala.

The children will be performing twice at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Victoria Avenue, Swanage, on March 16.

Their first performance will be in front of 300 local schoolchildren, followed by an evening concert, starting at 7.30pm, which is free and open to everyone.

Doors open at 7pm and there will be a collection afterwards.