SING IN UNITY's 2024 project, "One Song" is a song that spreads a message of WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER through the story of Stallone Lugonda from Unity House Uganda.

「One Song」は、Unity House Ugandaのスタロン・ルゴンダくんの歩みを通して「協力し合うことで、私たちはより良くなれる」というメッセージを伝えるための音楽プロジェクトです。

Unity House Uganda provides a safe home for former street children and orphans. It is a joint project by Jenna, founder of SING IN UNITY, and Stallone Lugonda, a Ugandan who grew up on the streets and stood up to help the younger generation in silimar situations, and is officially registered as a charity organization in Uganda. Children at Unity House come from a variety of tribal and religious backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims, and all are treated equally with respect and love as one big family.

ウガンダにあるUnity House Ugandaは、SING IN UNITY代表のジェンナと元ストリートチルドレンのスタロンくんが共同運営する、子どもたちの「家」です。子どもたちは皆、元ストリートチルドレンや孤児たちで、キリスト教徒もイスラム教徒もいます。部族や宗教の区別なく、ひとつの大家族として全員が対等に愛情を受けて暮らしています。

Stallone was born in 1999 to a single mother in a extreme poverty. He was placed in the care of relatives at 7 years old, where he experienced harsh child labor and abuse. Like many children in abusive homes, he ended up running out and live on the street since he was 12. The street life was full of drugs and crimes. "It turns anyone into a bad person," he relfects.

One day, a street preacher invited him to his farm and helped him go back to school. After staying there for some years, the preacher passed away. His death sent Stallone back to the streets, but from there he worked hard to change the course of his life. When he finally managed to rent a small room, he invited 2 younger fellows from streets to live with him. As his income increased, he increased the number of children he cared for. Today he works as a trusted driver, taking care of over 40 children.

1999年にシングルマザーの元に生まれたスタロンくんは、7歳の時に親戚に預けられ、そこでの強制労働や虐待から逃れるためにストリート・チルドレンに。彼いわく、ストリート生活にはドラッグや犯罪がつきもので「誰もが悪人になってしまう」ような環境だったそうです。一時期は、ある牧師に引き取られ学校にも戻れたものの、その牧師の死で再びストリートへ。そこからは必死に働き、一部屋を借りられたときには年下のストリート仲間2人を連れて共同生活を開始。それ以降、自身の収入で子どもたちを助ける活動を続けています。現在は運転手をしながら、40人以上の子どもたちを養っています。

Jenna met Stallone in 2023. At the time, he and his 40 children lived in a small village with no access to clean water. Jenna and her Japanese choir GQ Family made a donation to construct a water well and a toilet building in the area, which were completed in August, 2023. As they celebrated the completion of the construction together on zoom, the relationship between Jenna's choir and the children began. Jenna started inviting them to her online classes, and the children sang over Stallone's phone.

ジェンナが彼と知り合ったのは2023年。彼は40人の子どもたちと、井戸もない小さな村で暮らしていました。ジェンナのクワイヤGQファミリーが井戸建設とトイレ建設のための寄付を行い、8月にはZOOMで完成を一緒にお祝いしました。その後もオンラインで子どもたちと交流する機会が増えていきました。

In October 2023, they were offered to rent a fenced stand-alone house in Jinja, Uganda's second largest city. To ensure the children's safety and better access to their schools, Jenna and Stallone decided to rent this place together and give it a fresh start, naming it "Unity House. "

Jenna visited Unity House in December and spent 2 weeks with them. The children received colorful uniform T-shirts and learned 10 original songs she had prepared for them, including their theme song "Welcome to Unity House," and "One Song" which she wrote as a SING IN UNITY global virtual choir project featuring Unity House. The music brought great joy, happiness, and a sense of unity to their hearts.

2023年10月、ウガンダ第二の都市ジンジャで大きな一軒家を借りられることになり、そこを「Unity House」と名付けてジェンナとのスタロンくんの共同プロジェクトとして再スタートを切りました。12月にはジェンナが2週間現地に滞在し、子どもたちにおそろいのTシャツや、Unity Houseのテーマソングを含めた10曲のオリジナル曲をプレゼント。音楽と笑顔に溢れた2週間を過ごし、歌を通して子どもたちの心に連帯感が育まれていきました。スタロンくんの歩みを歌った「One Song」も、皆バッチリ歌えるように！

Jenna's choir members continue to support Unity House, by helping school fees and helping set up a poultry project on their premises. Also they enjoy fellowship with the children by meeting them online or exchanging videos.

その後もジェンナのクワイヤGQ Familyは、子どもたちの学費のための奨学金を送ったり、経済的自立のための養鶏プロジェクトをサポートしたりしています。また、子どもたちとのオンライン交流も継続しています。

Unity House Uganda always welcomes visitors! Feel free to make a visit, and enjoy singing and dancing with the children. If you have any skills, please share them with the children. Unity House is always open to new ideas and new projects. Also, any amount of donations for the school fees and daily needs are much appreciated.

Jenna and Stallone's hope is that Unity House becomes a place where people can experience how UNITY can make the world a better place, and that is exactly the message behind the song "One Song."

Unity Houseでは、いつでもビジターを歓迎しています！子どもたちと一緒に歌や踊りを楽しめる、ウガンダ訪問はいかがですか。何かスキルをシェアしていただける方も大歓迎です。また、学費や生活必需品のための寄付も随時受け付けています（→Unity House奨学金について）。Unity Houseの活動には、「UNITYの精神で皆で協力し合えば、世界はより良い場所になれる」というメッセージが込められており、それを表現した歌が「One Song」です。