"Beyond Borders" was written for the "Amani Invitational Children's Choir Festival" sponsored by the Central Carolina Children's Chorus (Winston-Salem, NC - Anne Saxon, Artistic Director). The purpose of the festival was to raise awareness of abandoned orphans in Kenya due to HIV/AIDS and poverty, as supported and served by the Amani Children's Foundation, also based in Winston-Salem. Children and Youth 'sing together in harmony and celebrate our unity.'The inaugural festival was held on November 19-20, 2010 at Centenary United Methodist Church. A love offering was collected for the Amani Children's Foundation during the final concert.In January 2010, an "Amani Night" was held as a preview for this event. Around 150 young singers gathered at Centenary to learn about the organization, sing, and have fun with bead-making led by Amani Volunteers. They also had an opportunity to write their thoughts, phrases, or a poem about Amani. I used this thematic material and incorporated it into