The 12 orphans, from one of the world’s most impoverished countries, came to Sydney to explore Australian culture and perform songs from their homeland.
They were each rescued by a charity called Seeds of Hope when their parents died of AIDS, the most advanced form of HIV, which attacks the body's immune system – many of the orphans are now battling the virus themselves.
There is no cure or vaccine, but treatment is available to manage the condition.
The group hail from the charity-run Grace Academy, which is a boarding school based in the city of Ndola in the east of Zambia. Two-thirds of the 162 students there are HIV-positive orphans.
Nineteen-year-old student Sydney, says he is now living life to the full and that the people who work at the Academy give him and his friends hope and love.
Seeds of Hope founder Susan Chalkias builds on each child’s potential to give them more opportunities in life.
“They come in really sick, and they leave going to university. Right now we have three [studying] medicine, three in engineering, one doing a bachelor of education, and one in trades. Our focus is to get them a good education so they can have a future,” she told SBS World News.
After the group’s visit to Sydney, they will travel to New South Wales Central West, Perth and the Pilbara in Western Australia.
Additional reporting by Marese O'Sullivan
