In the 1980s, artist Joey Albert put dozens of songs on tape and performed to thousands of people in concert halls around the world.
These days, however, her main audience are the pre-school aged kids at the Good Shepherd Daycare in Coquitlam, where she is an instructor.
But in much the same way she spread her talents as a musician and pop singer, Albert is hoping to share education with people around the world. She has teamed up with local charity organization Meaningful Volunteer and work has begun to set up a pre-school in Uganda based on the Good Shepherd curriculum.
"It is the kind of work that I have known all my life and I am passionate about it," she said. "They [Meaningful Volunteer] said they really wanted to set up a pre-school in Uganda and I said I would help."
Albert launched her singing career in the Philippines in the 1980s, receiving a gold record for her hit Tell Me. She still sings - recently performing to a packed house the River Rock Casino - but said her focus is on helping children. She hopes to raise money for the Ugandan initiative by donating a portion of the fees at her daycare and asking for help from the community.
"That way, each child in our daycare learns about stewardship," she said. "I see it as a win-win for both."
Megin Alvarez, the operator of Meaningful Volunteer, said there is a fee for the pre-school for financial sustainability but added that no child will be turned away. Ugandan families without the resources to pay for the service can volunteer their time in the school's edible garden.
Meaningful Volunteer has already established itself in the Ugandan town of Buyaya, where it erected a solar panel at a local school, bringing power to the town. Alvarez said the pre-school is an extension of its efforts.
Alvarez, whose family is from the Philippines, grew up in Canada and said she did not realize how popular Albert was until she had a conversation with her parents.
"She is a very famous singer and song writer in the Philippines," she said. "I just know her as this beautiful, kind and down-to-earth pre-school teacher from Coquitlam."
DETAILS
For more information about Meaningful Volunteer and its pre-school initiatives, go to www.meaningfulvolunteer.org.
