Foster triplets continue mission through music
Album of hymns, Christmas EP coming
Members of sister sibling group The Foster Triplets are passionate about two things — ministering and philanthropy.
The sisters have been serving the Lord since they were children. A few years ago, along with the help of their parents, they formed The Foster Triplets Ministries.
“We enjoy meeting new people and hearing how God has touched their lives through our ministry. It reminds us that we aren’t the ones who change lives. God changes lives. We also love to see the quality of life of individuals positively affected through giving back. Voluntarism and giving back remind us of our own fragilities. At some point, all of us will need a brother or sister to step in and lift us up. Volunteerism also brings us joy and happiness,” said group member Malaika Foster.
The other members of the group are Mahari and Mikaili.
Some of the projects that The Foster Triplets Ministries have undertaken include We Will Rise 1 — a partnership with the Ministry of Education to raise $1 million to assist children who were affected by Tropical Storm Dorian; the ‘Pack a Bag’ initiative, which assisted needy individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic; We Will Rise 2, which saw the purchase of much-needed equipment for the paediatric wing at Savanna-la-Mar Hospital; and We Will Rise 3, which assisted three families that were affected by a fire in western Jamaica.
“The Savanna-la-Mar Hospital is very dear to our hearts. Over 21 years ago we were infants at that very hospital, and giving back to the place of our birth is an honour,” Malaika stated.
The sisters are originally from Little London in Westmoreland.
Mikaili explained the aim and objectives of The Foster Triplets Ministries.
“We seek to bring hope and joy to the world through our music, message, and means. God has opened the doors for us to spread His goodness through music in the Caribbean, Africa, North America, and South America, and will further our travels to Australia, Bali and Antigua this year. The message of hope is transmitted all around the world through Facebook, YouTube and Instagram as well. Through volunteerism/giving back activities we become the hands of Jesus by meeting the needs of others.”
The products of homeschooling, The Foster Triplets enjoy singing, playing the keyboard, reading, storytelling, travelling, and doing missionary activities.
They have a very strong conviction in God. Their début album What a God was released in 2015. They later followed up with Try Jesus (2019) and Grace Carried Me Here (2022).
In 2021, the group was the recipient of a Sterling Gospel Music Award for Group of the Year, while a year later, they copped the Marlin Gospel Award for Traditional Gospel Group/Duo of the Year.
Their musical journey began at the age of five.
“When we were two years old our parents heard us singing in harmony during our family worship. Then when we were five years old, we sang at our church with our backs to the congregation because we were so nervous. Then, by age 8, we were invited to sing at many functions across the island. That was the start of our group, and we have been singing ever since,” said Malaika.
She continued: “It has been a journey characterised by triumphs and by challenges. Most of all, it has been rewarding. God has taken us from country to country, on various stages and before people and audiences that we never expected. We’ve ministered in rural villages and to audiences of thousands, and each time we are so humbled because we know it is not of our own doing, but God’s doing.”
According to Mahari, gospel music was their calling from an early age.
“We believe that the Lord called us to sing gospel music. He gave us this talent for one purpose, and that is to minister the world. God told our parents from our formative years that our mission was to take the gospel through music around the globe. In addition, the Lord revealed His calling on our lives to us individually as we grew older.”
The sisters sing a mixture of traditional, contemporary, southern, and black American gospel.
Their most recent body of work, an EP titled Songs for the Season, was released two years ago.
The group is currently working with a group of musicians from Zimbabwe to produce an album of hymns as well as a Christmas EP to be released later this year.