One of biggest social problems facing urbanizing Africa are the orphans and street kids. With over 1 million orphans, few orphanages, and diminishing extended family support, the number of orphans living in child-headed households or living on the streets is rapidly increasing. These children are at high risk of abuse, neglect, malnutrition and disease. Without help, these orphans and street kids have NO HOPE for the future!
Street kids, as young as preschoolers, sleep in abandoned buildings, shacks made from cardboard or corrugated tin, use cardboard for blankets, or sleep in front of stores at night.
Children survive by begging, digging through garbage, or stealing.
Older boys & minibus drivers often beat up & steal the meager resources from the younger children.
Survival tactics for money or food include - Rape - Prostitution - Sexual bartering
Newcomers to streets are often forced into sex as a tool to secure their protection from an “older” street teen or security guards.
Results in many children & teens developing STI’s (highest risk group for HIV/AIDS).
Many become addicted to sniffing glue or chewing chamba (marijuana) to try and numb the pain.
#Let Girls Be Girls . . . not wives or mothers. For the girls, life is even worse. Girls are often being forced into being child brides:
50% are married before age of 18, some as young as 9 yrs old.
26% are mothers.
Girls are at high risk of being trafficked out of country to S. Africa, Europe, and Asia.
We have built orphan homes (House of Promise & Onesimus) including some dedicated for the rehabilitation of street kids. These homes house up to 10 children in one home with loving house parents. Here they are given loving care, safety, and the children go to school plus receive medical care. This year, we will complete the first home for street girls.
We have also established a preschool (Kondanani) for early start on education for 150 orphans where they also receive one nutritious meal a day. In addition, we have worked with a teen vocational skills training facility (Songani) where these teen orphans learn skills like carpentry, tailoring, and tinsmithing or pot making. This provides them with skills to earn a living and be self supporting so they do not have to beg or steal for a living. Furthermore, we have built a community center that provides additional skills training in the capitol city for both orphans and widows.
Now we need to ensure that all of these are completed, are functioning well, and are locally self-sustainable. Our goal is to help them live holistically today plus give them opportunities to build their future and leave a legacy for the next generations ~ to pass on the opportunity and skills, to give hope for their future.
The Solution:
This will enable us to completely finish the following projects ~
Kondanani Preschool classroom block. Walls are up, but it still needs doors, windows, chalk boards, and desks ~ $5,000. COMPLETED!
Songani Teen Vocational Training Center needs an industrial planer and other tools for teaching the orphans skills ~ $6,000. COMPLETED!
Lilongwe Community Center needs electricity hooked up and the septic completed ~$5,000. COMPLETED!
Lilongwe House of Promise home for orphaned girls needs flood-damaged walls repaired ~ $7,000. COMPLETED!
Onesimus Homes for street kids rehabilitation. They need a class room facility for school-entry in learning. Most street kids have never been to school, don't even know how to write their name. This school will get them started on their education so they can transition into a regular school. Also need vocational skills training. $12,000 Still needed, and TIME IS RUNNING OUT ~ THIS STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.
You helped us complete the first four projects. Will you help us raise the remaining $12,000 for Onesimus Homes? Scroll down for more information.
