| Country / Region: | Zambia / Beracah Orphanage |
|---|---|
| Project Summary: | Orphan Care through provision of safe family care and schooling. |
| Bright Hope Support: | TBD |
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has left more than 15% of the population in Zambia infected with AIDS and more than one million orphans. After the death of their parents, many of the orphans are forced to move to rural villages to live with their extended families. In northern Zambia, farming communities are being overwhelmed by the vast numbers of orphans that are in need of basic life necessities.
In East Kawambwa, although the land is fertile, the weather is uncertain and farming unpredictable. There is little infrastructure for selling crops and farmers usually have only enough food for their immediate family, and no source of income. This leaves few opportunities for farmers to improve their situation and provide hope for their children’s future.
Gershome Kasongo has led Beracah Orphan Care since 2000. He was trained as a church planter and has planted 20 churches. Local churches formed the project as a non-profit with a board of directors consisting of church leaders and farmers. Instead of building a facility, the children are able to stay with their extended families because they are given financial and material support. All the orphans are known to the community because the leaders and volunteers visit the orphans regularly.
The children are helped to attend school, and their guardians or families are given assistance for food and household items. In 2001, a grinding mill was purchased to generate local income. The proceeds from the mill go toward the orphan care program and to encourage self-sufficiency by becoming less dependent on maize meal shipped in from larger towns.
Funding for Beracah Orphan Care goes to the cost of food, household basics and their distribution.
