Our mission is to provide homes and to
support the fundamental needs of orphans around the world.
House for Charity... update
The sale of this fantastic house will enable Aussies for
Orphans to continue to support projects for children around
the world. We are currently assessing new supported
accommodation projects in Cambodia and Vietnam and an
additional one in Kenya, a village, home situation for small
children.
Thankyou for all you are doing to assist us with our goals.
Aussies for Orphans were approached in 2006 by the Mbagathi
farm school asking for assistance to build a new building to
house 28+ girls, in a boarding situation, so they were able
to attend the school. The existing accommodation was small
and cramped and did not allow for them to offer placements
to more children as the need arose. A large proportion of
these girls are orphaned or from disadvantaged home
situations and for many of them it is the first safe home
they have ever known.
Thanks to a local pharmacy group, who assisted us with the
funding, AFO was able to complete this project in June 2007.
Janelle Gibson, our AFO volunteer, has just come back from
six months in Kenya overseeing this project and visiting
other worthwhile charities who have asked for AFO’s
assistance. Undoubtedly this has been a life changing
experience for her and she plans to return to Kenya, for
AFO’s next project, in Feb 2008.
First Cut into Building site
Janelle has told us how much of a difference the building of the
boarding at the school has made to the girls and the school
as a whole. They have such a sense of pride in having
accommodation that is so new, safe and comfortable. The
installation of a solar heater gives them hot water,
something that they would never have in their homes and they
now have new, clean toilets that actually flush.
All the students were so excited on moving day, even the
boys as they now get to spread out and have more room in
their building. On the day, each of the girls carefully made
their beds and arranged their clothes and few personal
possessions in such a loving way it bought tears to
Janelle’s eyes. The boarding mother now has her own room and
the girls also have a bright, indoor space to do their
homework, read and play games. Click
here for Dec 08 Update
Moving In Day... new colourful curtains and fresh white
walls!
“ I cannot find the words to let you know how much this
means to the girls and the school” emailed Janelle. “Some of
these children have come from such terrible home lives where
we cannot imagine what they have had to deal with at such a
young age. They now live in safe, comfortable, supported
accommodation and have the opportunity to go to school, an
opportunity many African children do not have.”
This is Aussies for Orphans (AFO) third project, the Adziwa
Orphan Program in Kauma village, Lilongwe. Malawi is
currently ranked the 8th poorest country in the world. Kauma
village is situated about five kilometres east of Lilongwe
and while the area is referred to as a “village” it more
closely resembles the slum areas common to all large cities
in sub-Saharan Africa. The total population of Kauma is
estimated at 15,000, nearly half of whom are children, many
orphaned by AIDS. Adziwa Orphan Program has multiple
activities implemented to improve to conditions of children
living in Kauma.
Aussies for Orphans will assist in building an additional
two homes for up to eight orphans to live in a family
situation (usually extended family). Caregivers in these
households aren’t charged rent but are asked to participate
in Adziwa activities, both those that generate income (each
family is given a small plot of land to grow maize and
vegetables) and those which assist in the community to
improve health and education.
The money donated through AFO will also build two classrooms
in a much needed new school. These photos were taken in
their current school which has 350 children aged between 3
and 15years and most of them are taught in this one room, a
class in each corner.
When Janelle, our AFO volunteer, visited she told us “Of
course when I, a “mzungu” (white person), walked in it was
chaos, especially when I took their photo and joined in with
their singing and dancing. I had a chat with the headmaster
and teachers who are very excited about the new school being
built. I was then taken to see the same sorts of houses as
we will be building and to meet a couple of the caregivers.
Building started on this project on the 1st May 2007 and we
hope to have the homes completed and the school started by
the start of 2008.
The sale of this
fantastic house will enable Aussies for Orphans to continue to
support projects for children around the world. We are currently
assessing new supported accommodation projects in Cambodia and
Vietnam and an additional one in Kenya, a village, home situation
for small children.
