Saturday, March 17, 2007

HIV/AIDS Orphans - You can Help

Bringing Hope to Orphans in Africa

Malawi Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship Program

Want to make a world of difference in an orphan’s life? Word & Deed North America has launched an urgently needed basic form of the child sponsorship program in Malawi to assist 5,500 orphans in a country where there are an estimated one million orphans, mostly due to HIV/AIDs. Word & Deed partners use home-based orphan care in which orphans are placed with Christian caregiver families rather than in orphanages. For $35 (CDN) or $30 (US) per month, you can sponsor five orphans and bring hope into their lives. Children now also have an opportunity to sponsor an orphan for $7 (CDN) or $6 (US) per month and be made aware of the needs of their peers in Malawi at an early age. You and/or your child will receive a group picture of all the orphans at one of the centers and a yearly update on the progress of the center. In order to keep overhead to a minimum, we ask all sponsors to use Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Children without bank accounts can donate via their parents.

What the orphans receive from the center through sponsorship:

1) Minimum of three nutritious meals per week

2) Minimum of three afternoons of Bible-based teaching to supplement what they learn at government run schools

3) Primary level medical care

4) Fertilizer, seed and occasionally corn are given to the caregiver family

5) Some clothing and/or a blanket

6) Basic school supplies

7) Limited funding for Secondary Education


How does this program differ from the regular child sponsorship program and why is it so much cheaper?

The regular child sponsorship program includes a Christian education at a Christian school, full school uniforms and is personalized to a single child rather than a group of children. The regular program (Colombia) also includes funding for a full secondary education.


Who oversees the sponsorship projects?

The orphan care projects in Malawi are under the supervision of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP). Each orphan care project consists of one or more orphan centers which are overseen by a committee consisting of, among others, a pastor, an elder and a deacon from the local CCAP church or church plant. Word & Deed has a Westminster West (Escondido) graduate, native to Malawi, who oversees the projects. We require regular reports from each orphan project and we make at least one annual visit to review the work being done there.

To sponsor a group of orphans call Toll Free in Canada 877.375.9673 or U.S.A. 866.391.5728.

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