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A Haven for Kids in Child-Headed Families |
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November, 2009 - It is just one of the grim realities of the AIDS era – parents die and leave kids behind. If there is no extended family and if no good-hearted soul comes along to take care of them, they have no choice but to take care of themselves. In most cases, everyone in the family works to survive - hauling water, breaking rocks, tilling the soil, herding goats... and there is no time for school. Hard labor may yiel d one meal a day.
For a fortunate few and thanks to generous sponsors from America, 11 kids in primary school and 8 kids in secondary school have found their way into the Juna Amagara program. They go to school. They get one hot meal a day. They inspire their brothers and sisters. They have hope for the future. These are the most at-risk children in the district – and they are also the best students, for they know, if they can get a good education, they can provide for their brothers and sisters. Rick Stearns, the President of World Vision has stated, “The words ‘child-headed families’ should never appear together,” yet they do. And Juna Amagara is saving them, one child and one day at a time. For one child's story, read "What Shall We Do with Rachel Cinderella?"
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