Meet my adorable nephew, Usher. It is said that in Sub Saharan Africa, almost 1000 babies born each day are HIV+ and may never live to see their 5th birthday simply because they have unnecessarily been infected through their mothers. This figure is still very high and should be halted. With the strides achieved in medicine, it is possible to have 0 babies born HIV+; Yes, it is possible to have an HIV+ free generation if efforts are upped in the fight against mother to child transmission. I call upon everyone to join the fight. MTCT can be stopped; What are you doing to STOP this?! Today is World AIDS Day, and the local church in Southern Africa is very much in the front line in fighting the scourge. Just yesterday I was talking with a pastor friend about the difficulties the local church is facing with the numbers of orphans that are growing. He was just narrating to me about a dearth of a father/husband that had occurred in his local church and the terrible misery the family has just been befallen. It's these and many more related stories that keep the local church at the helm of the social problems in this part of the world.
Forgotten Voices International has been one of the many NGOs that are making a difference in the ministry of local churches in Southern Africa. The local pastor, often times silently besieged with a lot of such suffering, has been given a lifeline, through the local church's ministry, to be a channel of hope for the future in the lives of the many orphans that come to his church door steps Sunday after Sunday. The fact that their education can continue, has given them much needed knowledge to manage the affairs of their lives with informed decision making; the fact that they are receiving food supplements, has given them strength to walk back to school and also manage to take their medication were necessary; the fact that they have been given seed and fertilizer, has given them household food security for most months of the year, bringing back family dignity and pride. This is the fight, and it continues...!
I appeal to everyone to respond to this fight by donating to the ministry of Forgotten Voices in Southern Africa. Your help translates into tangible and practical results. I believe nothing fills God's heart (and mine too!) with joy, than seeing children up and running because of what you are doing in their lives. Christ once said, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" John 14:18. Let's make a difference in these children's lives!!
Your fellow servant in God's ministry,
Remmy Hamapande
Program Director - Zambia
Program Director - Zambia
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2 comments:
Remmy thanks for sharing this post, and for all you and Forgotten Voices are doing to help these poor children.
Usher is quite the handsome baby! Looking at the faces of the children in our own families really puts the reality of overwhelming AIDS statistics in perspective. I'm grateful for your beautiful nephew and grateful for the work you do for Forgotten Voices.
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