Giving hope to orphans and vulnerable children

A recently orphaned child-headed household in Kabulala, Tanzania. Photo: Tammi Mott/CWS

Church World Service is working to support the self-empowerment of more than 30,000 orphans in child-headed households in five countries of East Africa -- Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique. Dubbed "Giving Hope," this is one part of CWS's Africa Initiative and is made possible with support from the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, of St. Marys, Georgia.

Through the program, young people orphaned by HIV/AIDS or the genocide in their country are growing food, making items to sell, or starting small businesses. The focus on empowerment, as opposed to repeated material distributions and unsustainable long-term care, has become the hallmark of the "Giving Hope" effort.

With HIV/AIDS at pandemic proportions in sub-Saharan Africa, Giving Hope has as one of its three-year goals the reduction of HIV transmissions among 30,000 youth. The methodology: support for special youth-led HIV prevention and education initiatives targeting their peers.

Support for this important program can make a world of difference. For example, ranging from $150 in Rwanda to $300 per student in Tanzania, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) can be assisted with partial tuition for secondary school or university. For an average of $15, OVC households can receive subsistence agricultural support, including training, hoes, and seeds. And, $95 will help a youth gain income skills in fields as diverse as carpentry, barbering, welding, sewing, and hotel trades.

Download the Giving Hope Guidebook: Facilitating Youth Caregiver Solidarity and Empowerment -- An Animator's Guidebook

To add your support to this life-changing ministry of hope, please make a gift today.

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