Zambia (MNN) — Roughly
75-percent of Zambian households are caring for at least one orphan due to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to the
United Nations, one in every six adults in Zambia is living with HIV, and life
expectancy at birth has fallen below 40 years.
About
70 percent of the population earns less than US$1 per day, so families,
communities and schools have a hard time meeting the expenses of caring for
children.
The situation is aggravated by
drought which leads to famine.
Starvation makes both the children and their mothers more vulnerable to
disease especially HIV/AIDS related illness.
Many of the heads of the
households, children themselves, face a grim future without help. That's why Orphan Sunday is recognized on the
first Sunday of October.
An internationally-recognized
day, Orphan Sunday's uniqueness is that it encourages believers not only to focus on the biblical call to "look after" the widows and orphans in their distress, but also to raise money to
provide the support they need.
Every Orphan's Hope works with
churches in Zambia to encourage, equip, and mobilize the church so that they
can reach every orphan with the Gospel.
Their mission is to help
committed Christians share the promise of Christ with children who have been
orphaned by HIV/AIDS, as well as sharing
this same message with their communities, and then, to the nation.
