Across the world a child is orphaned every 14 seconds on average as a result of AIDS. Africa has over 12 million AIDS-related orphan children and half a million of these are in Malawi.

Many pastors, Church members and other folk take children into their homes. This is kind and saves the youngsters from the perils of homelessness, but it does put even greater pressure on families which are already over stretched and finding it difficult to find enough food and finance to survive.

ZM/ZEC is helping by establishing Day Care Centres taking orphans on a daily basis to give them the care which their guardians struggle to provide. They then return to the shelter and protection of the family for each night. This is a very cost effective way of helping these needy children and their families. Very few purpose built buildings are required, much of the food can be grown on the site and volunteers help with the cooking and care wherever possible. In this way members of the community not only help with the work but also more easily identify with the project.

The first and largest ZM/ZEC Day Care Centre is at Ntonda where upwards of 100 children are cared for. The centre is managed by Thomas Ngwira who also oversees a number of other Community Care Projects around ZEC's Ntonda Rural Hospital

Thomas Ngwira with a board showing
some of the programmes under way

The Day Care Centre offers the children -

Children and helpers with toys sent from Scotland

  
Food being grown in the garden and prepared in the kitchen

A song and Bible teaching session to end the day

Families caring for orphans are being given young goats for breeding and milk - they have to build a night shelter for the animal and will be expected to provide a kid for another family in due course.

 For more information about the Ntonda 'Kids for Kids'    Project please click here.