Operation Orphan Rescue Annual Christmas Outreach 2011
By Blake Fite – Director of Partnerships, Change a Life Foundation
On behalf of the staff and our partners across the world we would like to thank you for your financial giving and for volunteering to go over to our Operation Orphan Rescue Villages throughout Africa andHaiti.
As Americans this time of year we have historically enjoyed very festive parties, gift exchanges, and bountiful food. For my family we traditionally migrate north fifteen hours up toGrand Rapids,MIwhere we enjoy the best food and fellowship man has to offer. It truly is a magical time filled with grand parents, uncles, dads, moms, and cousins.
In America we think of Christmas as involving snow, church, and family.
The World in Crisis
Unfortunately for the children we serve in our Operation Orphan Rescue Villages across the world their Christmas will be much different.
The number of People, many of which are children, living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to nearly 40 million today, and is still growing. Around 63% of people living with HIV world wide are in sub-Saharan Africa.
The New Pandemic
Because of economic collapse and disease in Sub Sahara Africa today there are more than 42 million orphans. The plight of the orphan has become the new pandemic. Instead of pumpkin pie they are sleeping on concrete, instead of
Their greatest spiritual tragedy is that as orphans they have a vanished identity
time with parents, grandparents, and cousins they are left with having no sense of family outside of their local village.
Your Gifts This Christmas Will Help a Child with Clean Water or a Roof Over Their Head
As always this Christmas season as you gather around the Christmas tree please say a prayer for the children we all collectively serve in our Operation Orphan Rescue Villages across the world. Right now today we have one village nearing completion and three others are being developed in Ghana, Zimbabwe and Haiti.
In order to complete each Operation Orphan Rescue Village we still need our partners to sponsor specific projects to make each Village a reality. Items such as Deep Water Well Management Systems, Multi Functional Gathering Places (that serve as both the church, medical outreach and training), animals and agricultural supplies just to name a few examples of what is needed at each village we serve.
