Orphans

Being an orphan is hard, but being an orphan in Africa is even harder. Many of the African children suffer from hunger and certain diseases, but being an orphan on top of it is even more difficult because they have no one to call as mother or father. The stories of the lives of these children are truly devastating.

“I went to visit an orphan boy in the village (Otto). He was sitting with several boys by a small fire, which was almost extinguished. It was very cold. I knew he had been troubled by nightmares. He suffers a lot because he is an orphan, and his closest brother was killed by another man. His parents died in a car accident and he suffers a lot because of it. He constantly recalls all the memories of the past. I just couldn’t cope and started to cry deep inside when I looked into his eyes and saw so much pain and deep sorrow… I couldn’t believe how much he has been suffering …”- the testimony of a volunteer.

But it is not just about Otto. Every single orphan carries the burden of the past and relives it in his memories. The other cases we have encountered are just as painful, especially the ones that have been orphaned by one parent and abandoned by the other one. The children know that their parents have rebuilt their lives elsewhere, with another family, and they have been simply left behind.

In spite of all this, it is very impressive how some people in the village receive such children in their household and take care of them. They share the few things they have so that the children would not be left to starvation.

KNH’s orphan project offers social and humanitarian aid, but it is also a door for evangelism. In the village of Restcamp orphaned children are called weekly to receive a package of food. The basic package contains non-perishable foods, but, depending on the available donations we are grateful to be able to offer many times more than that. The children are very happy when, in addition to pasta and oil, they also find candy in the package. It is such a joyful moment for the volunteers to be able to spend time with these children by singing, praying and listening to a Bible story before they receive the food packages.

This project is not a simple project, it is done in obedience to the God’s Word: “This is the pure and undefiled religion before God the Father: let us search out the fatherless and widows in their affliction (…)” – James 1:27