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SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of children across the world are orphans, having lost their parents to HIV and AIDS. A group of women here in Utah send aid that helps the director of the orphanage in Zambia make a real difference.
In Zambia, more than 1 million children roam the streets desperate for food, vulnerable to disease and abuse.
"Somebody came up to me the other day and said, ‘There is so much suffering.' And I said, ‘Yes there is, yes there is. But the truth is one person can make a difference,'" said Kathy Headlee Miner, founder of the international organization Mothers Without Borders.
- More than 36 million children under 15 are orphaned in Sub-Saharan Africa today.
- Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned as a result of AIDS.
- It is feared that there may be more than 80 million orphans in India and Asia.
Miner, who now lives in Utah, worked with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) throughout the world beginning in the late ‘90s. Her heart, she says, was touched by the orphans. She then founded Mothers Without Borders nearly 11 years ago.
"It became really clear, because of poverty and the HIV pandemic, that children were going to be hardest hit in countries where the disease was most prevalent, and so we really began to focus our efforts in Africa," Miner said.
Josephine Dake directs the facility in Zambia, which now houses, feeds, educates and finds medical care for 35 children. She has the difficult task of choosing which orphans they help.
"I have really learned a lot from Mothers Without Borders," Dake said. "I have gone around and found the small, small things that you do for a person does make (more of) a difference than not having done anything at all.">
To address the needs of orphaned and abandoned children throughout the world.Mission:
To support programs that ensure that orphaned and vulnerable children are provided with safe shelter, nutritious food, clean water, education, vocational training, opportunities to contribute to their community and access to caring adults.
The United Nations Report on Orphans and Vulnerable Children says there are now 147 million orphans around the world, and more than 6,100 children lose a parent to AIDS every day.
Alice is one of those children. She was 5 years old when she arrived at the Zambia orphanage, but she looked and acted more like she was 18 months old.
"The volunteers have been coming since we had her," Dake said. "They've given her love, they've given her clothing that she didn't have, made it possible to access medication — because the volunteers that come down to Zambia, some of them are doctors."
"Really, the doctors who referred her to us thought it was end-stage. They said, ‘Can you take her into your place and keep her until she passes?' And (now) she's doing great," Miner said.
Alice, they say, is not the only one. Mothers Without Borders asks the question: which child is not mine? These women believe saving a child will eventually save a nation.
One of the greatest successes from Mothers Without Borders is the sale of handcrafted items. The women in Zambia make the items that are later sold at a charity boutique in Utah. The money returns to Zambia to help the orphans.
The 6th annual Charity Fundraising Event is planned Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 279 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City. CLICK HERE for more information.
Email: cmikita@ksl.com
