(Aashima Samuel, the National Director of EFIC@R, interviewed by CEDAR)
“In Indian villages, when we and church pastors advocated anti-child trafficking, some Hindi nationalists accused us of, or even attacked us for ‘brainwashing’ villagers to convert them into Christians. In fact, among them, there were traffickers slandering us to extinguish our anti-trafficking voice,” said Aashima Samuel, the National Director of Evangelical Fellowship of India Children At Risk (EFIC@R), CEDAR’s partner.
The relationship between Mary and Jesus is a perfect manifestation of the love between God and men. From Mary’s song, we saw her humble heart before the Father, and out of her humbleness and love for God, she brought up Jesus with love and care. The same love and humble heart are also illustrated in the work of FACT today.
Nomatter, a Zimbabwean girl who was born in a family affected by HIV, described in her letter that the support from CEDAR was like a miraculous motherly love.
CEDAR’s partner in Zimbabwe, FACT (Family AIDS Caring Trust), is serving over 90 children orphaned by HIV in three impoverished communities, providing education sponsorship and psycho-social support, as well as organising Kids Clubs and youth camps for peers support. Nomatter shared, “CEDAR has provided us the best support every child needs. You supported me when I couldn’t support myself. You gave me hope when the future was all bleak and I was in the middle of nowhere.”
[ePrayer – Pray for Children’s ministry in Zimbabwe]
In Zimbabwe, many children suffer from the loss of parents and feel unrooted in their young age. AIDS is severely impacting the country and many children have become orphans after one or both of their parents died from this fatal disease. According to the official figures from UNAIDS, 15% of the overall population is HIV infected. The frontier NGOs even estimated that the actual infected figures probably hit 30%. Among the HIV/AIDS orphans, some live with their grandparents or relatives, some are looked after by their teenage brothers or sisters, and some even are left abandoned so their childhood is absent of love and care.
Many Zimbabwe children feel unrooted because they do not have any identity documents. CEDAR visited a school in Zimebabwe last November and 2/3 of the 350 students there do not have birth certificates. Indeed, this phenomenon is prevalent in the country. Many parents will not let their babies out of their homes because of traditional beliefs. They believe there is ‘Evil Eye’ on the streets and their babies will be in danger once they are exposed to the outside. Thus many children have become unregistered and cannot be promoted to high school education. The HIV/AIDS orphans even feel more helpless because they cannot inherit their parents’ processions without identity documents.
CEDAR’s Partner ‘Trinity’ is committed to the education on the parents about the importance of birth certificates so as to change their rooted traditional beliefs. Yet, with a limited number of government offices in the country, some parents have to take a one-day trip for registration if they live in remote areas. A lot of them are unable to register because they do not have money to travel. Trinity is planning to fund their trips in the near future so more children will be able to enjoy higher education and the other benefits that they are entitled to.
Another CEDAR partner ‘Family AIDS Caring Trust’ (FACT) recently launched a programme called Buddy System. The main idea is to pair up a HIV+ orphan with a buddy who is not HIV infected. FACT encourages mutual support between the buddies, such as the healthy buddy can remind his/her counterpart to take medication on time. FACT hope that with this programme, the HIV infected orphans will feel cared and supported even though they do not have their own families.
An executive of FACT said, ‘I wish that the orphans will feel that they are normal and are no different that the others, that they are loved.’ CEDAR supports the both partners through the ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’ Children Ministry Scheme. ‘And most of all be warm in your love for one another; because in love there is forgiveness for sins without number.’ (1 Peter 4:8). We hope all the kids in Zimbabwe will access to the basic needs and experience God’s love in their lives, that the AIDS orphans will be relieved from the pain of loss and unroot.
Pray for Children’s ministry in Zimbabwe:
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Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
[ePrayer – Pray for the vulnerable children in Gengma, Yunnan]
The Community Services Department (CSD) of Gengma Christian Council and over 10 local churches in Gengma County of Yunnan recently take part in home-visits to orphans and vulnerable children in their communities. The CSD also distributes food subsidies to the children. After 3 years of CEDAR’s intervention, 5 Wa ethnic minority students became the first group in their Wa communities get promoted to secondary school. Many Wa youth marry at a young age such as 15 to 17. The church is organising youth group to develop them to attain their full potential in their education and be mature before marriage.
Pray for the vulnerable children in Gengma, Yunnan:
Other Methods of Payment
Download Donation Form
Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
