News Archive 2008

Orphanages for Africa now has a presence in the U.K. We have received our registration documents as a U.K. company limited by guarantee (No. 6498376) and are in the process of pursuing registration of charitable status. To contact OFA in the U.K. you can email office|a|orphanagesforafrica.org or alternatively you can write to Orphanages for Africa - U.K., P.O. Box 676, Cambridge, CB1 0LU, United Kingdom. Donations by check from the U.K. and Europe should be sent to this address.

Our partner, Orphans for Christ in Africa, is progressing well towards setting up a second program to teach orphans computer skills. The furniture for the new center, based in Tororo, Eastern Uganda, has now been made (photo: right) and the program is expected to start in the near future. OCA has been running a pilot-scale computer skills program in Kampala since 2007.

Our Zambian partners purchased a stock of initial clothing to begin their business of clothing sales (photo: right). OFA has given them a small grant to help start up this project. By God's grace, this month we have also been able to transfer funds for two new microenterprise projects: poultry farming in Kenya (Christian Hope Support Group) (photo: far right) and running a rice mill in Uganda (Pallisa Children's Concern Project).

The Pallisa Children's Concern Project (one of our partners in Uganda) received their first profits from their grist mill business this month. The Project includes a school that provides education for 300 students and an orphanage housing ~260 children. The income generated was used to pay part of the teachers' salaries so the students are able continue their education. This is the first of three mills planned by PCCP - future projects include maize and millet mills.

OFA has provided humanitarian assistance to three of our partners in need of this extra support. While it is our goal for partners to become self-sufficient we recognize that there are times when it is crucial to provide direct assistance. We evaluate requests to provide basic assistance for food, clothing, school fees, books, medical expenses etc. for partners struggling to make ends meet.

This month we also transferred funding to purchase goats and chicks for a micro-enterprise initiative, as well as an orphanage Bible, to one of our partners.

Six students at the Young People of Purpose Tailoring and Dressmaking Institute in Kenya are planning to sit for government trade examinations in December. OFA provided the funds to register these students for their exams. Last year seven students took the exams.

This month we continued to transfer funds to PCCP for their grist mill business. To date we have sent $4,000 to help set up this micro-enterprise business. During July we also received a donation to assist a partner with goat farming and plan to transfer these funds incrementally over time as long as our partner continues to submit the required receipts and reports.

As OFA continues to grow we thought it was time to give our Web site a fresh look. We hope you find our new site interesting and informative – please take some time to browse through the various pages and find out more about what OFA is doing in Africa. Our presence on the web is one of the main ways we communicate our vision and so we aim to keep this site current with news and regular updates. If you have any comments please feel free to email us at web|a|orphanagesforafrica.org.

In other news, Orphanages for Africa is conducting a site visit in Africa this month. Please pray for the safety and good health of our volunteers undertaking these assignments.

Shelter for Orphan Ministries, our partner in Zambia, has launched a new micro-enterprise business this month. The project sells scratch cards to top-up mobile phones. Rev Chiwaya, Director of SOM, demonstrates the business in operation (photo: left).

OFA has been working with SOM to create a suitable micro-enterprise business that will provide income to help support their Street Outreach Program. Shelter for Orphan Ministries currently work with around 60 vulnerable children and young adults, bringing God's love into their lives.

Orphans for Christ in Africa is planning two new projects in Tororo which they hope will commence in early 2009. A new Children's Center will accommodate 50 of the neediest orphans in the town. In addition, they also intend to open a new Nursery and Primary School. This will offer a good education for the orphans as well as other children within the local community - the projected number of children in the school will initially be 120, but our partner's long term vision is to build a much larger educational complex encompassing a secondary school and vocational skills training center. OFA hopes to be able to provide funding for these projects to assist with rent, bedding, utensils, food and other initial supplies.

Following the recently held election in Zambia that saw the re-election of President Banda, of the ruling MMD party, many people reacted with violence, alleging election malpractice and vote-rigging. Riots broke out in Lusaka and Kitwe as people rampaged through the town center, destroying and setting ablaze stands and shops. Tensions were heightened further with the arrest of Catholic priest, Frank Bwalya, who was accused of inciting unrest during a post-election radio broadcast. Popular support for Father Bwalya may result in new demonstrations and the potential for further unrest.

We thank God that Shelter for Orphan Ministries, our partner in Zambia, has not been involved in the violence. However, the unrest has meant that SOM's new mobile top-up business has been put on hold until the situation becomes less volatile. Please pray with us that peace may prevail in Zambia and that the scenes of violence seen earlier this year in Kenya will not be repeated.

As 2008 ends and the New Year begins, please join us as we take this opportunity to hold a special time of prayer for our ministry, the coming year, each of our partners and especially the children they care for. We currently support over 600 orphans and it is our hope and prayer to see the expansion of our ministry in 2009, to the glory of God.

"When you bear much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine." – John 15:8