Projects
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Children at Risk / Aids Orphans
| Name: | Aids Orphans |
| Project Type: | Children at Risk |
| Country: | Swaziland |
| Current State: | Project completed |
| Project Added: | 2005 |
| Estimated Cost: | £10000 |
| Completed: | 2006 |
Description
 | Just the other day we cleaned out the garage. Picture the scenario: - The car gets evicted due to lack of space, boxes are stacked upon boxes until even the items in the first boxes become unfamiliar. You vaguely remember possessions that once resided in your garage, like bicycles and ladders but they are not presently visible. Every job from finding a screw driver to accessing the lawn mower is a major operation. The decision is made to ease the garage space, and give your displaced car its home back for the winter. |
So with a car full of junk we headed to the dump (or should I say the Civic Amenity). As we drove through the gates and backed the car up to the nearest skip my mind started to think back on how I loved this trip as a child. I loved peering over the side of the skip and seeing all the things thrown out. My eyes would scan for unwanted toys which usually stood out due to their bright enamouring colours. In a desperate bid to add to my collection I would shout, "Look dad, there's that toy I've always wanted!" After he didnt get the first hint I would try again.."I bet it still works." After several unsuccessful diplomatic endeavours I was reminded that the skip was dirty and not safe for children, and that I also had enough toys.
This time I was driving and Dad was in the passenger seat. We opened the boot and started to tip the contents of our car into the skip. As I looked at all the various bits and pieces people had thrown out, it reminded me of some of the second hand shops I saw in Africa. Owino Market in Uganda is one of the largest markets in Africa with an estimated 100,000 shoppers a day. It is full of American and European castoffs that came across the sea in 40-foot containers. The best second hand stuff goes to higher end traders and the rest goes to the poor areas of Uganda. With the average African income being less than a pound a day, buying new goods would not be realistic.
I couldn't help but think this skip, that we were dumping into would be a paradise for many people in Africa. For the average person living in a slum, they could rebuild their ceiling and repair the leaks. They could salvage furniture, electronics, and fridges. The skips would very quickly empty, as most of the things that we have branded useless are resurrected and given a new life. A young girl could find a new doll. It may be discoloured and a have a leg missing, but it would be a luxury when her previous doll was made from wire and dried grass. The little boy would find a remote control racing car. It hadnt worked for years and it rattled from broken mechanics, but compared to the empty box with corks attached it would be a dream come true. 
As I tipped that last box into the skip I remembered the story I heard about a small baby which I met last year called Emmanuel. Emmanuel is one of the cutest and funniest babies I have met in Africa. His smile and giggles however, are far removed from his tragic past. Emmanuel was found in a rubbish tip in Uganda. He was only discovered because a passer-by heard a faint cry and his small malnourished and fragile body was found wrapped in a plastic bag. How did he come to be in a skip? Were his parents alive? Only God knows the answers to these questions.
Emmanuel was taken to a home for street children, where they took care of him, fed him and restored him back to health. After a few weeks of staying at the home, Emmanuel was taken for a check up. After going through the usual tests, he was given some blood tests. It was discovered that not only was Emmanuel parentless but he also has HIV.
Emmanuel is one of the millions of children throughout Africa that has HIV. The virus is passed on from mother to child, and before the child is born they already have a death sentence. Emmanuel will most likely die before he even knows what HIV or AIDS is.
SWAZILAND
| One area in Africa that knows too well about these problems is Swaziland. The Kingdom of Swaziland retains many of its olds customs and is Africa's last traditional kingdom, but it is struggling to keep that title. Around two thirds of Swaziland's population live below the poverty line. Erratic weather conditions, and a diminishing working population means crops are failing and the prices are rising above what the average family can afford. The UN estimates that at least 144,000 persons are in immediate need of food aid. This crisis however is shadowed by the AIDS crisis where by the end of 2004 there were over 300,000 children orphaned (approx 30% of the population), which is staggering for a population smaller than Northern Ireland. |
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The current food shortage unlike previous famines is taking place in the context of a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic. In times of desperation many people see the only way to support themselves and their families to be through selling their bodies. The last traditional Kingdom of Africa is dying quickly and if something isn't done about this AIDS epidemic, the people of Swaziland will become simply a discussion in the National Geographic or a chapter in a history book.
Elim and Teen Challenge are currently working together in Swaziland to alleviate some of the problems faced by these orphans. They aim to develop homes for the children, many of whom have been abandoned and abused. They are also building a 30 acre farm which will not only help provide food for the children but also help cover the on-going costs.
Abaana supported this project by raising £10,000 towards the costs.