Stories

My name is... no... never mind. My name isn't important. My age! I think I'm... I'm... not quite sure. But that isn't important either. My Father....? I didn't know him. My mother... she died when I was six. They told me she was a woman of the streets! Her family disowned her. I have no family. My home? My home is very big. It has many rooms, but they all close at night. I sleep in the hall... The hall is massive.

Life in Africa is a struggle for anyone, but the life of a child is even harder. Imagine growing up in a world where you lack the very basics in life; food, clean water, medicine, shelter, safety, a bed of your own. Beyond that there are no toys, no dolls, no soccer balls, no sweets and treats, and at best a bed of reeds to sleep on. School would be wonderful to attend. The path out of poverty. But there is no money for school fees so you stay home and wait for a miracle. For most there is none. Life is simply survival and staying alive.

Annet held in her arms a three-month-old baby boy. She didn't have any manuals telling her how to be a mother. She didn't have a video or TV shows, giving advice of how to best bring up her child. Annet, however, was just excited that she was a mother and she was going to do her best. The baby, however, was sick. Her baby had diarrhoea.

If you woke this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

We who live in the West for the most part have no idea, what it means to be without. To have food just for today if we are lucky. In many countries of Africa people only eat one meal a day, if that. Getting that food, finding money for it, if one lives in the city is another story.

A friend called Jon wrote this peace. Please take time to visit his web page! It is Great. "Out of Africa - Too - One Man's Journey"

Mary was six years old. She came from a slum in Kenya, but she was a lucky one. She was chosen to be looked after. She was chosen to be given an education. She was chosen to have a future. She wasn't chosen because of her smile or because she was better than the others, or needed help more. She was chosen simply because there was too many children to take them all.

How did Abaana Start? Well it was birthed in 1997 when an 18 year old went to Africa and experienced for the first time things that would change his life. He would never be the same again, and he would be determined to help those that he could - The people most in need in Africa - The children...