Orphan-Care Ministries

According to the U.N., there are now nearly 50 million orphans in Africa – most of whom became orphans when their parents died of AIDS. Nearly one in five adults in Zambia have HIV-AIDS and most of those who contract this deadly disease do not live more than five years after having become infected. Not only is this having a disastrous impact upon the economies of these African nations, but it is also seriously undermining the future development of Africa as it is rare that orphan children are able to continue their education once becoming orphaned. In fact, most orphans are distributed among their relatives (often grandmothers) who frequently treat them harshly like slaves. And, many young girls are even rented out or sold into prostitution.

Without question this has become one of the most important works of the church in Africa, just as it was for the first-century church. As James wrote, “True religion….is to care for widows and orphans…” (James 1:27). Or as Jesus told his disciples, “By your love men will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). History clearly testifies to the fact that one of the most important ministries of the early church was the ministry of caring for orphans and widows.

We at Daybreak believe that the church has a clear mandate from the Lord to care for widows and orphans and, hence, teaching and training our students to do this work is a central component of our program at MBC. Our students are taught to plant churches that develop different kinds of ministries to care for the needs of widows and orphans in their communities in keeping with the examine that Jesus gave us (Mt 4:23-25; Mt 9:35; Mt 10, Lk 10, etc). But, not only do we teach our students to do this, but we also are endeavoring to model this behavior at Daybreak. Thus, we have established a ministry designed to respond to this need.

Orphan-Care Ministry: Kerin's Kids.

Mission Statement: To provide temporary assistance to abandoned and critically-ill children and to work with the families of those children to empower them so that they might ssume responsibility for providing long-term, adequate care for these abandoned and neglected children.

Ministries of Kerin's Kids:

• Baby Formula for HIV-AIDs mothers. One of the four ways that HIV is transmitted is through reastfeeding by mothers with HIV-AIDS. In an effort to save these infants, Kerin’s Kids provides baby formula as an alternative. Because this formula is imported from South Africa, the cost is generally too expensive for post HIV-AIDS mothers to buy for their children cost: $45 per month). Unfortuantely, there are no other alternatives at this point. Most tribes in Zambia have taboos about drinking goats milk and very few families can afford to buy and feed a milk cow.

• HIV-AIDS testing. With 20% of the Zambian population infected with the HIV-virus, it is very important that parents be tested frequently for the virus so that steps can be taken to secure HIV-AIDs medications to extend life. Testing of children and newborns is also extremely important as early treatment of newborns can reduce the chances of HIV being passed on from the mother through childbirth.

• Temporary In-House Care. In some cases the extended family of an orphan is totally unable to provide care for some orphans. This is especially true when the extended family has already been ravaged by HIV-AIDS and there is no one left to care for another orphan. In many cases only the grandparents or an elderly uncle remains alive. In many other cases, the orphaned infant has become seriously ill and the family finds itself unable to provide adequate care. In these cases, Kerin's Kids provides temporarily housing for these orphans in the "Baby House." Once these children have been nursed back to health and/or weaned from baby formula, the children a placed back with the family. We do not provide long-term care for orphans as we believe children should be raised in a family and not in an orphanage. Hence, our goal is to work with the families of orphans in order to solve whatever problems hinder them from raising the child in their home. In other words, our goal is to empower families to care for their own orphans rathan than building orphanages to care for their children (which is very expensive care).

• Care for Special Needs Babies. One of the primary reasons as to why some infants are abandoned or killed is due to their having certain medical conditions that are beyond the families’ ability to care for or handle. In an effort to save these babies, Kerin’s Kids assists the families in a variety of ways to determine that the best plan of action is for the baby’s rehabilitation. This can include treatment for malnutrition, assessment for hearing impaired, sight impaired, physical or mental impairment.

How Can You Help?

• Donate monthly to support an Orphan in the "Baby House." Providing in-house care for infants (many who are sick and need medical care) is more expensive than any other orphan care program. It costs about $75 per month to provide this care. If you are willing to make a one to two year commitment to this ministry, you will be undoubtedly be saving a life of a baby since most all of these babies would die without the care provided by this in-house care. Send your donations to the address below; make the check payable to "Zambia Missions" and write "In-House care" in the memo line.

• Donate to buy baby formula. As mentioned above, there are many families and HIV-mothers who can care for their orphaned babies but are unable to buy the baby formula that costs $45 per month. If you would like to empower an extended family to keep an orphan in their home or help an HIV-mother from passing the virus to her baby through breast-feeding, then please send your donations to the address below. Make your checks payable to "Zambia Missions" and write "Baby formula" in the memo line.

Donate by Check (write "Kerin's Kids" in the memo line):
Zambia Missions
1910 Sycamore View Rd
Bartlett, TN 38134   

[See pictures below of Kerin's Kids]

For additional information on Kerin's Kids, click here.

Pictures of some of the orphans in Kerin's Kids

Susanne (left) was put in the grave to be buried with her mother who died in childbirth because her family had no way to care for her. Her uncle rescued her from the grave. Eventually Kerin got Susanne and has now adopted her.

Zainne (middle) was left on the Railroad tracks. Some children found him (before the train came) and took him to Namwanga (who asked Kerin to take the child). Kerin was told he wasn't expected to live. He was infected with syphilis and had the HIV-antibiotics. Kerin, however, was able to nurse him back to health. Kerin has also now adopted Zainne as well.

Emily (right) has HIV which she got from her mother in childbirth. Her mother was very sick and unable to care for or feed Emily for three-years. Emily has now returned to her family, although she still comes to visit from time to time.

The Twins: Jackson (left) and Jason (right). Just a week after being born, their father came home and attacked (killed) their mother with an axe. Their grandfather found them soon after covered in the blood of their dead mother.

Unfortunately, Jackson died only two months after the picture above was taken.

The grandfather asked Kerin (at the funeral) if the twins every cried at the same time. When Kerin told them they had, the grandfather said it was because they were hearing their dead mother cry for she is lonely without them. He said that the twins decided together that Jackson should go to be with her so that she would no longer be lonely.

To see more pictures, go to Kerin's Facebook page and submit a friend request. Search: Kerin Mashekwa