The number of children in the world that have lost their mother or father, are parentless, or have been abandoned, now exceeds 143 million.
In the past hour . . .
- 1,625 children were forced to live on the streets by the death or abuse of an adult
- 1,667 children under the age of five died from malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases
- 115 children became prostitutes
- 66 children under 15 years of age were infected with HIV
- 257 children were orphaned because of HIV / AIDS
Most children are under the age of 15 and are . . .
- Sleeping on concrete beds and rancid garbage piles every night in streets, sewers and dumps
- Scavenging amongst human waste and excreta for rotting morsels and scraps to eat
- Huffing glue and other substances in order to numb the cold, hunger, pain and shame
- Prostituting themselves for basic food and shelter
- Trafficked and sold into sexual bondage, even at 5 years old or younger
- Abused and brutalized by sexual predators, local gangs, corrupt police officers, and slum lords
- Victimized by HIV / AIDS infected men who believe that sleeping with young virgins can cure the disease
- Recruited into lives of thievery, smuggling and drug dealing
- Abducted to serve as child soldiers or sex slaves of soldiers
- Exploited as child laborers or slaves in sweatshops
- Executed by local businessmen and officials who view them as dirty pests interfering with trade and commerce
- Sacrificed in occult / witchcraft rituals
- Robbed of childhoods, self-esteem and innocence
- Robbed of hope
Today 45,000 children will become orphans (statistics from www.worldorphans.com)
According to UNICEF, children in Uganda who have lost both parents exceeds 2.3 million, of which one million is due to HIV/AIDS (43%). Uganda, with a population of 31 million, has an estimated one million people infected with HIV/AIDS.
51% of Uganda’s population is children under the age of 15 years. Less than 25% of children who complete primary school go on to enroll in secondary school, and there’s a registered 59% record of early marriages in Ugandan rural areas among girls.
Malaria still remains the number one killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa and claims 320 people everyday in Uganda alone, especially children. Uganda has been a victim of a 23 year-long civil war in the northern region where a resistance army abducted children as child soldiers. Many children have been displaced and families separated. So many lives were lost resulting in the aftermath of war, poverty, despair, and many orphaned children.
The truth from God’s Word
“I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” John 14:18
“Whoever receives a child like this in my name, receives me.” Matthew 18:5
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8
“Whatsoever you do unto the least of these my brethren, you do it unto me.” Matthew 25:40
Please join us in our mission to bring hope to these hopeless children!