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The HIV/AIDS crisis in Kenya has managed to
wipe out a great deal of the population, causing many of the children to
be with one parent or with none. As the church's mandate in
accordance with James 1:27 "... that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their
distress..." the Coptic Church has taken the responsibility of
supporting orphans.
The Orphans Project was launched in the year
2000. Initially, the Coptic Church built an orphanage in the St.
Mina Monastery in Maseno, where they provided the children with housing
and care. After a one year trial period, the Coptic Church
recognized that it was problematic to isolate the children from their
culture. Therefore, the decision was made to adopt a different
structure for the project, which allowed the orphans to grow up within
the context of their own culture and community.
The is the
structure that was implemented and is still in effect until today:
Firstly,
the Coptic Church finds a suitable family that is willing to accommodate
an orphan, preferably relatives of the family. They receive help
from the Coptic Church, namely in the form of basic provisions like food
and clothing. At the start of each month, servants from the Coptic
Church deliver a package of essential groceries right to family's
doorstep. The orphan also receives clothing every few months.
Around Christmas and Easter, we give each orphan in the program a large
gift, such as a mattress or a blanket. Their faces light up when
they receive such wonderful gifts. Some of the orphans, like Loice,
sleep on the ground. When she received her Easter gift she was so
happy she cried. We can reach out to each orphan physically and
spiritually with the love of Christ.
Secondly,
the Coptic Church also pays the education expenses of the orphans whose
accommodating families cannot afford to pay for them. There is
nothing more heart-breaking than to see a child's future go to waste
because the family is not able or not willing to pay the school fees for
the orphan. This is especially more true when the orphan reaches
the secondary level as it becomes increasingly expensive and very
difficult to afford. Omondi is sixteen years old and he is just
completing standard 7, which is equivalent to grade 7 in the American
system. He is very excited that he has the opportunity to make it
to secondary school; it is giving him a hope for the future and he can
have a life different from his deceased parents.
Thirdly,
the monastery has recently opened a medical clinic for the public.
As part of the Orphans Project support, the Coptic Church has decided to
grant health care to all the orphans free of charge. This means
free medical consultation, check-ups, and even free medication.
Sadly, many of our orphans have been abused in the past, so it is
essential that there is medical care and counseling available to them.
This is another loving way of providing special care to the orphans.
Finally,
as far as spiritual care is concerned, the Coptic Church holds a monthly
spiritual day for each group of orphans in their own area. They
come to play, do arts and crafts, and learn bible and saint stories.
In essence, it provides an environment of love where we can build up the
orphans' confidence, and give extra attention to those who are in need
of it. During one of our spiritual days, John, one of our orphans
from Alego, told us that he was so happy to hear about Jesus, his
Heavenly Father. John's father died of AIDS and his mother abuses
him, but now he has his hope in Christ.
Thanks to
the grace of God, this project has truly touched the lives of many
orphans, and continues to be a ray of hope for many abandoned children.
Today, the Coptic Church is involved in the lives of 120 orphans.
It continues to expand as far as funding is available. Many more
orphans are in need and waiting for support. May the Lord bless
the project and continue to provide for His beloved children.
You
may find detailed information about these services at the website
http://www.copticmission.org
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