Bonner Querschnitte 15/2009 Ausgabe 99 (eng)

(Bonn, May 8, 2009) When in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, the power is off again for several days due to the country’s insufficient electric power supply, the co-workers in the House of Moses do not have to fear for the life of their protégées. Since August 2008, they can rely on a power efficient diesel fueled generator that makes this baby care center, unique in all of Africa, independent of the very limited energy allotment of the ZESCO power plant in Zambia.

The acquisition of the machine was made possible through the relief organization Giving Hands in Bonn which has been supporting this project in Zambia since 2005 with regular and extraordinary gifts. The work is carried out by the Christian Alliance for Children in Zambia (CACZ) which celebrated its tenth anniversary in June 2008.

There are many homes for orphaned boys and girls in Africa. However, the House of Moses is unique since it provides round-the-clock nursing care for up to forty premature or seriously sick babies. The parents of these babies either died already of AIDS or, because of their poor life condition, are unable to care for their children. Zambia is the country with the highest rate of HIV infected people and counts among the poorest countries in the world.

Many babies are being abandoned and then brought to the House of Moses by the police. Some of them hardly weigh two kilos and are so weak that they have to be force-fed and put into intensive care. In case they develop well the children stay up to the age of 18 months and then go into the House of Martha or the home for traumatized and abused children, the Bill and Bette Bryant Crisis Nursery. Both of these homes are also supported by the CACZ and funded by Giving Hand. The children stay in these homes until one has found a loving adoptive family for them. The reintegration into a sound family is and remains the main goal of these homes. Currently in the House of Moses over thirty co-workers care day and night for 38 babies. The house enjoys international recognition from the United Nations and UNICEF.

Because of the high mortality rate through Aids among adults, more and more children in Zambia stay behind as orphans. For that reason, all three houses of the CACZ operate over capacity. Presently 45 boys and girls live in the House of Martha designed for only 25 children. In September 2008 an annex was built and inaugurated but these quarters are already used to capacity. Space for an extension is available but first the necessary finances have to be found.

In addition to the work in the Baby and children’s homes, Giving Hands also supports the other projects of the CACZ. It provides for twelve Christian schools and also a feeding program for families and students where all students receive daily nourishing porridge and needy families a 50 pound bag of cornmeal each month. Moreover, poor parents or relatives that care for an orphaned baby receive monthly the necessary special nutrition, groceries and medication. Every month children are weighed and examined.

All supporters of Giving Hands know that their donations support a good cause in because they facilitate the survival of children in Zambia.

Downloads:

• Pic1: One of the babies in the House of Moses still very weak
• Pic2: The new generator is installed. The multicolored imprints of the hands shall point to the Giving Hands that financed its purchase.
• Pic3: A group photo on the occasion of the leave-taking of a co-worker in the House of Moses, naturally with the biggest kids.
• Pic4: “feeding time”
• Pic5: After the unloading of the container of baby food shipped by Giving Hands to Zambia, Horst-Jürgen Kreie, the business manager of Giving Hands, checks the condition of the relief packets on location.