Orphaned But Not Alone

 

Simon is 12 years old. He and his three younger brothers live in a small village in southern Africa.

Simon wakes early each morning and goes to the community well to get four buckets of water for the family for the day. He then starts a small cooking fire and begins to make breakfast for his siblings. Simon is the sole caregiver for his brothers.

They are AIDS orphans, four of the more than 15 million AIDS orphans worldwide, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa.

The boys do not know much about farming but must grow enough food to eat. They do not know how to mend the roof, but they must do that too. They do not have enough money to pay tuition or buy school uniforms or books. But they want to learn.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) brings hope to Simon and thousands of other AIDS orphans. LWF provides meal packs, school uniforms, books, a goat or chickens, as well as training them in how to farm their small plots of land.

Each year the ELCA provides about $7 million to the LWF through both mission support and World Hunger dollars. Your gifts support the work of the LWF in countless ways. You bring hope!