Congo kids living in poverty 28/11/2008 11:42 - (SA)

Brazzaville - Half of Congo-Brazzaville's child population, or about
1.2 million minors, live in poverty with no access to healthcare or
education, the UN Children's Fund said on Thursday.

"Fifty percent of Congolese children, or 1.2 million of them, are
living in poverty and without money, but also without access to
education, nutrition, health, water and adequate housing," said Koen
Vanormelingen, the head of Unicef in Congo.

But Vanormelingen said effective and relatively cheap measures could
narrow this chasm such as free primary education.

Women and children are the most vulnerable groups in the oil producing
country, where most of the 3.6 million inhabitants live on less than a
dollar a day.

In 2007 Unicef called on Brazzaville to set aside 20% of its oil
revenues to improve the living conditions of children.

- AFP

Sourced on 30.11.08 from News24
<http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2433936,00.html>

Meet Gloria

Gloria is one of the most stunning examples I've seen of the way God is using the House of Hope to make a difference. She was uncared for and unwanted by her relatives. When my friend went to pick her up at her house he said she was sitting in a corner wearing a plastic bag. She didn't even cry when he took her.

When I first met Gloria a year ago she'd been at the orphanage 3 months. She was sullen and didn't interact with me or play with the other children. Though she was probably near 2 years old, she still crawled and didn't speak. A few months later I noticed she was making progress because she would cry when I left or when she didn't get the toy she wanted.

Today Gloria is truly glorious to behold. She smiles and plays all the time. She's even talking now. I don't know how the few workers at the orphanage do it because you'd think an abused child like that would need a ton of individual attention to make such a recovery. But just as there's always somehow something to eat, the love and attention too is enough to go around. And God is the big factor that makes up for everything they lack.

Current & Future House Locations

House of Hope Orphanage (current site)

House of Hope - New Home (future site)

More photos

Hi everyone! There are more photos of the children available on Facebook.

Whatever it takes...

As a friend of HOH, I always get involved somehow, just like that time where I distributed donation packages from the US. It included toys, hygiene consumables, clothes, shoes, bed sheets... etc
A week later i received a thank you note and an email from a friend of HOH too. She is a bit more involved and that email just showed me in reality the meaning of where there's a will there's a way. I could not not publish the email and i ask you to comment on it for inspiration,

Sincerely,
Gbrain

" Hi!

Just wanted to tell you guys a cool story about the sheets that were given to the orphanage.

Espé said they had a real problem this school year with the uniforms. The schools were really strict and didn’t let anyone come without a uniform. Well, the uniforms are khaki and blue, and some of the sheets that were sent were khaki…you can imagine what happened!

He said they were able to make really nice uniforms for the kids! Thought you’d enjoy that,

XXXX "

A House of Hope is born

The various wars Congo suffered from 1993 to 1998, caused material damage, homelessness, misery, poverty, hunger and death, and put on the streets orphans, needy people and young mothers, as well as the elderly.

Before this horrible spectacle, which was painful and hard to bear, Sister Dorcas, a servant of God with a humble and sensitive heart, was touched by God’s grace and made the decision with her meager means to come to the rescue of these unhappy, abandoned people who had no one to help them. It was in this context of piercing misery and social instability that “Sister Dorcas’ House of Hope” would be created to help orphans, vulnerable children and needy people.

(Written by Pastor Youssouf, volunteer at House of Hope Orphanage, translated from French)

House of Hope Orphanage needs your help

This blog has been created for the purpose of sharing with those who care about a great need in Congo-Brazzaville. The orphanage “Sister Dorcas’ House of Hope” (Maison Espérance Soeur Dorcas) is in a time of crisis. The property they’ve been renting has been sold and they must be out of the house by the first week of February 2009. Astonishingly a new property that corresponds to their needs has already been located, but they need funds to purchase it and they need it fast.

Promoting this fundraising project gives a great opportunity to share some wonderful testimonies about what God is doing in Congo through a little place called House of Hope. If you like what you see, please consider giving to this worthy cause.