As a result of a rising population, extreme poverty and an HIV pandemic, the shocking statistic is there are over two million babies currently orphaned in Uganda. There are babies every day and every week, abandoned in toilets, in bus stations or at the roadside, and they’re left to die.
In the Ugandan capital, Kampala, all the existing babies’ homes are nearly 50% over capacity. The very youngest of Uganda are part of a system that’s failing them at every turn, creating a heartbreaking tragedy of immense proportions.
ChildsiFoundation is a UK charity run by an inspirational woman, Lucy Buck, that’s aiming to stem this tide of abandonment. Her aim is to build a new orphanage in Kampala able to work with other local organizations, to help abandoned babies, and to provide a way of rebuilding the family units they so desperately need to survive.
ChildsiFoundation is using the internet to build a tribe, a community of people internationally, to create the orphanage and generate a powerful groundswell for change.
As Lucy puts it, ‘Our aim is to create a connection between orphans in need of a home with people who are willing and able to help them. We want people to support our charity because they feel a connection with the children and the web is the perfect tool to create that connection. We are going to build a babies’ home in Uganda together, providing a safe haven, medical care and educational facilities for young children before placing them into secure and happy families. The success of this project relies entirely on an online community’.
It doesn’t take a special person, you don’t have to be brave or crazy, or have endless time or countless cash. As long as you care, you make a difference to ChildsiFoundation, and time, money and love, they all help. Only £200,000 is needed, that’s 200,000 people donating a £1 each. The more the word spreads, the more chances ChildsiFoundation and these babies have to survive.
If you believe that children are our future, then there’s a lot of little things that you can do to help build a brighter horizon for them this way.
Spread the word about ChildsiFoundation on twitter or on facebook. Just donating your time and love like this will make a big difference.
Buy a brick for the orphanage, or get involved in one of ChildsiFoundation’s many fundraising campaigns. There are fun things to do like Speed Dating Meetups and recycling clothes via ChildsiFoundations’ Undressing for Uganda campaigns.
Make a one-off or monthly donation through the website.
