How to Help

Everyone has the ability to help Africa's orphans. Below are suggestions on different ways one may help. It does not matter how small your donation or assistance is, every little bit helps. For instance, when I was preparing for my last trip to South Africa and Kenya there was a wonderful woman here in the US who sent me clipped coupons every few weeks for various medications. I simply did not have the time to look for coupons, but when I got financial donations and took my own money to go and buy medications the coupons were a huge help. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. :)

• Collecting and Sending donations: most of the children's homes and groups working with AIDS orphans are always in need of financial and in-kind donations. Remember when shipping physical donations the heavier the donations the more expensive the shipping costs will be. In many cases if you send financial donations to the Children's homes they can purchase the same or similar physical donations for less cost in country and that saves on shipping costs. This is more the case in South Africa then in Kenya. In Kenya medication is hard to come by, as are some educational supplies.  For more information on how to send financial and in-kind donations to children's homes in Africa check out our Organizations page.  So many of the homes we visited hear talk of the funds that will be coming but too little of it ever trickles down to help them and the children they are caring for. This is why direct donations to children's homes are so important. I know everyone has seen the many commercials begging for a monthly sponsorship to foster a child in need. Most of these groups do wonderful work. However, I hear from people all the time who say they don't feel comfortable sending money to these organizations because they do not know how much of the money is actually getting to the organizations in need and if the money is being used properly. I have been selective in which organizations to include on this site. Those that are included are ones that have been visited in person by myself or a representative. To the best of my knowledge each of these organizations are in need of donations and they have shown a good history of handling donations. No organization is listed on this site unless I would be comfortable sending a donation to them myself (in fact I sponsor children or send donations to many on this site).

• Advocating for your government to provide more assistance to Africa's AIDS crisis and in particular Africa's orphans. Of all the funds going to Africa to fight the AIDS epidemic there is very little that is highlighted specifically for AIDS Orphans.

• Volunteering There are many children's homes and organizations in Africa that are in need of volunteers. Students who are just out of high school, professionals and retired individuals are all needed. Regardless of what your skill set there is a place for you to volunteer if you are ready. At this time there are organizations in desperate need of: teachers, medical professionals, social worker, physical therapists, mental health professionals and those with a loving heart who have some time to give. Take a look at our organization pages and see which organizations look like a match to you. There is some information on each about whether they are currently taking volunteers and any requirements they may have. If you do move forward with volunteering at one of these organizations please let me know. I would love to hear about your experiences and have you as a reference for other prospective volunteers. 

• Sponsoring a child: Some of the organizations we have included have programs set up to where you can send sponsorship to a particular child in need. Some of these children are orphans, some are in families where the one surviving parent is dying of AIDS and some are being cared for by extended relatives. Sponsorship fees typically go towards meeting a child's basic needs. In some cases there are children in need of sponsorship for a particular reason.
• Here is the story of just two AIDS orphans that were in need of sponsorship. During my trip to Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2004 I met two brothers, a 1yr old a an 11yr old. Both their parents had died of AIDS and their extended relatives were attempting to care for them. Unfortunately the remaining family did not have the funds to provide even adequate food, let alone an education and appropriate medical care. Blessing, the 11yr old boy so desperately wanted to continue his education. Both these little angels were ill themselves at the time I met with them. Through donations to eSimphewe (one of the organizations) the older boy was able to get enrolled at a boarding school where he could receive the education he desired, have warm food each day, a bed to sleep in and clean clothes to wear. Work was still being done with eSimphewe to provide support for the younger child when we left. 

• Adopting a Child - Adoption is not the complete solution to the Orphan Crisis in Africa but it is one important part of it. If you are a South African or Kenyan  family and are interested in adopting a child in need in your country please contact one of the organizations we have listed. If you are from other countries and are interested in adopting an AIDS Orphan please check out our full page on adoption.