Siblings Improving Daily Since Coming to St. Anthony Children’s Village

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When St. Anthony Children’s Village was established in May 2003, the majority of the children were HIV infected, their mothers having died from AIDS.  However, with the availability of ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) for adults and children, more mothers are able to live and care for their children.  Currently, St. Anthony’s has increased the number of vulnerable children it welcomes to include those who have been abandoned by their families, or whose mothers are incapable of caring for them, and especially those with special needs.  St. Anthony’s provides both physical and emotional support to these children in a loving and caring community. As needed, the kids receive physiotherapy from a qualified physiotherapist. Caregivers continue with the exercises. The St. Peter Claver Society, which has supported St. Anthony’s since 2004, raised the necessary funds to purchase the physiotherapy equipment.

Siblings, James and Chikondi, are not orphans, but their extremely poor parents locked the children in a house without food.  When James and Chikondi arrived at St. Anthony Children’s Village, they were severely malnourished; Chikonddi could not walk at all, and James was unable to walk straight.  With physiotherapy and proper nutrition, they can now walk and are able to go to school.  Donations are especially needed to deal with the impact of the pandemic. 

James

James’ sister, Chikondi

Herbert

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This handsome young boy was found near the Ndola Teaching Hospital where he had been abandoned by a relative, because his stepmother refused to accept him.  Herbert has found a loving home at St. Anthony Children’s Village, Ndola, Zambia, which has been supported by the St. Peter Claver Society since 2004.

Children Spotlight

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Blessings was an abandoned child, who was found near the Ndola sewer ponds in a sack. A Good Samaritan who found her, took her to the local Hospital. She was named “Blessings” and is now a healthy three-year old at St. Anthony Children’s Village, where she is loved and cherished. St. Anthony’s is home to over 100 orphans and vulnerable children, many having special needs.

IMG_0365Raymond is one of several babies at St. Anthony’s, who when they failed to thrive, have been temporarily “adopted” by one of the caregivers who then carries that baby everywhere and sleeps with him or her.

Little Raymond needs our help, now more than ever. On March 3, the administrator of St. Anthony Children’s Village, sent us the following distressing news regarding  the lack of government funding, which could have a lasting impact on Raymond’s care:

Funding is becoming more and more difficult to come by. AIDS is now treated like other infections. It is said, that we  have resurrected from a death culture because of the treatment now available.  Most charities are at Crossroads right now because we are not sure when funds will become available due to the missing funds in Zambia’s Ministry of Health. We just have to trust in God that things will be sorted out and that donors will recognize the continuing need.

Thank you so much for all your hard work and your determination to help people in need. May God bless you for it.

With love and gratitude from all of us at the Village,
Sr. Philomena O.P.

 

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Little Raymond, 2010

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One of St. Anthony’s loving caregivers

 

 

Quote from St. Peter Claver:

“We must speak to them with our hands by giving, before we try to speak to them with our lips.”

St. Peter Claver Society

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