With little to no way of meeting basic necessities, millions of Zimbabweans leave to seek refuge in South Africa. Those that do not leave tend to be the weakest–the old, sick and parentless. Out of Zimbabwe’s 12 million people, more than 1 million are orphans, making it the country with the highest number of orphans per capita worldwide. Parents usually die from the country’s staggering HIV/AIDS epidemic. With their parents gone, children are forced to take care of their siblings and survive with little resources.

The VisionTrust Learning Center in Ngundu, Zimbabwe has changed the lives of more than 250 of these orphaned and needy children. The program first seeks to meet their spiritual needs by teaching them the Word of God. It then meets their physical and educational needs by providing food, schooling, school supplies and uniforms.

AIDS and a new life without parents

Three huts, built less than thirty feet away from a busy highway, are home to the Vheremu siblings. Rebecca, 11, Zvadiwanashe, 9, and Primrose, 7, live with their aunt who they refer to as their mother. Unfortunately, their aunt is rarely home, leaving eleven-year-old Rebecca to fill the motherly role for her siblings. She fetches firewood, water, does all the cooking and makes sure that the little ones are tucked in at night.

However, it’s not just Rebecca’s heavy workload that’s an issue. The location of their huts mean these two girls and their brother are easy prey for truck drivers and those who kidnap children for charms and abuse.

Praise the Lord the children’s immediate needs are being taken care of by VisionTrust. They are attending school while receiving medical care and food. The village headman, the councilor, and the school authorities have also been engaged in the situation to help these children.

The Vheremu siblings are just three of almost two hundred children we help in Zimbabwe. Please consider joining us in providing a better life for these children.

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