Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.
-Rabindranath Tagore
There is a common African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child. This is especially true when it comes to orphans and abandoned children. Some of them have experienced more hardship in their young lives than most adults ever will. They have suffered abandonment, rejection and humiliation. And with adoption rates declining, more of them are ending up on the streets or turning to a life of crime. And that is why it is of utmost importance that we support our local orphanages. Every family should "adopt" an orphanage and do the best they can to support them because they are in dire need of our resources, time and love. My mom and I started a foundation that caters to orphans and orphanages in my home country Nigeria about 3 years ago and it has truly been a blessing to them and us. It is just amazing to see how they cherish the little things that we don't really see as all that important. Just spending time with the children shows them that they are wanted and appreciated and they really love that.
Well my good deed for today was inspired by a friend of mine that left a comment on the blog a few days back. She told me about an orphanage she supported in Benin city Nigeria monthly, although she lives in Texas, and I knew I had to feature it here and make a donation. So that's exactly what I did. They have a paypal account, which makes it really easy to donate. The name of the orphanage is To God be The Glory International Ministry aka Uyiosa Orphanage & Widows Ministry and I just found out today that it was founded by her mother Mary Uyiosa Igunbor. They rescue aborted, abandoned and orphaned kids from the street and provide them with basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. They also give academic scholarships to some of the children they save to ensure they get an education.
In addition, they cater to widows by advocating for their rights and providing small scale loans for them to support themselves and their children. Most widows in Nigeria are accused of killing their husbands and are therefore maltreated and abandoned by their in-laws. So the orphanage also provides counseling and a safe haven for these women to recover from their tragedies. I really admire and commend Mrs Igunbor and her family for the sacrifices and opportunities they make possible for these individuals. They really are an extension of God's hands on earth, and I pray that he continues to bless, strengthen and enable them.
Here is the link for their website
Here is the link to make a donation to the orphanage.
http://www.godgloryorphanage.org/contributions.html
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