• The Story of Mary Ward Children’s Home at Amaveni
   near Kwekwe, Zimbabwe



• The Mary Ward Home cares for 72 children, of whom 43 are orphans, 24 were abandoned, 2 were abused and 3 were destitute children. Most of the children have no one in the world to care for them except the Mary Ward Sisters and Housemothers. But at least they have a home, food, kindness and people to help them as they grow up. Many other children in Zimbabwe these days are not so lucky.

• Ten years ago a kind and brave Sister called Ortrudis was horrified at what the illness called AIDS was doing to families. In many cases one or sometimes both parents died leaving young children with no one to care for them except perhaps older brothers and sisters or elderly relatives. No wonder many were being badly neglected or abandoned. She made a start on building a small home, though she knew the problem was going to grow and they would soon need a home three times the size. Now there are four houses, a teenage wing and a community hall, each of the houses operating a feeding scheme.

• There is also a great need for funds in their primary school of nearly 1000 children, which was built about ten years ago in the township of Imbizo, about 5 miles away.



• The school just about has the basic books for the classrooms but the library is totally inadequate. Food has to be given to some of the children who arrive at the school having had nothing to eat for days. In May 2007 there were 50 such children and in October 2008 that had risen to 200 and is probably now even more. The school also runs projects to help the parents earn a bit of money such as a sewing club and others sell boxes of matches and candles to get what meagre income they can. Of course Zimbabwe is currently in an emergency situation and cholera has reached the town of Kwekwe where the school and home are.

• So from very small beginnings this lovely home and school grew and, God willing, will continue to grow to meet the desperate needs.

• Despite all the problems of Zimbabwe the home and school are happy places, but they depend on donations to keep in existence.

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