AIDS Orphan Care
ICRI is the fiscal sponsor of AIDS Orphan Care, which works to improve the lives of African children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. AIDS Orphan Care focuses on the nation of Lesotho, a small country in Southern Africa with the 3rd highest HIV infection rate in the world. In Lesotho, 1 in 4 adults is HIV-positive, and over 110,000 AIDS orphans need care and support.
AIDS Orphan Care partners with local, grassroots projects to meet the basic needs of orphaned children- food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education.
Peanut Butter Project
The Peanut Butter Project distributes a large 1-kg tub of peanut butter to every HIV-positive child age 1-17 every time they attend a medical visit at Tsepong HIV Clinic. Nearly half of all HIV-positive children in Lesotho suffer stunted growth from chronic malnutrition. Peanut butter is a simple solution–a high protein, locally available food which requires no cooking or preparation.
Mamelo Primary School
The Mamelo Primary School offers free primary education to nearly 300 orphans and HIV-positive children. The School’s Emergency Fund for Orphans allows the teachers to meet the most pressing needs of the students–buying shoes and clothing, medicine, and school supplies. In addition, the Fund allows the school to provide free, nutritious breakfasts to the students.
Rebecca’s House
Rebecca’s House is a small orphanage which can care for up to 10 orphans, including those with special medical needs such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. Rebecca’s House also provides community outreach, support and respite to child-headed households and orphans being raised by grandparents in the surrounding villages. We provide mattresses, blankets, food, transportation to medical appointments, school uniforms and other essentials. We also hope to support Rebecca’s House to start a small bread baking project to supply the orphans with bread and to earn sustainable income for the program through community sales.
To learn more about AIDS Orphan Care, please visit www.aidsorphancare.org.
