Hand of Africa Foundation

The big numbers of orphans and street children have nobody to care for them especially for the basic needs, which are food, shelter, clothes, medication and education.

This problem has been challenging because most of the blood relatives or extended families do not have enough income to support these children, also most of the African government do not have enough funds to cater for this special group of vulnerable (orphans and street children) due to this tough situation HAF thought it is not wise to leave this generation behind, that is why HAF comes up to find the ways to help and support these children in Africa.

There are many homeless children who need to get access to education, but they do not have an idea where to start, who to see for help, whom will listen to their cry, therefore these children they need someone to guide and support them so that they can make their future. 

The fact that this group of vulnerable has been getting little support or no support at all, this has contributed to many cases of children who are under age of 10 years deciding to start engaging in child labor in order to earn some little money to keep them alive, the little money they earn through child labor can only be spent for food. Most of these children who engage in child labor later in life they are developing some serious problems in their health conditions because of doing heavy jobs such as carrying and lifting heavy larges, working in mines, in factories such as cement, some are overworked in plantations, some work as housekeepers and spend much time doing house chore instead of attending school. Children in this category have no time at all for playing, some of the children who engage themselves in child labor are not orphans, but have been forced by the tough life situation in their respective families, some of the families are very poor and cannot provide basic needs to their children. Some cannot even afford one meal per day. Therefore such kind of situation makes children to engage in child labor in order to contribute for family income.

Many children who are in the age of school going are not in schools. The reason is, some of the parents and the communities do not value or put first priority in education, they are still ignorance concerning the important of education in someone’s future. Another reason is due to high rate of poverty in some household, hence cannot cater for their children’s education, not only that but also for those who are orphan and street children fail to get access to education because they have no people to support them for education and other basic needs. These orphans because of not having assistance to access education some end up being victims of prostitution, drug abuse, robbery etc ; these  children are forced to engage in those bad habits so that they can earn some little money and sometimes they think by using alcohol, cigarette and drugs can give them some relief of the hard situation they are in, but these are just their thoughts, sometimes these children are bitten to death especially if are caught stealing in the  streets. People who engage in punishing these children to death are not aware that, what they fight to is the effects and not the cause, therefore the society should fight the cause of those children’s deviate behaviors

We are aware of the great efforts by African Governments to fight illiteracy. World bodies are also supporting this fight. Yet it is sad to learn that in this age of increased worldwide development and technology many students in high schools and colleges have never used a computer. In countries where children are victims of civil wars, an education remains a dream only. Sharing this dream are the AIDS orphans.

All need special support to begin or continue an education. African governments cannot do it all. We ask your support in giving us used computers. An old computer to you is new to someone in Africa. We hope that someday when the computer becomes available to all, people, will be motivated to bring about positive change in their environments and in their lives.

THE NEED FOR COMPUTERS

Beatrice is learning how to use the computer. Her first time to touch the computer keyboard was at age 28. Read more