THE URGENT NEED

By the year 2010, the United Nations estimates a staggering 43 million children living in sub-Saharan Africa will be orphaned by AIDS. This would mean that orphaned children will out number the adults in this country.

Most of us find these statistics too difficult to understand. We cannot relate to having the children of our communities reliant on the care of others because they no longer have a family of their own; we cannot relate to having numerous funerals each week in our neighbourhood alone; we cannot relate to a life expectancy of only 29 years of age; we simply cannot fathom the extent of this devastating disease.

As Christians, we have an obligation to respond with compassion to the pandemic that continues every day of our lives. We need to act as the hands and feet of Jesus. “For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13)