Vatican City (Fides Service) - AIDS in Africa continues to create serious problems especially for children directly or indirectly affected. Many of them lost one or both parents which robs them of emotion and economic support and to survive many become victims of circles of prostitution and drug trafficking. The youngest ones cannot be properly assisted because of limited social programmes available.
To address the situation in 1991, Father Angelo D’Agostino, S.J., a medical doctor opened in Nairobi “The Children of God Relief Institute” (COGRI), to care for AIDS orphans and children with HIV. Today it has 90 orphans in Karen (Nairobi).
Since 1998, the centre has promoted a basic community programme to extend the age of children assisted. Leo Toto (“educating a child”) programme has been extended to two centres in the outskirts, one in the Kangemi, with 300 orphans and the other in Kebera slum with 400 children.
COGRI now plans to build a village to house 1,000 people including street children suffering from AIDS and many other young people.
Nyumbani Village will be built near Nairobi, it will be a safe place humanly acceptable where physical, moral, emotional and spiritual needs are met and in 4 or 5 years the people will become self-supporting.
Most of the land will be used for farming to supply food to the villagers and to sell what remains to provide a source of income. The village will have a medical centre with emergency beds a doctor and a nurse. (AP) (3/4/2004 Agenzia Fides)