Bakhita Village

 

In 2002, during the height of the AIDS pandemic in southern Africa, almost one-third of the population was HIV positive or had full-blown AIDS.  Deaths were greatest in the 20 – 30 age group leaving behind many orphaned children with no one to care for them.

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Bakhita Village opened in 2002 as an emergency response to care for these children.  It was a home that provided food, clothing, medical care and education along with a loving atmosphere to girls who were traumatized, poor and very vulnerable.  For the next fifteen years more than 150 girls called it home.

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The home has now closed and transitioned to the Bakhita Outreach Program that supports the most vulnerable children in a personal home setting with a guardian – usually an extended family member.  The goal is still the same – to provide a safe shelter, food, clothing and medical care with an emphasis on education.