In countries like Zimbabwe, 86% of orphaned children live with a grandparent. This is an important statistic - with complex implications. It means that 86% of orphaned children still have a significant adult presence in their lives. It also means that there are millions of family units where perhaps the most vulnerable members of society - the very old and the very young - are dependent on each other to live and survive together.

Our volunteers recently met one such family – siblings Happiness, Deliverance, Abigail and Clearance, and their grandmother. These children were orphaned by AIDS over 5 years ago, and have since been taken in by their grandmother. Six graves lie directly behind their home, serving as a constant reminder of their lost loved-ones.

These four vibrant children were excited to give us a tour of their home. Their settlement consists of four huts, a few sparse trees, a couple of chickens, and a garden plot. Their food supply is currently running low, and they haven’t been able to get seed or fertilizer to plant. But like many other families in Zimbabwe, they have prepared their garden for planting in faith that God will provide seed, fertilizer and rain.

While their grandmother works hard to care for her grandchildren, it’s getting more difficult. These kids are starting to experience their grandmother needing to rely on them more heavily. She says she doesn’t know whether it’s sickness or old age, but she experiences pain in much of her body, especially her back and legs. But she proudly declares how helpful the children are to her - running errands and doing chores which she has difficulty performing. The local AIDS project coordinator confirms that it’s very common in grandparent-grandchild households to see the grandchild start caring for the grandparent over time. The care-receivers must become the care-givers.

Happiness, Deliverance, Abigail and Clearance are beginning to see this first hand in their own family. They face a new challenge of needing to provide more care for their grandmother, as well as keeping up with their school work, preparing the fields for planting, collecting water, and other chores.

These children’s smiles and stories are unforgettable. As their responsibilities continue to increase, they are thankful for the local AIDS project which – through a partnership with Forgotten Voices International - pays for their school fees. They are motivated by their appreciation for their grandmother and the local AIDS project, as well as their aspirations to become teachers, policemen, and nurses.

Join us in praying for these children and their grandmother. Pray for their continued health, for rain and planting seeds, for success at school and funds to provide for 4 growing children.

Pray also that these four siblings will be able to enjoy their childhood. On a recent visit, we learned that Deliverance loves to run. Of course, he was eager to race Ryan Keith (President of Forgotten Voices) around the village. And or course, Deliverance won!

Our prayer is that they will have many more wonderful childhood memories like this one.