The Bopoma Villages team recently responded to a tragic situation in Zaka: the mother of three children died, leaving them orphans with no family to care for them. The mother was the children’s last surviving relative in the region; the children’s father had died several years earlier.
While she was alive, the mother did subsistence farming but was barely able to provide food for her family. Now a difficult situation had become much worse, as the oldest girl (age 12) had become head of the household with no means of support.
Bopoma Villages was able to come alongside this family in multiple ways during this crisis:
- Our social worker Elsa met and counseled the children
- Bopoma Villages supplied blankets, clothing, and temporary food aid
- The Bopoma Villages team worked with local villagers to build two organic “keyhole” gardens to provide an ongoing supply of nutritious food.
- Mrs. Magigwani, a community volunteer, met with the local headmaster to ensure the children would be able to stay in school and is continuing to visit and support the children.
A key part of Bopoma Villages’ orphan care strategy is to train and resource local volunteers to provide support for the most vulnerable members of their communities.