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The Present Reality
Bola Moyo currently works in Malawi, one of Africa's four poorest nations. The average income in Malawi is 46 cents a day or about $170 a year. UN official Jan Egeland called Malawi's drought and constant food shortage "...perhaps the most worrying country crisis in the world today," one which has left "45 percent of children under five stunted due to malnutrition, diarrhea and other diseases."
Like the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi has been torn apart by HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. These diseases interfere with people's ability to tend their fields, hold jobs, or otherwise provide for their families.
The tragic results of these often preventable diseases are millions of children who go to bed with empty stomachs; millions who grieve the loss of their parents, brothers, and sisters; and many who whither at the hands of a disease they did nothing to acquire.
Yet in the midst of such suffering, African men and women are sacrificing themselves to care for orphaned and vulnerable children in their own communities. They dream of a day when their children have clean water and full stomachs, healthy bodies and well-fed minds.
Our Programs
Bola Moyo works alongside its African partners to help them realize this dream by improving the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in the following ways:
• By empowering children's caretakers
• By supporting children's formal education
• By broadening their minds and skills through the creative arts
WE EMPOWER caretakers by providing skill development, business training, and small loans to individuals - primarily widowed and disenfranchised women - so they can generate income for their families. We develop support circles to keep these people accountable and from becoming discouraged. We support child day-centers by contributing supplies and educational resources including learning materials so people can access information on important issues like child health and nutrition.
WE SUPPORT education by assisting orphaned and other vulnerable children with their school fees. We supply tuition, uniforms, books, notebooks, pencils, and other materials necessary for learning.
WE BROADEN children's horizons through the creative arts. We encourage poetry, music, drama, and visual art as ways for children to explore the difficult issues they face. We work to raise children's self-esteem, to build their character, and to help them develop problem-solving skills. We also encourage children to document their stories and those of their parents, to preserve the culture, heritage, and guidance that are fading with the older generations. |
