By Rae Burnett

I met 5-year-old Jamoke in Winnie Owiti’s house. She awakened one morning to find him lying naked on the ground outside her front door. She scooped the crying bundle into her arms and kissed the distraught, tear-stained face.

Whoever abandoned him must have known of Winnie’s compassionate ministry, Ebenezer Life Center in Kenya, which cares for widows, orphans and abandoned children, many of whom have AIDS. Winnie later discovered that Jamoke was an AIDS orphan and also had the disease.

I am glad to have met this precious child, for it showed me first-hand how Christian Aid-supported indigenous ministries address the AIDS epidemic. The spiritual life of those afflicted is of uttermost importance to these ministries.

Many of the 100+ widows helped by ELC have AIDS and most are caring for their grandchildren, as their own children have died of the disease. Knowing the love of Christ, they have even opened their arms to men ostracized by their families because of AIDS. ELC is also home to 300 orphaned or abandoned children. More than 600 school-age children attend ELC schools.

Christian Aid recently provided funds for a vocational training center to equip the widows with income-generating skills. Winnie is now praying for sewing machines for the tailoring shop.

She also hopes to raise livestock, fruits and vegetables to help feed the growing number of widows and orphans seeking shelter at ELC.