Family Program | Education Program | Camp Program | Acts Initiative

Our Acts Initiative encourages local churches in Africa to look within their communities and see how they, as a church, can become involved in social justice issues affecting orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). This may be done in a myriad of creative and unique ways according to a country’s or community’s need and particular circumstances.

We believe in two essential lines of thought. Firstly, no local church is unable to provide care to OVCs and secondly, OVCs are our responsibility both as a community of faith (local church) and individually (personal faith). If a child is in need it is to our shame that we walk by without considering what role we, as a local church, or I personally, might play in assisting that child.

The Acts Initiative aims to benefit the local church by assisting them in becoming more strategic in their social justice endeavours. Specialised non-governmental organisations and faith based organisations have their place, as does the government. However, Christian churches too are vital in bringing hope and justice both locally and globally.

Objectives for the Acts Initiative

• Advocating for OVCs through preaching, teaching and encouraging
• Initiating church based ministries to OVCs
• Developing quality of care for OVCs

Overarching these objectives is a deep conviction that local churches within Africa need to start with the current resources they have access to and build from this platform, working in partnerships with churches globally to see OVC’s lives transformed.

An example of local church partnership

Lesotho is a small, independent country totally landlocked by South Africa. It has the third highest rate of HIV in the world in a population of less than two million. Like many Southern African countries, Lesotho is battling to provide for overwhelming numbers of orphans and vulnerable children in the wake of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Christian Revival Church, Maseru’s, Love in Action Lesotho (LiAL) ministry has been reaching out to poverty and AIDS stricken children and families for more than five years. With limited local resources, they initiated several outreach projects for street children as well as starting an income generating scheme for child-headed households.

Partnership with Eagles Wings in 2008 provided the resources and opportunity to expand these programs and initiate long held dreams for reaching more children on the streets of Maseru and surrounding districts. Teboho Mosuoe, a local social worker, was employed by LiAL in June 2008 with funding from Eagles Wings. Her role is to implement the Network Care project: encouraging mentoring of children at risk, support for their guardians and outreach to street children.

How does ‘Network Care’ work?

Church members who already contribute in some way to the care of orphans in their villages are identified as potential volunteer mentors. They attend training courses equipping them to appropriately address the issues of these children. After a selection process, chosen mentors then pledge to become advocates for children under their care. They become the channel through which LiAL holistically provides for these children.

A second aspect of Network Care, planned to begin in 2009, involves reaching children already separated from their communities: those who are living/working on the streets of Maseru. A rehabilitation process is needed for these children, including temporary crisis care, until they can be reintegrated back into their communities either through reunification with living relatives or through church-based foster care.

You can give to Love in Action and the Network Care project through Eagles Wings. Specify that your donation is for Christian Revival Church, Lesotho. Donate online or post to PO Box 567, Cleveland Q 4163.