Nowhere Else to Turn
Orphanage Saves Twin Baby Boys
Sometimes numbers are too staggering to comprehend. The orphan crisis in Sudan and South Sudan is one of them.
In the nation of South Sudan alone, there are over two million displaced people. Each has a story. They came from families and villages and previous lives. Now they are without homes because of violence or disaster or tragedy.
It’s estimated that 60 percent of the displaced are children. Some of these are orphans or abandoned children. Many are separated from parents during times of chaos. Children without homes or families struggle against perilous odds to survive alone.
Without someone to take care of them, orphaned children face high risk of death by sickness or starvation. They’re in danger of human trafficking and conscription into rebel militias. Some are far too young to take care of themselves at all.
Poverty and lack of health care also contribute to the high number of orphans. As does one of the worst childbirth mortality rates in the world. South Sudan is one of the deadliest places to have a baby, with nearly 75 percent of women giving birth outside of a qualified medical facility.
Sudan Relief Fund has been fighting to turn those tragedies around, with prenatal programs, supervised maternity wards, and postnatal healthcare. We support schools that are training nurses and putting more qualified midwives into the field each year.
Twin brothers, James and John, nearly become two of those tragic statistics. It was a complicated labor for their young mother, delivering twin babies without any medical supervision. When she tragically died giving birth to her sons, there was no family to take care of her tiny infants.
These baby boys are alive today because someone brought them to Saint Bakhita Orphanage in Nzara. Without immediate care, little James and John would have died from starvation, dehydration, or exposure. Or even something worse, like suffocation in a trash bin or attacks from predators, which is a sad fate for some.
For decades Saint Bakhita Orphanage has saved children with nowhere else to go. Sister Bianca Bii, founder and longtime matriarch, has raised hundreds of children through the years. Her dedication to children is legendary, and none have ever been turned away.
Currently more than 250 orphaned children call Saint Bakhita their home. These children do not have to try desperately to survive on the streets. Thanks to partners and donor support, they have a new facility to live in, with boys’ and girls’ dorms, a kitchen and large gathering area for meals, restrooms, clean water sources, and housing for the staff necessary to look after so many young children.
Orphans who make it to Saint Bakhita Orphanage are the lucky ones. They have access to health care at nearby St. Theresa Hospital, a Sudan Relief Fund sponsored facility. They have the coveted chance to go to school to gain skills for an independent and brighter future. Being at Saint Bakhita literally transforms their lives. Thank you for making this possible for tiny babies like James and John, and so many other children who now have a place to call home.
These stories of Lives Saved are made possible because of the compassion and support of generous donors. Thank you for saving lives like babies James and John, and countless others the home has helped through the years and continues to help today.
Would you like to pray for us? Sign up for our email prayer group to receive weekly emails sharing important needs to pray for. You’ll join a faith community around the globe praying to bring hope and help to suffering people in a forgotten part of the world. Find out more here.