Mama Mayila and Marenka returned to Network 4 Children in Need interim care centre to make good on our promise of fundraising for food support for the indomitable Mrs Kamara, operational manager Jim Gbappy Margaret and her many children.
With donations collected by Marenka’s foundation, Hart voor Afrika and from donations to our summer fundraiser we’re able to match this and provide food support thru Christmas.
But there’s something not quite right with this happy scene – one struggling interim care centre supporting another - it’s kind, in fact, it’s really great but it’s not enough to care for the 100’s of kids in this situation. The Ebola money was supposed to support this sector for at least 2 years so centres could become financially sustainable but support came there none.
We hope that the recovery from the national disaster of the mudslides will also address this wider orphan crisis – providing good levels of support for interim care centres who will be taking in some of the orphaned survivors of the mudslide and a proper programme to support kids in kinship fostering – there’s going to be many, many children needing proper long-term support by trained social workers and counsellors to recover from this human tragedy.
