Zimbabwe
Amistad has been the long-time sponsor of a children’s home for abused and abandoned children, provided food for many thousands of school children, and medical care and education for impoverished children. Currently we support the Kuda Vana Children’s Home.
Kuda Vana Children’s Home exists to empower the most vulnerable children of Zimbabwe to not just survive, but thrive.
Kuda Vana, which means “loving children” in Shona, is committed to improving the situation of children, most of whom have been abandoned, abused or orphaned because of the death of their parents. AIDS and other diseases, economic hardship and extreme poverty have left millions of children in Zimbabwe orphaned, separated or on the brink of family breakdown. The KVCH staff provides whole-person care to each child, including love, nutrition, security, healthcare, education, life-skills and spiritual and emotional guidance—enabling them to live more independent, dignified, and enriched lives.
The organization partners with Social Services to provide a safe and loving environment for orphaned or abandoned children who are in need of temporary or permanent care. Kuda Vana has four Group Homes with up to 10 children ages 3-17. Each Group Home has two Mamas who provide consistent and personal love, care and discipline to each child. Kuda Vana also has a nursery home, caring for up to ten infants. This is the only nursery home in this region of Zimbabwe. A primary school on campus prepares young students emotionally and academically for a positive secondary school experience. Further, the organization provides a continuum of care for young people who ‘age-out’ at 18, by providing temporary housing, post-secondary tuition support and adult oversight as they transition into self-sufficient adulthood.
Kuda Vana is not your typical orphanage. It is a home which is making a deep impact on not just the lives of the children but also their future families and communities.
