MERCY CHILDREN'S CENTRE

One Child's Village is pleased to announce their collaboration with Mercy Children's Centre in the construction of a school for HIV/AIDS orphans in Bumala. We are also assisting the children as they settle into their new school by raising funds for their educational and health needs.

Introduction
The Kenya government has declared HIV/AIDS a national disaster. The disease has had devastating effects economically, socially, academically and emotionally. Mercy Children's Centre is an organization that provides basic needs for orphans in the Kawangware slums of Nairobi and the rural community of Bumala (Busia District, Kenya). The Busia District has a higher prevalence of HIV infection and significant poverty compared to national averages. The increased number of children infected with – or orphaned by – HIV/AIDS calls for strategies of support and assistance. One Child's Village is pleased to announce their collaboration with Mercy Children's Centre in Kenya.

Members
The board of directors overlooking operations of the Mercy Children's Centre include:

• Pastor Charles Ouma Oduor (Director)
• Lew Fulton (Director)
• Senior Pastor Pius Likami (Treasurer)
• Lili Fulton (Secretary)

Aim
The Centre's priorities are to provide the basic necessities of food, shelter, clothing, education and healthcare to the orphans under their care. Charles and Pius, the founders of Mercy Children's Centre, cite the following – in their own words – as some of their reasons for developing an orphanage under a charitable organization:

• To support the orphans within our own community. That is why we have opened two branches of schools (i.e., Kawangware and Bumala).
• To provide education to the orphans. This will help to stop child labour and early marriages.
• To show parental love to the children.
• To encourage a child to have hope in life after a parent's death.