Rolling out bits of clay

You can see the soul of the world

in the eyes of these children. When

they look out through slits in the walls

of empty homes their faces fade into

the shadows, but pools of sunshine

gleam from their obsidian pupils.

They are sick and scared, but still

they wonder about the world.

Their mothers, most of them on their own, struggle to keep the children

alive. There is no one to help them. They don’t discuss their problems;

they don’t support each other. They just do what they have to do to

survive, and hopefully, it is enough. Caring for their children steals away

time they could be working. Many have two or more children under five.

The mothers tell us that many times, they have to lock the little ones in

dark rooms with no windows as they go to look for work. One explains the

precautions she takes, “You put out the fire. You hide the matches” The

houses are padlocked from the outside. There are no locks on the inside.

It is a surprise, but there is a child care centre. A small poorly constructed

room, next to a tiny Christian church; jammed with 40 or more children

per teacher at two elementary schools; a line of babies outside a mud hut

under the care of an elderly woman. The children are “cared for”, but with
little more than a roof over their heads, if that. They have no toys or

books.

They have no bikes to ride; no

ropes to skip with; no balls to

throw to each other. Letters

and simple words on handmade

signs cover the cracks in the

walls. Made by teachers, these

sometimes colourful signs use

bottle caps to teach numbers

or bright red string to etch out

words. In one centre, dozens

of children roll out tiny bits of

clay—the portions so small that at home, they would be scrap. They look

like they are making letters, an “E” perhaps. But no, they are making

“a dog.” There simply isn’t enough clay for a head or tail.

At lunch, the children dig into whatever small morsel of food their mother

has been able to provide. And after they eat, they are still hungry. But

these are the fortunate children. Their mothers have a few pennies to

provide care each day. In the slums children sit alone, in the dark, waiting

for the sound of their mothers return.

Vulnerable children like these around the world need our help—their

mothers need vocational skills so that they can earn a living which then

allows them to support their family enabling a brighter future.

Please help us to help Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

A donation of £10 will feed two children for a month

A donation of £5 will feed a child for a month

A donation of £70 will provide vocational
training, a sewing machine and a sewing kit to a young mother
who can then work and provide for herself and her children

Please give what you can, either by sending a cheque or by donating online
or become a longer term partner and give a regular amount each month.

Yours Sincerely

Brian Main

CEO Feed The Children (UK)