Everyday, millions of children in Africa live with the uncertainty of not knowing where their next meal will come from. In fact, one third of all child deaths in Africa is caused by a lack of adequate nutrition. With conditions in the region worsening, the number of children facing hunger has been rising every single day, prompting Embrace Relief to start our Raise the Children campaign back in 2014. Below are some of the most prevalent ways kids in Africa have found themselves struggling or at a severe disadvantage through no fault of their own in recent years.
- 152 million children—or one in four—across Africa are living in a conflict zone where they and/or their parents are liable to be either maimed or killed on a regular basis.
- Nearly 59 million children in Africa suffer from stunting due to malnutrition. Much of this is due to the extreme poverty in many regions, which also impacts the children’s—and their parents’—access to clean water. Governments simply don’t have the ability to fund the infrastructure necessary for clean, sanitary water on a regular basis.
- As a result of lack of access to clean water, many children—especially young girls—spend hours per day collecting unsafe water from lakes, ponds, and rivers. This practice steals precious school time and often causes them and their families to contract harmful—sometimes even deadly—waterborne illnesses. This results in young girls suffering from gender inequality throughout life as well.
- Girls in West and Central Africa face the highest risk of child marriage, as about four in 10 are married before the age of 18. This also fuels conflict and gender inequality in regions of Africa.
- In West Africa, the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history left tens of thousands of children without parents. Also, more than one million kids in Liberia alone were affected by school closings.
- COVID-19 is only exacerbating the already dire situation in Africa, leaving children and families without access to basic sanitation and healthcare more vulnerable than ever.
- Severe natural weather conditions, such as prolonged and frequent droughts across the Horn of Africa, are leaving children and their families struggling to survive.
How We Help the Children
As a result of the conditions above, there are currently an estimated 32.1 million orphaned children in Africa. These children have no support, nothing to their name, and no one to turn to. This is why Embrace Relief has stepped in, supplying 130 vulnerable children across three orphanages in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the following:
- Coverage of the orphanages’ costs for general necessities, including gas, charcoal, water, and electric bills
- Products for growth, health, and nutrition, including beans, rice, maize flour, wheat flour, sugar, cooking oils, and various spices
- Items for personal and overall hygiene, such as bath soap, toothpaste, and disinfectants
- Health insurance to protect against any unexpected, highly expensive medical services and costs due to serious accidents or illnesses
- Funds for each individual child’s needs
- Primary education for the children of the Galaxie Foundation Orphanage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Donate to Kids Today
Please consider donating today to not just help a child in need, but 130 of them and hopefully many more in the future! All the vital necessities we provide not only ensure these children survive and feel the love and support of someone who cares, but also gives them the encouragement they need to pave bright, happy, and prosperous futures for themselves. And that, in turn, will help them contribute to their communities and lift areas of Africa out of extreme poverty.
