Orbus: A Christian School for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Malawi
Orbus, a Partner Mission Society of Mission Partners, started in 2007. In 2010, in the Central African country of Malawi Orbus formed a partnership between the Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCA) through the Presbyterian Church of Victoria (PCV), and the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod. Orbus’ objective is to care for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) through assisting with the provision of education opportunities, skills development initiatives and improved health facilities such as access to clean water and improved sanitation.
At the Orbus Centre in Ngumbe, about 10kms north of Blantyre, Orbus operates a Kindergarten (44 children registered) and Grade 1 of a new Primary School (28 registered) and is establishing income generating activities on its 6 ha property bounded by a river and creeks on three sides.
The Orbus children mostly live in very poor communal mud brick hut settings within a 2km radius of the Orbus Centre. Some of them have lost either one or both parents, mostly because of HIV/AIDS, and some of the children are HIV+ themselves. Some live with grandparents or uncles and aunties. Some are considered vulnerable because of extreme poverty, lack of parental ability to care for the children, and the devastating social consequences of high unemployment. Most of them are at risk of illnesses such as malaria, which kills 1 in 9 children under the age of 5 in Malawi, and from the affects of malnutrition, poor hygiene and lack of access to clean water.
While providing a quality, free, Christian education for poor children is Orbus’ main activity, other activities include the distribution of Chichewa language Bibles around Ngumbe and elsewhere in Blantyre; putting clean water wells in needy areas and general assistance to needy orphans in their communities.
Through the establishment of small enterprises on the Orbus property, such as farming activities like goats and pigs, crops such as maize, Pigeon peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and soya beans and timber production, Orbus hope to not only become self-sustainable but also to model an entrepreneurial self-help way of overcoming the debilitating affects of poverty.
Ultimately, as Christians, our eyes look to heaven, so Orbus’ overriding aim is to ensure that these children and the community around Orbus are exposed to the abounding love of Jesus and the truth that Jesus Christ is our only hope. As much as the lot of the poor is indeed a hard one, the poorest of the poor who trust in Jesus are made truly rich by faith (1 Peter 1:7).
Please visit the Orbus website at www.orbusministries.org or email craig.manners@orbusafrica.org for further information.
Donations to the work of Orbus can be made through SYPC.
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