Our Mission Statement
Restoring hope to communities trapped in extreme poverty by relieving the suffering of orphans and vulnerable children through the practical outworking of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shine aims to bring hope, shining light in the darkness of extreme poverty, communicating Gods passion for the poor and campaigning for justice for those who have no voice. We believe the people of Malawi are our neighbours and distance should not hinder us from loving and serving our brothers and sisters.
Malawi has around 1.4 million orphans, 500,000 of which are estimated to have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. Malawi has severely been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic of Sub-Saharan Africa. Out of a population of 14 million, 1 million are living with HIV/AIDS (UNICEF, 2006). This has had an adverse effect on the children of Malawi: they are left to care for their sick parents and quit school. Many children have been orphaned as a direct consequence of the pandemic. It is also estimated that a fifth of all households in Malawi take care of one or more orphans; 49% of these headed by women (Asibu et al, 2009).
HIV/AIDS
Out of a population of nearly 14 million, almost one million people in Malawi were living with HIV at the end of 2007.
The AIDS epidemic in Malawi has caused over 650,000 deaths and continues to be responsible for the deaths of around ten people every hour.
More than 550,000 children have lost one or both parents and many more children have been made vulnerable www.avert.org
One of the biggest challenges currently facing Malawi is the lack of human resources available within the country.
AIDS is the leading cause of death amongst adults in Malawi, and is a major factor in the country’s low life expectancy of just 43 years. AIDS is the leading cause of death for the most productive age group (15 – 49 yrs)
Although African societies have traditionally found homes for children within their own community, the sheer magnitude of the AIDS crisis has led to a number of children with no options.
World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December each year, is an important opportunity when governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals around the world bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic and emphasize the critical need for a committed, meaningful and sustained response.
The global theme for World AIDS Day from 2011-2015, as selected by the World AIDS Campaign, is “Getting to Zero.” Backed by the United Nations, the “Getting to Zero” campaign focuses on the goals of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths.