Questions? Comments?
Contact Sign of Hope
Contact Sign of Hope
St. Martin's Orphanage
St. Martin's Orphanage, located in Kitwe, Zambia, is an orphanage and school that currently houses 23 orphans.
Its very modest facilities have been run by a loving Italian nun, Sr. Livia, for the past 25 years. The children
are discharged after they turn 6 years old-with the exception of a few girls with no relatives. The stories I heard
about some of these children were devastating. One of the little girls I met was buried alive on top of her deceased
mother because no one in the community could take care of her. Fortunately, a young boy heard her cries, dug her up,
and carried her in his bicycle basket to the door of the sisters. No child should ever have to experience this!
Clothing, food, and baby supplies are severely needed! Funds for medical emergencies are equally as important as many
of these children come here in very poor health. Many of these children have been abandoned or are the victims of the
AIDS crisis. I spent most of my time in Zambia with these children and can honestly say what beautiful, loving, and
amazing kids they were.
The Plan:
- Baby Supplies (new reusable diapers, baby powder, formula, bottles, etc.)
Any and all baby supplies are needed. Every baby we saw had severe rashes on
his/her thighs.
- Clothing (especially socks, underwear, sweaters, pants)
Clothing and shoes are much needed! Most of the clothes were extremely worn,
stained, and old. Every day we went, we saw the same outfits just on different
children. Warm sweaters and socks were a voiced issue to keep the babies and
children warm in the winter. Shoes were a precious commodity.
- Children's books (educational and fiction)
Toys were not necessarily an issue from what I saw, but books were. While food,
clothing, and medicine take precedence, I hope to add some educational and fun
books that will inspire creativity, intelligence, and joy in the children.
- Money for nutritious food
The children are fed anything the sisters can afford to give them: beef, chicken,
fish, macaroni, vegetables, eggs, rice, beans, nshima (a staple food in Zambia),
etc. While the sisters sacrifice to give them nutritious meals, the budget does not
always allow for this.
- Establish an Emergency Hospital Fund
With an extremely limited budget and many sick children, medical care is a big
problem. The aim of this fund is so that no child will ever have to suffer from
simple, treatable conditions.
- Baby Supplies (new reusable diapers, baby powder, formula, bottles, etc.)
Any and all baby supplies are needed. Every baby we saw had severe rashes on
his/her thighs.
- Clothing (especially socks, underwear, sweaters, pants)
Clothing and shoes are much needed! Most of the clothes were extremely worn,
stained, and old. Every day we went, we saw the same outfits just on different
children. Warm sweaters and socks were a voiced issue to keep the babies and
children warm in the winter. Shoes were a precious commodity.
- Children's books (educational and fiction)
Toys were not necessarily an issue from what I saw, but books were. While food,
clothing, and medicine take precedence, I hope to add some educational and fun
books that will inspire creativity, intelligence, and joy in the children.
- Money for nutritious food
The children are fed anything the sisters can afford to give them: beef, chicken,
fish, macaroni, vegetables, eggs, rice, beans, nshima (a staple food in Zambia),
etc. While the sisters sacrifice to give them nutritious meals, the budget does not
always allow for this.
- Establish an Emergency Hospital Fund
With an extremely limited budget and many sick children, medical care is a big
problem. The aim of this fund is so that no child will ever have to suffer from
simple, treatable conditions.
Photo Gallery
Click on the picture below to view gallery
Click on the picture below to view gallery
St. Martin's Children's Home
36 Mpezeni Avenue
P.O. Box 20394
Parklands, Kitwe, Zambia
Tel #: +260 02 222619
36 Mpezeni Avenue
P.O. Box 20394
Parklands, Kitwe, Zambia
Tel #: +260 02 222619