At birth, her parents named her Marie Abimana. Abimana means “God’s people.” When Marie Abimana was eight months old, her father died. Eight months later her mother died and little Marie was sent to stay with her grandparents who lived in a small dirt hut. The elderly couple was already caring for thirteen other orphaned children, so food was scarce and medical care was nonexistent. By the time Marie was thirty months old, she weighed less than 18 pounds and was shorter than a meter stick. Marie’s grandparents sensed her fragile state and chose to bring her to Rafiki.
When she arrived, Marie was severely malnourished and listless; she did not even respond to the prick of the needle during a blood draw at her medical screening. However, after a few months under Rafiki’s care, Marie has been transformed. Marie is no longer a lethargic, frightened child but is energetic and joyful; she is a living testament to God’s faithful care for His people, for Abimana.
A Rafiki Training Village provides a loving home environment for the orphans and vulnerable children, like Marie. Children who come to a Rafiki Training Village often arrive frightened, malnourished, and suffering from various illnesses. Many have either never attended school or have had their schooling interrupted. Once in our care, the children are placed in a home environment with an African woman who becomes their mother. They receive nutritious meals, medical care, and they begin to attend the school at the Rafiki Village. When the children reach the age of ten, they transition to a residence hall where they live with a married couple who become their "parents." All the children receive Bible teaching daily and are provided the opportunity to hear the gospel and see it lived out. Rafiki has a long-term commitment to these children in caring for them until they are eighteen years of age.
We estimate that it takes $200 per month to feed, clothe, house, educate, and provide medical care for each child. These funds also help pay for the national workers hired to help care for the children such as school teachers, cooks, and national women to serve as mothers and assistants.
For as little as $25 per month, you can help to meet these needs and profoundly change the life (both physical and spiritual) of an African child.
There are several way you can sign up to help sponsor a child. Contacting us at orphans@rafikifoundation.org, call 352-483-9131, or click here to sponsor a child using Rafiki's website. We pray that God will guide you in your decision to sponsor a child.