Orphans on each Continent

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Africa's Orphan Crisis Worsens

Thirty-four Million Without Parents

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - With diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis continuing to claim the lives of millions of Africa's poorest adults, millions more children are being left homeless and orphaned. "Africa needs more than one billion dollars each year to care for the millions of orphans on the continent," an official spokesman for the United Nations recently stated. "In less than five years," the official continued, "there will be more than 50 million orphans in just 16 of Africa's 53 countries." "Such a situation," an African Union spokesman explained, "will easily destabilize countries because these children are vulnerable and they can be exploited. Funds will be needed for education and healthcare, but we don't know at the moment where the money is coming from."http://www.missionariesofafrica.org/articles/sr/SpRptFall06.html EVERY FIFTEEN SECONDS . . . . . . Every 15 SECONDS, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa Every DAY 5,760 more children become orphans Every YEAR 2,102,400 more children become orphans (in Africa alone) 143,000,000 Orphans in the world today spend an average of 10 years in an orphanage or foster home Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but… Every YEAR 14,050,000 children still grow up as orphans and AGE OUT of the system Every DAY 38,493 children AGE OUT Every 2.2 SECONDS, another orphan child AGES OUT with no family to belong to and no place to call home In Ukraine and Russia 10% -15% of children who age out of an orphanage commit suicide before age 18 60% of the girls are lured into prostitution  70% of the boys become hardened criminals Many of these children accept job offers that ultimately result in their being sold as slaves.   . Reliable statistics are difficult to find, even the sources often list only estimates, and street children are rarely included. But even if these figures are exaggerated by double, it is still an unacceptable tragedy that over a million children would still become orphans every year, and every year 7 million children would still grow to adulthood as orphans with no one to belong to and no place to call home. They are totally vulnerable and easily fall prey to predators and slave recruiters. The disastrous outcomes of most children who age out of institutional care is evidence that these children don’t know the meaning of love, and are unable to comprehend God’s love. Receiving Jesus Christ makes no sense and too many of them will never have a chance to become adopted children of God. THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE The Christian solution for this tragedy is to give orphan children the good news they really long to hear -- The Gospel of Adoption. The good news that orphan children need to hear is not only the fact that they will be adopted by a loving family, but also the good news that Jesus Christ died on the cross to make it possible for them to become adopted children of God. Our adoption by God is the ultimate expression of His love, and was the ultimate purpose of Jesus’ life on earth and death on the cross. This is truly the Gospel of Adoption, and it is written in Galatians 4:4-5 and John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, If orphan children never experience a family’s love, how can we expect them to comprehend God’s love? Adoption by a Christian family is the best way for orphan children to become adopted children of God. Not all are called to adopt, but anyone can love and minister to orphan children by helping other families adopt.