Rafiki ChildCare Program

The Need

In sub-Saharan Africa,
the AIDS pandemic has
deprived many children
of their fathers and mothers.
Even with one surviving
parent, the needs of a child
cannot be met in most of
these countries. These
children are left without a
family, without education,
and without a future.

The ChildCare Program is part of a Rafiki Village and it provides a family and a future for orphans in countries that have been devastated by AIDS.

The ChildCare Program Provides:

– A nurturing atmosphere for the orphans
– A home and family that promote spiritual and emotional well-being
– Vocational training to equip the children for employment as adult leaders in their local community

Since our goal is to develop these children to be godly contributors to their countries in Africa, we do not
facilitate the adoption of these children out of their countries, nor do we plan on educating them in the United
States. Instead, we will raise and educate them in their home countries so that they will remain and provide the
much needed leadership and help in their own culture.

This is achieved within the following framework:
Facilities

Each Village provides a home for several hundred children. The Village has eighteen cottages, each housing ten children and one African mother. The mothers receive training on child development and Christian principles to provide a loving home for each child. Siblings are kept together, and each cottage lives together as a family—eating, going to church, playing, and working together. The children and the mothers bond as family.

The Rafiki Village has a dining hall and an infirmary to care for the nutritional and health needs of the children.

The children benefit from a playing field for sports.

Education Program:

Beginning at age three, the children receive a classical Christian education in Rafiki’s nationally accredited schools through the Education Program. From preschool to the 12th grade the students are taught all subjects from a biblical worldview through the classical framework of grammar, logic and rhetoric. When they enter 7th grade, they are taught vocational or artistic skills through the vocational arts program in addition to their academic courses. This additional training prepares them for a viable vocation. In addition, it results in the creation of marketable products. These products are sold through the Rafiki Exchange and one hundred percent of these proceeds are used in support of the Village operations.

The children learn both English and their native language or dialect. They are taught to appreciate and participate in their local culture and community. The children learn about the arts, including both music and visual arts, during month-long vacations. Their education includes exposure to the world outside their community to produce well-rounded citizens for future generations.

Community Interaction

An important part of development for each child involves learning to give back to their community and our world. The children learn about their community in a variety of ways,

Families and individuals within the surrounding community involved through Rafiki Support Churches volunteer at the Village and also become “aunties and uncles” for the children. These volunteers expose the children to home life and people outside the center which rounds out the child’s experience and appreciation of their own community and culture.

The ChildCare Program is putting God’s Word to Work by “looking after orphans in their distress.”

The Village in Accra, Ghana, opened in June 2001.
The Village in Kampala, Uganda, opened in February 2003.
Jos, Nigeria, the Village opened in May 2003.
Nairobi, Kenya, the Village opened in December 2003
The Village in Mzuzu, Malawi, opened in April 2005.
The Village in Lusaka, Zambia, opened in August 2007.
The Village in Monrovia, Liberia, opened in September 2007.
The Village in Moshi, Tanzania, was dedicated in November 2007. Children will soon be arriving at the Village.
Construction is underway for Villages in Nyamata, Rwanda; and Ethiopia.

These Villages, as they are completed, will care for over 1600 underprivileged children. You can make a difference
in the lives of many children by supporting one of the Villages listed below:
Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; Jos, Nigeria; Kampala, Uganda; Mzuzu, Malawi; Moshi, Tanzania
Lusaka, Zambia; Nyamata, Rwanda; Monrovia, Liberia; and Ethiopia

You may sponsor an orphan directly by becoming one of our orphan sponsors.

PLEASE NOTE: we do not facilitate the adoption of these children out of their home countries. Our goal is to raise
and educate them in their country of origin so that they can contribute to their community using God's Word and
the skills developed during their time at the Village.