Mercy World Organization: Giving Hope to Children Orphaned by HIV-AIDS 

The Need

There are 1.7 million people who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Tanzania, with approximately 860,000 children (ages infant to 17 years) orphaned because of this disease. Mbeya, one of Tanzania’s three largest regions, has the highest number of children and youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. Ostracized by society, many of these children are abandoned to the streets, leaving them vulnerable to sexual abuse and to being controlled by drug dealers. Others have been taken in by caregivers who cannot afford to provide them with basic care such as food, education, and health care. Because of the stigmatization of HIV/AIDS, these children are frequently kept inside and hidden from the world. Traditional sources of support to mitigate and eliminate this problem are woefully inadequate.

The MEWO

Mercy World Organization (MEWO), a Tanzanian NGO, was founded in 2019 to improve the physical and mental well-being of vulnerable children and youth in and around the city of Mbeya, Tanzania. MEWO exists to establish partnerships that can provide for the basic needs of these children and youth, including food, education, healthcare, and counseling. In addition, it strives to advocate for these youth by ending the cultural obstacles that have created this hopeless situation for an entire generation of Tanzanian youth.

The Ask

Please help give these children a future by making a tax-deductible (in the U.S.A.) contribution. You can provide food, education, healthcare, and counseling for one child for an entire year with an annual contribution of $800 or monthly contributions of $67 for one year. Of course, gifts of any amount are welcome and appreciated!

To watch a short video of the children asking us to “Save Our Dreams”  click here.