Refuge House - Rescue and Restore

Unverified non-profit organisation

“Lord, is this really your will that we start a home for children with HIV/ AIDS?” That was Carla´s prayer, one of our missionaries in YWAM BH. It was 1989 and the AIDS epidemic was just beginning. Some street children had already died. Was it going to be necessary to start a special home to accompany children with AIDS in the terminal phase? The answer that God gave her touched her deeply, “I called Noah to build an ark before the rain started” It was the beginning of the Refuge House, where 61 children have lived over the years. Of these children, 8 passed away, but over 30 were adopted, and several dozens were reunited with their biological families. As God said, the rain came. With the help of God we were able to give a refuge to these children in the middle of the storm.
Now, the AIDS situation has changed because of good medication. We saw that the focus was no longer the care of small, terminal orphan children with AIDS (in the last 14 years, not a single child has died of AIDS in the Refuge House), but now we´re giving a lot of attention to the adolescents/youth to teach them how to live with HIV. The doors of the “ark” opened and the children have left the house to be adopted, live with family members or move to one of our other shelters, where there are children that don´t have AIDS. And so, we have recently experienced great changes. Having started out as a shelter, the home is now turning into a reference center for families who have children with AIDS to offer advice, help and counseling. Please pray with us for this next phase of the house.

Website

http://www.bhcentro.jocum.org.br/joomla/index.php?lang=en

Year established

1960

About this organisation

Regions / countries / territories

Americas: Brazil

Global issues

Children, youth and family welfare