Orphan Crisis
There are an additional 20,000,000 “displaced children” in the world. The combined count of these categories makes the orphan population the 7th largest nation on the planet – slightly larger than the population of Russia. Every DAY, 5,760 more children become orphans. Every YEAR, 2,102,400 more children become orphans (in Africa alone). Every 15 SECONDS, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa. In parts of Africa, many homeless children are armed and used for war. In Africa, there is a concerted effort to extend children’s lives beyond 5 years of age. In Eastern Europe, less than 50% of the orphan population will live to see their 20th birthdays. 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. Millions of girls are sex slaves today, simply because they were unfortunate enough to grow up as orphans.
Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren says, “Orphans and vulnerable children are not a cause. They are a biblical mandate and they are a social mandate that we cannot ignore.” As followers of Christ, it is unacceptable, even sinful, to sit idly by knowing what we know about this crisis and this biblical mandate, and do nothing. Johnny Carr (National Director of Church Partnerships for Bethany Christian Services) says, “We have the resources, and most importantly, we have the Gospel.” Director of Together for Adoption, Dan Cruver states, “The Gospel is the answer to the orphan crisis, NOT the church. The church is the people through whom the answer is applied.” As we ground ourselves in the Gospel, the church is empowered to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who have no one to call ‘father’ or ‘mother.’”
The 25 Project is responding to the Biblical mandate to love and care for the Orphan. Come alongside and partner with 25 as we strive to make a difference.
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.Isiah 1:17 Learn to do good;seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.Psalm 27:10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.Job 29:12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.John 14:15-21 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”Psalm 10:17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your earPsalm 82:3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
*Statistics provide by: World Health Organization (WHO), Unicef, CDC Image:
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There are anywhere from 143,000,000 (2005) to 167,000,000 (2010) orphans in the world.
