Why the name Joanna’s Kids?

I had a sister named Joanna. She was killed in a minibus accident, in Zambia, in the year 2002. The driver was supposedly intoxicated with alcohol.

My sister loved children but she was not able to conceive a child without a miracle. I have the gift of dreaming, which means that 90% of the time, my dreams do manifest exactly the way I dreamed them. After praying for Joanna to be able to have children, in the year 2000, I had a dream that Joanna had a son and thereafter she had more children. I was so excited, so I told her of the dream and she was very excited too. I was so disappointed when she died because she lived her life for God. I asked God “Why did you give me this dream if you knew she was going to die” God did not give me an answer at that time.

In 2006, I was in my bedroom and I heard the voice of God, in my mind, saying; “Build an orphanage. You will name it Joannas Kids because these are the children I promised her. I am God and I do not lie. Just like I promised Abraham the Promised Land, in the Bible, I promised your sister children. Now Abraham did not enter the Promised Land, but his seed did. This is the same promise I made to your sister.” I cried. What I learned from this experience is that; when I ask God for something, I need to be very specific.

 

PRESENTATION

Joanna’s Kids is a registered non profit Christian organization, founded in the United States of America, operating out of the state of Colorado. Everyone is welcome to verify our existence with the office of the secretary of state. Our goal is to establish orphanages in poverty stricken, remote parts of the world, as need arises, and as funds allow. Our current focus is a country called Zambia, located south of the equator on the continent of Africa. The population is roughly about 9,770,199 which is a little over twice the population of the state of Colorado. Out of this population, there are approximately 1.5 million children orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic, poverty and disease, almost 20% of the population. NOW, in the main cities of this country, called Zambia, there are quiet a few orphanages and feeding programs already established. WE therefore are not going to focus on these areas. Our main areas of focus are going to be the remote poverty stricken villages where there has been no or very little assistance, so far. One such area is called KAOMA. In Kaoma we focus on a small village called LONGE located approximately 248 miles from the capital city of Zambia, which is called Lusaka. Living in one of these little villages in this area, is a retired school headmaster. His name is Mr. Kauchingu. All his adult children died of AIDS. Mr. Kauchingu is a Christian man who has turned this tragedy into a blessing by taking care of all the AIDS orphans in his area. He currently has 19 orphans who now belong to Joannas Kids. Mr. Kauchingu’s resources are currently very meager, but he manages to get by because he has God and wisdom on his side.

Joanna’s kids, has so far, assisted these 19 orphans with money for food and, clothing. Eventually, we hope to relieve him of this task, because he has advanced in age. To add to this tragedy, his wife just passed in the month of August 2007. We hope to move all his orphans to our site upon completion. Mr. Kauchingu is a great resource for us and thus we hope to hire him for administrative duties at Joanna’s Kids. This will help him continue with the project that God placed on his heart, and also generate some income to substitute his meager earnings. The other problem that has come up due to the AIDS epidemic is; STREET KIDS. These street Kids are either orphans or runaway children.  These kids live on the streets and sleep where ever they can find a place to lay their heads in the darkness of the night. They are dirty and are sometimes violent and dangerous because they have been subject to abuse, theft, rape and murder. They have been robbed off their childhood and for them, anything goes. One of our goals is to find a way to tame these children and bring them back to a place where they can accept to be loved and to live in a home. The first of the many solutions to these street kids is to feed them so that they are healthy and not hungry. Also contributing to the dangers of these teenage street kids are perverted people with money, most of the times.

These predators promise these children a place to sleep and some money in exchange for their bodies.

The child thinks to himself/herself; I only have to do this once. But! When the money runs out, the child returns again for more money, and to be molested, the cycle continues and a habit is born. This is why here in Colorado we are working with Pastor Ray Chavez of New Hope Ministries, who has been successful in restoring street and abused people. Volunteering and partnering with him is teaching us how to handle the rehabilitation of street kids. The AIDS epidemic has affected more aspects of the people’s lives than just the orphans.  Also affected are WIDOWS and single non working poor mothers. In most of these third world countries, it is a male dominated society where vulnerable women are at the mercy of ruthless men.

After the death of a spouse, the widow is left to fend for herself and her children. In this society where she is nothing without a man and there are no jobs, she accepts any one who promises to take care of her and her children. These male predators abuse these helpless women and their children. In the end, they are trapped and the only way out is selling out or death.  As for single women, sometimes they can not get a job without giving in to the personal desires of their boss, if they don’t come from a recognized family.

We can help by empowering these women with food, clothing and education for their children and themselves, teaching them self worth again, and most importantly, the ways of God. Prostitution is also on the rise. Women are selling their bodies in order to feed their children, just for one more day, then another.

They don’t care if they die of AIDS because they already have it. So why should we help? This epidemic is spreading like a wild fire. Right now it is in poor developing Nations, before you know it, it will be near you. All you have to do is be immune to the situation and give a deaf ear. Keep in mind that these countries do have their own wealthy people who can fund these situations and contain the epidemic, but because these people live there and see these situations everyday, they have become immune to the problem, and it has become normal existence for them. When I see suffering children, my heart breaks and I can’t stop the tears because that is not a daily reality for me. If this presentation has moved you, then make a decision today. I believe that it is the Holy Spirit of God speaking to you and urging you to do something.

If you don’t, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, he will not force you, he will just pack up and leave you alone and you in turn will have killed that compassionate part of you and thus you will not recognize the epidemic, if, God forbid, it should ever spread to a place near you. Then you will have become just like some of those wealthy people in those poor nations. IMMUNE TO THE CRIES OF THE SUFFERING.

God’s love language is action. James 2:15-17. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. So brothers and sisters, do something. Let us slow the epidemic down. Let us contain it.

By Eve Helms-Manzanares.