Family Outreach

One of the greatest challenges facing AFE’s students is not the garbage dump, but the families into which they were born. When the parents or guardians cat

ch AFE’s vision, the student is almost guaranteed success. But when they do not, the children fight to forge a river against a raging current.

Our students’ parents have been known to force their children to go scavenge in the afternoons while they lie drunk on their beds, they have pressured their children to drop out of school completely to support the family income or to “take a wife” at thirteen years old. At the worst, the use and abuse their children and pass on addictions. Reaching families is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty in the next generation.

For this reason, we have

several events throughout the year to reach out to families. Our main events are our Mother’s Day program and our Christian celebration. Additionally, our men’s, women’s, and discipleship groups at the church are praying and involving themselves in family outreach. Some AFE parents attend school in the afternoons. Others volunteer in the kitchen and help serve lunch to our students. Others receive health care from AFE’s clinic. Whatever their involvement, AFE’s families know that they have a church community that is there for them.

Additionally, AFE has been working to build Homes of Dignity for our families in the most desperate situation.  Since beginning the program in 2009, we have completed ten new homes for families who were once for all practicality, homeless. This is a huge step forward in their financial security and overall health and safety.