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The Children
Contact Us
Victorious Faith
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Victorious Faith Refuge Home |
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Information about the Refuge Home |
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In the
spring of 2005, with the help of Victorious Faith Ministries in
Algoma, WI, Pastor Andrew Gombay established the Victorious Faith
Refuge Home in Monrovia, Liberia.
Compelled by the heartbreaking conditions of war orphans and the growing number of abandoned children, Pastor Andrew built a two-room building adjoined to his church to house them. In early 2006, through a grant provided by World Orphans of Colorado, they purchased their present small, two-bedroom home off Garnarville Road in Monrovia. It doesn’t look like much, compared to our standards, but by Liberia standards, it’s pretty impressive. With the help of Esther's Hope sponsors and a few other resourceful people conditions at the refuge home are steadily improving.
The Refuge Home houses up to 30 children; two thirds of them boys. Conditions are slowly improving but for the time being, one small room is shared by all the girls and another equally small room room is shared by all the boys. Each of these rooms had one small window each (seen in this photo). Those windows are being enlarged for better ventilation and light. The front porch is being enclosed to provide for more sleeping area. On our last visit, we noticed they had no beds. Twenty-six children and their caregivers made due with four thin mattresses that were laid on the floor. Before we left, we purchased another four mattresses. As part of the improvement process, bunk beds are being built. The kitchen was an open, crudely covered back porch where meals were cooked over wood or charcoal fires. The back porch is being improved and enclosed to better facilitate cooking and dining.
When it comes to the food the children eat, the menu always consists of rice (or bulgur wheat when rice can not be afforded), and sometimes split peas, cassava and potato greens. Providing plentiful, nutritious food is a top priority for for the use of sponsorship funds. The Refuge Home actually has a bathroom (a rare luxury in post-war Liberia) but there's nothing luxurious about it. The bathroom consists of a small, windowless room with two holes over a six foot pit.
A lingering consequence of the recent civil war was total destruction of the county's infrastructure. There is no utility-supplied electricity in Liberia. The Refuge home operated at night by candlelight. Recently, we were able to provide them with a small generator that will be used to power a few light bulbs.
There is little else in the refuge
home beside a couple benches and chairs and very few
toys.
Because of the close quarters, except
when sleeping or at school, the children spend little time indoors.
Your faithful support will help improve the living conditions of these children.
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