Casa de Maria Clara Orphanage

I have spent a lot of time here at 25000’. There have been days when I have enjoyed a warm meal and a wonderful view of SE Africa. Most of the population I have hovered over will never have that opportunity. There is a lot of insulation between the cockpit of a Q400 and the realities of life in one of the poorest countries in the world. It’s my job. It’s what I came to do…fly airplanes, but there have been times where I’ve resented that insulation. A visit to Casa de Maria Clara Orphanage today helped push some of those feelings aside.

A large part of the current African story is that of HIV/AIDS. In South Africa alone there are 1,400,000 AIDS orphans. Their parents have died from AIDS. In Mozambique, the number is over 400,000. These are the ones they know about. According to a CARE executive, there’s probably a lot more. Current data collection doesn’t reach certain remote areas or account for children that might be living with family or friends. (Though equally affected by loss of both parents). People I’ve spoken with in health care/HIV related fields all seem to say it is hard to see progress in the fight against the epidemic. Millions die…its unbelievable!

Casa de Maria Clara is an Orphanage for girls. There are 115 girls from age 3 to 18 currently housed there. It is run by five Nuns. Many of the girls are HIV positive. They are receiving Ant-retroviral treatment. Others have been abandoned. As orphanages go, this is a good one. It’s clean, it’s organized, and there seems to be stable financial support, although they could always use more. (We brought 20gal of milk). Information about and donations for Casa de Maria Clara can be found at:

http://casamariaclara.no.sapo.pt/cen.htm

To learn more about HIV/AIDS Orphans in Africa:

http://www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm

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