ABOUT AIDS ORPHANS RISING

The Religious Teachers Filippini have been helping the poorest children and women survive for more than 300 years. In the past their schools and initiatives for orphans and widows were mainly due to the consequences of war.

Now the times are changing, and The Religious TeachersFilippini adapted by creating AIDS Orphans Rising to provide these same survival and life skills to the Child Headed Households.

WHAT DOES AIDS ORPHANS RISING DO?
The goal is to more than just help these children survive. We need to teach them the skills they will need to live healthy, independent lives.

In a Child Headed Household where the oldest member is over 12, the children are provided a small home. They enter a program where they learn a trade so they can earn some money right away for their little family, while also studying for their elementary education diploma. They learn sewing, knitting, embroidering, gardening, poultry raising and are taught basic business skills to help their micro-enterprise be successful.

In a Child Headed Household where the oldest member is under 12, the children are into the convent and help them until they are ready to live on their own.
 

WHAT DO THEY LEARN?
The children learn skills they can use. In addition to teach those that are
illiterate how to read, the program teaches the children skills they can
use to better their situation.

They learn sewing, knitting, embroidering, gardening, poultry raising
and are taught basic business skills to help their micro-enterprise be
successful.

There is another school where the children also learn poultry raising
and bee cultivating, things like that. And when they graduate, they are
asked “which course did you like best?” If they like the poultry raising
they get 500 fertilized eggs; if they like sewing best, they get a sewing
machine at graduation, and so on. The goal is to set them up in their
own micro–enterprise.

Many of our graduates have gone on to set up their own restaurants or
sewing shops and others have gone on to be successful in business and
technology, or as teachers and nurses. It is very touching to see the

Girls at one of the AOR missions
 

Annabella and the Pickle Jarformer graduates return with their own families to thank the Sisters for all they have done for them.

WHAT ON EARTH IS THE "PIZZA GELATO INITIATIVE"?
A man from Italy built us two pizza ovens and we’ve bought an industrial gelato machine. And the oldest of the child–headed household gets the first chance at this, and
she learns how to make pizza, how to make gelato, It's really a 21 course program--

When they’re finished they have a certificate and they can either start their own stand, or go work in the city. They have a certificate that says that they do know how to do these things. They are getting work and they are able to provide for their brothers and sisters.


THERE ARE SO MANY ORPHANS-- HOW CAN I POSSIBLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
As unbeliebable as it sounds, it only takes 4 cents to feed a child a meal! In fact, When Lisa goes out for a run with her 5 year old daughter Annabella in a stroller, they both keep an eye out for change on the road. When they get home, they count out how many meals they've raised money for that day, and put the change into "The Pickle Jar" and it all goes to the orphans!.

HOW CAN I BE SURE MY DONATION GOES TO THE CHILDREN?
The Religious Teachers Filippini uses other sources of income to pay for all other incidental costs and salaries. 100% of your donation directly to the children.

Aids Orphans Rising Book
  HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
  You can go to www.aidsorphansrising.org or purchase Sister Marybeth's book, AIDS Orphans Rising, What You Should Know and How You Can Help Them Succeed.

You can purchase it from Barnes and Noble, or in the Kindle version from Amazon.com. Click here to read a sample chapter.

 
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