A Story of Friendship and Hope
The beginning of Kids of Africa is as much a story of friendship and hope as it is of family values and the pursuit of a dream. When in 1999, Burkhard Varnholt – the founder of Kids of Africa – received a letter from Uganda from a young man looking for help, Burkhard decided to travel to Uganda to meet the articulate author of this initial letter. Burkhard’s journey became the beginning of a lasting friendship. It also opened his eyes in many ways and it sowed the seeds of a dream, which led to the beginning of Kids of Africa.
After five years and many more visits by Burkhard to Uganda, the author of the initial letter had completed an education in construction but lacked job-opportunities. This is when Kids of Africa was born. Burkhard decided to found a charity which would help some of the countless orphaned or abandoned children in this wonderful country. It was also an opportunity to provide work for the author of the initial letter, who dedicated the next years to building strong, simple and friendly houses which now form the backbone of our village.
Life comes to the village
Then, after thorough preparation, our first foster mothers joined. Soon thereafter, Kids of Africa became a lively place and was put in charge of several children, mostly newborn orphans. They suffered from malnutrition, malaria, various infections, worms, flues etc. Some are HIV positive. But all of them are today joyful, responsible and inspiring children.
Immediately, this raised our medical care requirements with regard to staff and facilities. Kids of Africa couldn’t be what it is today, had it not been tirelessly supported by two experienced Swiss medical doctors, Danielle Gyurech and Julian Schilling from conception until today. This was the first steps to expanding Kids of Africa to include a medical clinic with laboratory and ward.
Not only is Kids of Africa home to many children, it has been organized in such a way that it is home to families and our families stretch out beyond the families living in the family houses, with a mother caring for the children given to her care, it has also become an extended family to our staff. Kids of Africa has grown from being small homes to being a village that hosts friendship and family values giving our children hope of a bright future.
