|PIC1|An African project that supports children orphaned by AIDS will benefit from fresh vital support after the community of Bristol’s oldest Catholic Church renewed its commitment to overseas outreach.

According to Father Michael Cleary, parish priest at St Mary-on-the-Quay, the idea to “adopt a special project” was spurred by parish members’ recently renewed commitment to church outreach.

“We would of course be collecting money for it, but we would also try to maintain close personal interest with what is going on and even if possible encourage personal links,” said Father Cleary.

The project to be supported by the church is the Lesang Bana Care Centre in Metsimotlhabe, Botswana.

|QUOTE|The name of the centre is inspired by the kind words of Jesus to children in the Gospels and means Let the Little Children Come. It provides care for children who are vulnerable or orphaned by AIDS.

Father Gaby Faimau, parish priest of the Divine Mercy Catholic Mission in the village, leads the centre which also provides the children with education and psycho-social support.

"We cannot close our eyes towards the social problems faced by our people,” said Father Faimau. "HIV and AIDS is now the most crucial problem faced by our people. This disease has killed so many and as a result there are so many orphans in the Botswana.

He described the situation: "In the first two or three months after my arrival in Metsimotlhabe, I found so many orphans in so many families, mostly taken care of by grandmothers and they do not have access to any type of education.

|AD|"I also met so many vulnerable children. There is a family headed by a single mother. She has to take care of four children from a wheelchair since she is paralysed and yet she has no regular income.

"The lady once told me that most of the times her children only have warm water as their breakfast before they go to school.

It was Father Faimau’s experiences in Metsimotlhabe that prompted his proposal to the church in Bristol to support the Lesang Bana Care Centre.

"After sharing my experiences with the Divine Mercy Catholic Community we decided to establish the Lesang Bana Care Centre to give care to our children, particularly orphans and vulnerable children, and to help them meet their basic needs."

The centre celebrated its official opening last month. Father Faimau expressed his appreciation for the contributions from the people of Bristol and St-Mary-on-the-Quay.

“It is needed and it is put to very good use,” he said.