Orphans & Widows

Our work with widows and orphans is in direct affiliation with the work of Foundation Ministries and the Hope Project founded by Rene & Elizabeth Brown. We have been laboring together with Foundation Ministries internationally for the last 10 years. We fully support this ministry to widows and orphans and consider it a privilege to partner together to meet the needs of those less fortunate. We strongly urge you to consider partnering with us in this vital ministry.

The Hope Project (an outreach of Foundation Ministries) grew out of watching two pastors in Western Kenya struggle under the burden of helping widows and orphans in their respective areas. For many years they had scratched to find money to keep a few orphans fed and housed with Christian families and in school. Some widows were helped also. In many cases the widows that were in good enough health helped rear the orphans.

No orphanage was or is planned. The concept of the Hope Project is to raise african children in familiar home surroundings with Christian families where possible and outside Christian families if need be. Many of the orphans have no families and are destitute. Some may have an aged grandparent barely able to feed themselves. Sometimes all they can provide is a roof over the heads of the children and the love that all children need. A few still have a mother who is often suffering from HIV/AIDS brought home by wayward husbands and unable to provide food or school funds. Without an education, the future is bleak for Africans no matter the background.

Each month the Hope Project provides funds to purchase food needed to sustain the children and the widows. There are over 100 orphans and 30 widows helped. Each one must find the remainder of what they eat. Part of that is supplied by farming or gardening on small plots owned by some widows or on land farmed by the two pastors who operate the Hope Project. Each Spring we try to help with seed and fertilizer money to help them help themselves.

Constructing a hut to house a widow and several orphans costs about $300 in total. In December and January each year we must provide new uniforms, books, supplies, and school fees for all the children in school. Complete support of one child or one widow (including clothes, food, and school fees for the child) requires about $50 per month (on average). School fees for primary children run about $55-$60 per year, fees for Secondary range from about $225 to $450 depending on the particular school, whether they are fed or not, etc. The total due by January for fees and other school items will be a minimum of $12,000 and a maximum $14,000. We are already at work having the uniforms sewn for each child.

Foundation Ministries is a 501(c)3 tax exempt ministry that for over 25 years has been teaching the word of God in countries of the world to church leaders and other believers. Nearly 50 nations have been touched during that time. Helping widows and orphans has always been part of the ministry with the Hope Project in Africa being the latest. Foundation Ministries bears the administrative burden for the Hope Project and all monies given for the Project go to Africa to assist in the care of a widow or an orphan. Nothing is kept here for FM administrative expense.

We invite you to give where you can be sure your money will actually benefit a widow or a child 100%. All donations are tax exempt and an annual receipt will be provided for all gifts. If you wish we can provide the name, picture, and details of a particular child or widow for you. Our newsletter provides general information also. The widows and children are visited regularly by Foundation Minitries personnel to confirm their welfare and schooling situation. The children are happy, thankful, and praise the Lord for their Christian friends that help them each month. Our first children are graduating from secondary school and we pray the Lord will provide for at least some to go to college or trade school.

Rene and Elizabeth Brown, leaders of the Hope Project, make their home in Kerrville, Texas, and have been ministering in Africa for 16 years.