| Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not | | | | The report "Africa's Orphaned Generations" predicted |
| one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very | | | | that the number of AIDS orphans would rise from an |
| hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; | | | | estimated eleven million in 2001 to twenty million in |
| you are worth more than many sparrows. | | | | 2010, as a result of the high proportion of adults with |
| Luke 12:6-7 | | | | HIV or AIDS and the failure to deliver antiretroviral |
| It is widely accepted that there are 143 million | | | | treatment to sub-Saharan Africa. According to Unicef |
| orphans in the world. Asia is the continent with the | | | | and UNAIDS figures for 2003, only one percent of |
| largest number of orphans (in 2001, there were 65 | | | | some 29 million people in the region with HIV or AIDS |
| million orphans in Asia) and Africa has the greatest | | | | were receiving this treatment. |
| proportion of children who are orphans. | | | | In countries where HIV prevalence has stabilized or |
| On the continent of Africa, the country with the | | | | fallen, the numbers of orphans will remain high or rise |
| greatest population is Nigeria. Nigeria has 155 million | | | | as parents already infected continue to die from the |
| people. A recent study conducted found that the | | | | disease. |
| number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in | | | | Even in small countries such as Haiti, there were an |
| Nigeria is estimated at 17.5 million, out of which 7.3 | | | | estimated 380,000 orphans before the earthquake. |
| million are orphans by HIV/AIDS. | | | | Hope is on the way. |