Dear All

Please find below a slightly out-of-date update about Isaiah's Home of Love for anyone who is just hearing about this ministry. Please see below for our email contact details.

Isaiah’s Umuzi Wothando (Isaiah’s Home of Love) is a project established in March 2004 to assist abandoned babies in Bulawayo Zimbabwe, and the surrounding areas. It is a faith-based community initiative. Our vision is to see abandoned babies being integrated into loving families and communities, to the glory of God.

Isaiah’s Umuzi Wothando (IUW) is located at 57 Heyman Road, Suburbs, Bulawayo, and currently cares for 18 babies/children. Rapid expansion occurred late in 2007 after we obtained our full registration with the Department of Social Welfare. We have cared for 33 babies/children since our home opened, with 13 already fostered to be adopted by loving families, and another 3 of our current kids are to be fostered/adopted soon. One of our girls is in the process of being reunited with her family soon, and unfortunately 2 of our babies have passed away.

The mission of IUW is to lovingly care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of abandoned babies in this home, and to help facilitate the fostering and adoption of these babies to good families. We believe that the low levels of fostering and adoption currently can be increased by raising greater awareness of the plight of abandoned babies, and by encouraging a high level of community involvement in this project. We have seen this already.

The need arised, unfortunately, because a number of babies are abandoned by their families. Some babies are left at the hospitals by their mothers soon after childbirth, while others are left in the bushes.

In the last seven or so years the number of abandoned babies in government hospitals in Bulawayo has increased significantly, due to both the number of abandoned babies and the lack of available places at orphanages. The growing number of orphans in Zimbabwe, contributed to by the HIV/Aids epidemic, is a significant factor in the creation of this scenario. The economic situation has also greatly impacted on the ability of the ‘extended family’ to care for orphans.

What a privilege we have been given to care for these adorable babies.

Wherever possible we will assist babies/children to stay with their family (often their extended family) or community. With a little assistance from us 2 babies who were referred to us already have been able to stay with their families when they didn’t see how that was possible.

We are also partnering with another organisation to establish homes for those babies that aren’t fostered and adopted (or reunited with family), and other orphans. We believe that this project provides a holistic approach to orphan care. Where babies aren’t able to be reunited with family, fostered or adopted, they will progress from our babies home to the home for orphans where they will live in a family-type environment.

Our first home, Rehoboth, has already began, and we had 8 children move to this family. The house parents want to foster and ultimately adopt all of these children, praise God.
We believe that God has guided us to show His love and care to these babies, and given us the above-mentioned vision and objectives. We have seen His hand of guidance and provision in many ways in the development of this project. To Him be the glory.

If you would like to find out more information about the Home, or support this project in any other way, we would love to hear from you. Please come and visit us our Home at 57 Heyman Road in Suburbs or contact the Home on telephone +263 9 230504. At our town office, Martin Barrow can be contacted on +263 9 64472 or Belinda Wilson on +263 9 64474, email addresses are martinbarrow@hotmail.com and isaiahs@yoafrica.com, alternatively belinda@isaiahshomeoflove.org.