Our Journey
Chartered in Maryland's state in February of 2010 by a native Zimbabwean, Visions has impacted hundreds of children and their guardians' lives. After three years of operation with a 501 c 3 designation, Visions has made a significant difference in the future of many orphans and the community in central Zimbabwe.
Since its founding, the primary focus of VFA is to provide orphans in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, with hope for an otherwise uncertain life.
It is difficult to imagine what it is like for a child to lose his/her parents and face a vague future in a society that guarantees very little. While world health indicators reveal some improvement in the health crisis facing African countries regarding HIV/AIDS and other diseases, the harsh reality is that these societies have not wholly recovered from the pain and void left behind by millions of deaths. Despite the progress, a quarter of all children in Zimbabwe, 1.6 million 1, have lost one or both parents due to AIDS or other causes. As a result, it is not uncommon for extended families to care for more than one orphan.
Currently, Zimbabwe’s economy is such that food, shelter, and education—the primary needs of a child besides love and a sense of safety—are very hard for anyone to guarantee. Food prices fluctuate almost daily, and school fees (tuition, uniforms, and other levies are required from all students who attend public schools in most African countries) are hardly ever the same from term to term.
It is here that Visions for Africa is Investing in Hope. In 2012, Visions funded the Penuel Springs Orphan Network program that provides tuition and school supply fees, guardian mentoring, and various other benefits for seventy-nine orphans, increasing from forty in 2011. This is a significant commitment of over $60,000.00 annually.
1 UNICEF, "Situation Analysis on the Status of Women’s and Children’s Rights in Zimbabwe, 2005–2010: A call for Reducing Disparities and Improving Equity".