Caring for Children
In 1994, two South African sisters Jean and Stella Cornneck (lovingly known as Mama Jean and Sister Stella) were inspirationally led to establish an orphanage for children living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Community, located in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, offers a loving, stable and secure home environment where children are given housing, education, medical treatment and spiritual enrichment. A House Mother provides parental oversight and every child is nurtured with guidance, encouragement and a sense of belonging.
The orphanage is comprised of:
- 10 family homes each accommodating up to 16 children.
- A Medical Clinic which provides HIV/AIDS prevention education and treatment to children living at the orphanage and also, to adults and children in nearby communities.
- A primary and vocational school.
- A farming operation.
- A bakery.
- A Catholic chapel.
Currently, 155 children live at Mother of Peace and the number of children being referred into the orphanage continues to grow each year.
Mother of Peace Objectives
- Increase the housing capacity and resources to care for 400 children.
- Expand the provision of healthcare which includes HIV/AIDS medication and treatment.
- Gain self sufficiency and sustainability through farming and baking operations.
- Provide vocational training for children who are unable to achieve academic qualifications.
How You Can Help
The primary goal of Mother of Peace is to expand capacity and to provide a loving home for 400 children. With the support of your donation, the Ministry can continue to help Mother of Peace open its doors to additional children by offering much needed financial/living support, medication and medical treatment.
The Impact of Your Donation
- $5 provides primary school fees for 4 children and secondary schools fees for 1 child for a month.
- $10 provides primary school uniforms for 3 children or 2 secondary school uniforms.
- $25 provides food for 10 children for a month.
- $150 provides life-saving anti-retroviral medication for 1 child for 1 year.
Below you'll find additional information on the history Mother of Peace and the efforts of the Ministry. Click here to view a video of Mother of Peace.
The Birth of Mother of Peace
Mama Jean and Sister Stella were educated and trained as nurses in the U.K. With the help of U.K. charities, the Catholic Church and other philanthropists, Mother of Peace was formally established as a safe refuge for the children of Zimbabwe. The community continues to be operated by Mama Jean and Sister Stella and children of all faiths are warmly welcomed.
In their early years, given the lack of proper medical treatment and medication for the children, Mother of Peace was a hospice where Mama Jean and Sister Stella cared for the children while they were dying of AIDS or other fatal diseases. Today, given the provision of medical treatment, medication and living support from The Allen Temple Baptist Church AIDS Ministry and other donors, the fatality rate has significantly reduced.
Jean and Stella Cornneck |
Our Efforts
In late 2000, Dr. Robert C. Scott and other church and Ministry leaders attended the International AIDS Conference in South Africa. During their stay, they also traveled to Zimbabwe and were introduced to Mama Jean and Sister Stella at Mother of Peace.
Dr. Scott and the other Ministry leaders were greatly moved by the significant needs of the children and the overwhelming commitment of Mama Jean and Sister Stella. Upon their return to the U.S., they formally petitioned Allen Temple to adopt the orphanage and to provide financial support. This support continues today and provides for the well being, care and enrichment of every child living at the community.
In addition, at the Medical Clinic located at Mother of Peace, Dr. Scott leads a team of U.S. based and Zimbabwean medical professionals and administers life-saving anti-retroviral medicine therapies and treatment to child patients with HIV/AIDS. Allen Temple AIDS Ministry sources and pays for all HIV/AIDS related medications.
* Averting HIV/AIDS
