"That's not my baby! My baby was small and had sores all over his face!" Eva exclaimed in Swahili. I was showing her video that I had shot of her son Tyson at the Cradle of Love infant orphanage the day before. Sick from her HIV infection, Eva had reached a point where she was no longer able to take good care of her baby and had let him go to the orphanage when he was about six months old. That was over a year and a half ago and Tyson was now a big, happy, laughing, walking, talking boy in the flip out monitor of my video camera. It wasn't that she really didn't believe that the young boy on my camera was hers, Tyson had come to visit her a number of times over the months, she was just trying to say, in her way, how grateful she was to see how beautiful and healthy he looked.

Perhaps one of the saddest things about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa is the millions of little innocent lives that are left behind in the wake of the disease. Because the blood system of a baby is separate from its mothers during pregnancy, babies born to mothers who are HIV positive, can be healthy and HIV negative. Unfortunately a pregnancy can often be so hard on the system of a mother who is HIV positive that she may fall ill and die shortly after giving birth. This leaves the infant in the care of relatives, who in many cases are unable to afford the powdered formula that the baby needs to survive.

In desperation, the family may try and feed the baby rice water or some kind of sugar drink. When the baby begins to show signs of severe malnourishment, the family will often take the baby to a local hospital and hope that they will be able to save it. Sadly, with dozens of other babies on the ward, there is little hope for these orphans of HIV.

Africa has an amazing village social system that, in the past, has been able to take care of its orphans. When parents die, children are brought into the care of aunts, uncles, or grandparents. Where these are not able to cover the additional financial burden, the collective village will come to the assistance of the adoptive parents. Even though this system has been severely taxed in Africa, because of HIV and AIDS, it is still seen to be a better solution then sending children away to an orphanage. In the village, children can grow up in the care of those who are emotionally invested and may provide the best love, care and support possible. They will be able to grow up, in touch with the family, culture, language and belief system of their heritage.

The great exception to this rule is the case of infant orphans. At least until babies are able to eat solid food, infants take special care that aunts and grandmothers are not able to give. Because of the lack of money for formula, most simply fade away quietly and die. Throughout Africa there is a great need for infant orphanages to help take these little ones through their first year or two of life.

Located near Arusha, Tanzania, the Cradle of Love infant orphanage has been operating for the last two years out of the home of Max and Davona Church. Wherever they have been stationed in Africa over the last 20 years, Davona has found a way to save babies. It is her passion. Shortly after they moved to Tanzania two and a half years ago, when Max took the position of ADRA country director, Davona began scheming about how to establish an infant orphanage on the ADRA compound. With support from friends, family and many people she did not even know, she has been able to build a brand new facility that officially opened its doors just one month ago. While it is still in need of some finishing touches, it's fully operational and has the capacity to care for up to 35 babies at a time.

With the social services of Tanzania and two other agencies referring orphaned and abandoned babies, this new orphanage is very likely to be full most of the time. The babies are cared for 24 hours a day by a fully trained staff of African mothers, as well as the volunteers that come for a short term stay, and want to give their love to the babies.

The orphanage is designed to give short term care usually no more then two years and the ultimate goal is to either return the child to the extended family, or find a family to adopt the baby that has no village to return to.

I have seen Max and Davona's love in action on previous visits to Africa and I am so delighted to see them continuing this wonderful work here in Tanzania. Truly they are taking the love of God to the very least! If you would be interested in helping the Cradle of Love, you can find out more about the program, and track the progress of the babies by visiting the Cradle of Love web site. ADRA Canada is also a sponsor of this great program and if you live in Canada you can send a tax deductible gift to the orphanage, via ADRA Canada. Contact information can be found at the ADRA Canada web site. Simply specify that you would like your gift to be directed to the Cradle of Love infant orphanage. Your gift can save a life like Tyson.