The Children’s Bridge Foundation is a volunteer-based, charitable organization that provides educational and health programs to orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries.  Started in 2003 by a group of adoptive parents, our charity is run by volunteers who have a passionate desire to help improve the lives children who have so little and deserve so much more. 

Our mandate is to partner with efficient and accountable organizations in the developing world to assist them in offering orphaned and abandoned children healthcare and educational programs in the following areas:

 Providing medical support (including the treatment of HIV) and nutritional programs;

Providing surgeries and rehabilitation programs for older orphaned children with special medical needs; 

Providing teachers to support education and learning.

The Children’s Bridge Foundation is a non-governmental organization that has no religious or political affiliation. We are an independent entity and are not part of or directly affiliated with any other organization.  Over the years, we have helped support children in China, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Nepal, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. This year we are focusing on projects in Asia and Africa.

We welcome you to learn more about our current programs in Chinaand South Africa.  If you would like to assist the Children’s Bridge Foundation in giving orphaned and abandoned children the opportunity for a brighter future, find out how to donate here.

Many of the children served by the Children’s Centre are also living with HIV, or are suffering from severe malnourishment, tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis, severe abuse, neglect and/or abandonment.  The Children’s Bridge Foundation has committed to providing the Siyathemba Children’s Centre with its annual medical care costs. These expenses include: anti-retroviral’s (ARV’s), TB testing and/or medication, antibiotics, painkillers, vitamins and supplements, and other medical supplies as needed. All of the children will also have access to a qualified physician who will provide daily health care visits, as well as access to annual dental/eye exams.

Although the South African government provides HIV/AIDS testing and treatment to many citizens, the national program has some gaps that leave the most vulnerable (often women and children) without access to care or medication. Children under the age of 5 are rarely placed on ARV treatment.  To add to this, South Africa has many active unions that strive to improve rights and working conditions for various sectors of the work force. Often the unions will call for employees to strike as a way to improve their working conditions – in fact this happens so frequently that South Africa has an unofficial “strike season” in which many workers remain off the job for days, weeks or months. This can often affect the health industry, leaving many poor South African who rely on state-run clinics and hospitals without care or access to medicines. Privately run hospices, such as EWF Comfort Home and the Children’s Centre continue to care for those in need during these times.

The Children’s Bridge Foundation is also striving in the future to assist EWF with the cost of hiring a teacher for the Siyathemba Children’s Centre to work with the children who are too sick to attend a local public school.  For more information on this partnership, please visit the announcement by the Children’s Bridge Foundation at http://cbfoundation.com/wp/?page_id=4

In brief we currently have staying with us:

• a 6 year old and 2 year old brother and sister.  Their Mom and Dad have both recently passed away and it looks as if they will  probably be with us for a very long time.
• a 1 year old boy that we have had for a year now.  His mother has now disappeared and we don’t know if she will be returning
• a 1 year old boy and his 4 day old brother who were just placed with us the other day.  Social Welfare brought them to our centre in a state of extreme neglect
• a 1 year old boy that was abandoned and is malnourished
• a little girl who is 8 months old and is dying of malnutrition – please pray for her
• and a little girl who is malnourished and apparently abandoned.  We are dealing with social welfare to try to sort out the details

No child’s life should pass through this world unnoticed by humanity!  Please remember to pray for these children and the dedicated staff who care for them.  And please prayerfully consider if you can help our work in any way.

This woman has no idea what to do.  There is no where for these children to go as she is only equipped to deal with a small number of adults at any given time.  She has no long term facilities to care for these rescued kids.  Some are pregnant, most are HIV positive, some are addicted to drugs.  All of them are going to require extensive counselling and care for their physical, mental and spiritual wounds.

Would you please join with EWF in praying over this terrible situation.  We are praying that the care that is desperately needed for these girls would be found quickly.  We are praying for healing for the terrible abuses that have been heaped on these children.  We are praying that they woman who does all she can to step into the gap for others like these girls would be blessed and could continue the work that she does. And mostly we are praying that the love of Jesus would rain down on these children and they would know that they are loved.  Won’t you please join us in prayer.

Congratulations to our Grand Prize winner……… Michael Nel from British Columbia.  Michael and his wife had the single most successful event in this year’s contest and have been officially awarded the prize of a trip for two to South Africa.

Trish Brown from Toronto, Ontario was the winner of the draw prize of a one week stay at a cottage on Six Mile Lake

Willy Kroon from Toronto, Ontario was the winner of the draw prize of an Apple iPad

Congratulations to all of our winners and thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s campaign for helping Emmanuel’s Wish Foundation continue our work.  Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on future events.

Order your very own copy of this cookbook full of recepies from South Africa and Canada. Enjoy South African delicacies like:

Yellow Rice
Pumpkin Fritters
Bobotie
Putu

as well as many others.  Also includes selections of Appetizers, Soups & Salads, Children’s Favourites, and deserts.

Cost for this 67 page Cookbook is only $15.00 (including tax and shipping in Canada).  To order, send an email to info@emmanuelswish.org letting us know the address you want it shipped to and then click here to pay via PayPal (just write Mnandi Cookbook in the purpose field).  Otherwise, you can send a cheque or money order in the amount of $15.00, payable to Emmanuel’s Wish Foundation to

65 Cedar Pointe Drive
Suite 474
Barrie, Ontario, L4N 9R3

HAPPY COOKING!

The children at the Comfort Home have now been moved into the Siyathemba Children’s Centre.  After meeting with the Municipality of Richmond’s Social Welfare Department, we decided that it was time to move the children under our care to the new building.  With Phase 1 complete and Phase 2 well underway, the time was right to have the children in their own area.  We are now working closely with Social Welfare to ensure that children can be brought to us at any hour of the day, seven days a week!  Praise God for all that he has done to ensure that this relationship can be a good one!

Future Playground

Completed Phase 1