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The Adopt a Home initiative began as a result of two young boys aged 8 and 10 who had been left orphaned when their parents died of HIV/AIDS. While filming the documentary Africa Sing Me Your Song in Tanzania, Melissa Hyson was approached by a young 8 year old boy on the street. It was discovered that Haruna and his brother Juma wandered the streets begging every day in order to live. They slept in the ruins of a house never completed, and with its floor being only grass and broken glass. At the time of the filming, SaveAfricaNow was not really able to help them beyond providing clothes and taking care of some of their basic needs for the next number of days. But their story continued to haunt David Youngren and everyone who was impacted by it through the documentary – Africa Sing Me Your Song. Thus David Youngren together with his son Nathanael and Daniel Kooman journeyed to find them. Driving through the area where they had last seen them, showing photos and speaking to anyone who would know, they finally found them. They were now living with their grandmother who was also caring for another six children. They were very poor, and moved from place to place and begged every day; making it impossible for them to go to school. That day they were rescued from their street living when David Youngren announced to them that all their needs would be met. Having witnessed their situation, it became clear that the grandmother and the children had the potential to turn their tragedy into triumph. After having evaluating the situation, it was decided to build the entire family of eight children and the grandmother a house, and include the furniture and all that they need. Their house is now being built in early 2008 for a total cost of $16,000. What began as simply a desire to help, Juma and Haruna, the children that first impacted so many people through Africa Sing Me Your Song has now turned into an initiative which will provide orphans and adoptive parents with a house. Houses will be built to accommodate the many children who have a family member that loves them but is either not able or too poor to adequately provide for them. Adoptive parents will at some point, after having been empowered to make a living, begin to pay rent. The rent payments will then be used by SaveAfricaNow to build more orphaned children with adoptive parents’ similar houses.
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