A child cries out in the middle of the night. She wakes up, frightened, and calls for her mother. Silence answers her. Slowly opening her eyes, she watches the shadows cast along the dirt floor from the soft glow of the moon. She shivers on her mat and curls up closer to her older sister. The younger children are all huddled around her, too, since the only heat in the room comes from their frail bodies. As tears begin to fall, she once again longs for her mother’s arms, knowing she will never feel them again. Like so many others in the village, her mother is dead, a victim of AIDS. The little girl closes her eyes, wondering how she can feel so alone when surrounded by so many.

This is a common story in southern Africa. As the AIDS pandemic worsens, an entire generation of men and women is almost nonexistent. More and more people are dying every day, and prevention seems impossible. What will happen to the countless number of sick and those they leave behind?

Continuing their vow to minister to those in need, the Missionary Oblates are bringing hope to the countless victims of the pandemic. With ministries in countries such as Natal, Lesotho, Zambia, and South Africa, the Oblates provide care for the sick and for the survivors. “People are dropping like flies,” said Fr. Benedict Gumede, O.M.I., a native of Natal. “We must do something. Death is becoming a normal occurrence. Many times I say three funeral masses in one day.”

As African governments try to stop the spread of HIV, the Oblates are taking immediate action to care for those who are already infected. In Natal, where shelter, heat, electricity, and clean water can be difficult to find, the Oblates gave up their own home and converted it into a hospice.

In Zambia, the Oblates oversee Our Lady’s Hospice, a medical clinic and residential facility for AIDS patients. “The hospice sees about 1,500 people a week in its outpatient program,” explained Fr. Joseph Phiri, O.M.I. “With our help, about 3,500 people are taking medications for HIV/AIDS.”

The hospice provides outreach programs, AIDS testing, counseling, and both in and outpatient services. These programs give those infected a promise of hope.

The Oblates teach young people in the villages how to care for their dying loved ones and how to keep younger family members from contracting the disease. This is becoming necessary because, as Fr. Gumede explains, “There are no adults. Only the very young or the very old.” Fr. Augustinus Mobonde, O.M.I., a native of Lesotho, agrees. “You go and visit people, and you find children, some barely 13, taking care of their younger brothers and sisters.”

The Oblates have also taken in many orphaned children. “Children are caring for children,” Fr. Gumede sadly stated. “They are left with nothing.” In Kalabo, a rural village in Western Zambia, the Oblates help support the Bupilo Center, a day care center and educational facility for AIDS orphans. Some days up to 80 children enter the doors of the Bupilo Center, hoping for food, shelter, and love.

The Oblates’ founder, St. Eugene De Mazenod, first sent missionaries to southern Africa in 1852. St. Eugene asked his brother Oblates to serve the poor so they may know God’s love. Over 150 years later, the Oblates still carry out St. Eugene’s work as they try to bring help and hope to those suffering from the AIDS pandemic.