Orphan Annie

Once upon a time, a long time ago…….. in 1933, just before Christmas, there was an orphan and her name was Annie. It was the time of the Great Economic Depression in the United States . People who had previously been advantaged were now penniless, living on the streets and under the bridges, forming small support communities. Annie had been abandoned as a baby by her parents on the steps of an orphanage years before. Her only remaining link with her parents was a note and half of a silver locket. These were Annie's greatest treasures. Although the orphans loved and cared for one another they were miserable because the matron was cruel and harsh, making the children work long hours and giving them little food. Annie decided to run away and was welcomed and fed by the street people, but after a police raid she was returned to the orphanage. Warbucks, a wealthy industrialist, originally from a very poor family, but who had built himself up to become a billionaire, wanted to share some of what he had earned and so he offered to take an orphan to spend Christmas at his mansion. Annie was the lucky orphan and as they spent their time together Annie and her billionaire grew to love one another dearly; so much so that he wanted to adopt her. Poor little Annie felt torn between her love for him and her yearning for her own parents. Warbucks decided to help her try to locate them and offered a large reward. Naturally many people claimed to be her parents just for the reward, but in the end it was discovered that her parents were both dead. So Annie was adopted, the wicked orphanage matron was punished and arrangements were made for all the other orphans to be well looked after. However, it was the positive attitude of little orphan Annie and her song of hope ‘ THE SUN'LL COME OUT TOMORROW ” that inspired many, including the President of the US and his cabinet, to strive for a new deal and a brighter future. And even more importantly, it was that little girl Annie, who could respond to what was missing in the life of the great Oliver Warbucks and could fill that gap simply by her loving presence.

As he sings,

“Something was missing, I never quite knew. That something was someone but who?

Who could that someone be, how could she make it known?

Who would need me for me, need me for me alone?

The world was my oyster, but where was the pearl? Who dreamed I would find it in one little girl.

Yes, something was missing but dreams can come true, that something is no one but you.”

Isn't that still a message for our time and an appropriate one for the International Year of the Family? This is a time of prosperity and of deprivation too, a time when in South Africa alone there are up to three million orphans, due to the AIDS-related deaths of their parents.

September in South Africa is Heritage month, a time to remember where we come from and where we hope to be going. When parents are no longer able to love and care for their own children, who will love and care for them? Who will allow these children to share the gift of their love? Who will help the sun to come out for many, on many tomorrows? * **

Toni Rowland

* PS. The Players, an amateur dramatic group in Johannesburg is staging the show ANNIE during September. For more information and to book tickets contact me at the above email address.

** PPS. Would any readers be interested and willing to help establish a children's project ORPHANS AND FRIENDS?

SACBC FAMILY LIFE DESK NEWS

It has been a busy month with a number of dioceses, deaneries, parishes and schools visited to promote a greater family focus and provide training, information and resources. One rural parish has adopted “strengthening family life” as one of their responses to HIV/AIDS. This is in addition to other strategies such as Education for Life, a youth education programme, and providing home-based care. The Durban Archdiocesan catechetical festival chose the theme “Weaving Faith with Families” in recognition of the International Year of the Family.

A response is being prepared to the SA Government Social Development National Policy on Families. While there are many good points, e.g. the focus on restoring family values, the policy itself is a challenging matter, for example with regard to its vision of what constitutes a family and therefore how its interests can best be served. The definition of a family as “a unit in which people live or care for each other which is governed by ‘family rules,'” is inadequate in terms of Catholic beliefs and the ideal of a family founded on the marriage of a man and woman.

A number of issues in SA legislation and supported by the SA Constitution are in conflict with Catholic teaching. Only last month abortion legislation was liberalized, making it legal for nurses to perform abortions in registered institutions. The SA Bishops issued a statement objecting to this and in particular supporting health workers who objected in conscience to such actions.

A Family Life Desk slot is being planned for the SACatholic Bishops Conference and where possible links will be provided for the movements that are active in the local church. These include Catholic Engaged Encounter, Couples for Christ, Focolare- New Families Movement, Marriage Encounter, Retrouvaille, Schoenstatt Family Movement, Teams of Our Lady in English and Portuguese. The new SA Catholic Directory lists the contact details for all and is available from all Catholic bookshops or the SACBC direct.

MOVEMENT OF CONTINUOUS PRAYER FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE.

This is beginning to catch on in various places. One Johannesburg parish is using this as a basis for their family ministry. There are different ways of doing this but the concept is similar to that of Perpetual Adoration which is becoming popular. One parish could take one day (or week) per month and fill all 24 hours, or alternatively cover the month by different families or individuals praying for family life on different days. Prayer happens in the home and the available booklet suggests specific needs e.g. praying for those about to be married, those who are married, who have lost a spouse, who choose to be single, for parents and families in different stages of life, with specific needs, etc. More info can be obtained from us.

RADIO VERITAS – will be broadcasting on DSTV from 3 rd October, bringing topical, informative and entertaining Catholic radio into our homes. I shall be hosting a programme called Family Matters once a week, hopefully full of interesting and useful stuff. See www.radioveritas.co.za for a proposed programme guide.

SNIPPETS

Another 10 th anniversary – the African Synod, with its theme CHURCH AS FAMILY

Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA) cisa@wananchi.com reports

"The teachings of the Synod are our strength in everyday life," Archbishop Nicodemus Kirima said at a Mass commemorating the 10 th anniversary of the Synod. The African Synod was meant to find new ways of reaching everyone in the continent with the Good News of salvation and to help African Christians to live their faith fully, he added.

Information and reports on orphans, children and HIV/AIDS.

www.childrenfirst.org.za carries a range of information about Children and HIV/AIDS. A senior UN official reports that sub-Saharan Africa will have 20 million HIV/AIDS orphans by 2010. He predicts that in Southern Africa orphans will represent more than 30% of the child population. How can these children be helped to gain an understanding of family? What form of families will evolve from this crisis situation?

  http://www.health24.com/news/HIV_AIDS

Many households headed by children
The data shows that 3,3% of the children are orphans who lost a mother, and one tenth of children have lost a parent by the time they were nine years old. By the age of 14, five percent have lost a parent. In the 15-18 age group, almost 25% have lost at least one parent.

When it came to the issue of households headed by a child, the survey showed that 3% of children 12-18 years of age said they were the head of the household. Overall, 0,6% of households claimed to be headed by a child between 14-18 years of age. Although this finding is higher than the 0,25% from a previous survey, namely the 1999 October Household Survey, the authors point out that South Africa may not yet have experienced the full impact of HIV/Aids regarding orphans and child-headed households and that the worst is still to come. It also showed that children who have a higher risk of getting HIV/Aids are African.

Other important findings:

• 45% of children who participated in the survey live in homes where there is not enough money for food and clothing;
• 12,7% of the surveyed households with at least one child in the 2-14 age group, ran businesses from home - such as spaza shops and taverns;
• almost 32% of children are exposed to someone in their home and neighbourhood who is drunk once a month.

Besides mother-to-child infections of HIV/Aids, the study identified three components that make children vulnerable to HIV infection: unsafe environments; a lack of care and protection of children; and a lack of knowledge and communication about sex and HIV/Aids. - (Health24)

CIRCLE OF LIFE and HIV/AIDS

…….. The FAMLI AIDS CCP is a holistic approach, designed to influence those at risk of infection so that they make informed and life-giving decisions. Though FAMLI is a faith-based organisation, "everyone is welcome" in its participatory methodology which can be used by religious groups, NGOs and government ministries. In this open and multidimensional approach, FAMLI goes beyond giving information and works to build up positive cultural norms, and change those values that are permissive to the spread of HIV.

One important facet of FAMLI AIDS CCP is the "Circle of Life" which revolves around Fertility Awareness Education. Relying on the user-friendly Bead System of counting the days of the menstrual cycle to monitor fertility, the Circle of Life promotes healthy and natural family planning that empowers the woman and seeks to increase the respect she receives within the family.
Through an awareness of her own body's rhythms, a woman and her husband can make informed and natural decisions regarding her reproductive health and family well-being.Contact: Richard Cremins SJ < famli@africa-online.net >

DOES MARRIAGE MATTER?

The low marriage rate in South Africa , particularly amongst black families is an area of great concern that will be explored and addressed more fully in future.

From smartmarriages.com

- POOR COUPLES WITH CHILDREN BETTER OFF MARRIED?
> I Can't Give You Anything But Love: Would Poor Couples With Children Be Better Off Economically If They Married? by Paula Roberts. Policymakers and researchers alike are debating whether marriage might be an anti-poverty strategy for families with children. Some believe that if
more parents married, there would be a substantial decrease in poverty. Others suggest that increasing the marriage rate among poor and near-poor parents, while not dramatically reducing poverty, would make a significant dent in the poverty rate for families with children. Still others are highly skeptical of these claims. This issue brief summarizes recent research bearing on the validity of these viewpoints. http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1093288195.25/marr_brf_5.pdf

Marriage Savers has been instrumental in introducing many resources for promoting marriage including a Community Marriage Policy and Mentor programes. McManus writes, “Today is the day I wrote my 1,200th weekly Ethics & Religion column.  It has been a wonderful day. Michael J. McManus. Co-Founder, President, Marriage Savers
www.marriagesavers.org

Should children be unbeatable? From www.childrenfirst.org.za .
UK Labour peers recently voted on a proposal to restrict smacking - by outlawing blows leading to "actual bodily harm" - which would fall short of an outright ban. Click on the link above to read more about this important subject.

CHRISTIANVIEW NETWORK CALLS ADVERTISERS TO FOLLOW FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICY www.ChristianView.org ChristianView Network thanks those who helped remove two immoral adverts this week.  The Advertising Standards Authority, after consulting the Commission on Gender Equality ruled yesterday ( 26 August 2004 ) that the Advertisement for Axe deodourant which implied two women sleeping with the same man should not be flighted again.  ChristianView Network thanks all who complained about both of these advertisements.  We encourage all companies to help fight the AIDS plague and strengthen moral values and family life by adopting a family-friendly advertising policy.  We encourage consumers to speak up against similar immoral advertising at complaint@asasa.org.za    While the government is no longer taking responsibility for censorship, consumers can make a difference.

SPRING SMILES : September heralds in the spring and with it the sun. Laughter is God's sunshine.

Father to colleague, “I take my children everywhere, but they always find their way back home.”

The best way to recapture your youth is to take the car keys away from him.

Woman at job interview, “Have you ever been judged insane or feeble-minded? “Do you mean by anyone other than the children?”

Dilemma: By the time we decide that a TV programme is something the children should not see, we are too interested in it to turn it off.