Loaves and Fish

A Program Meeting the Needs of Orphans & Widows

Loaves and Fish is a community development initiative empowering communities with resources and training to care for orphans and widows. Orphans and widows are typically one of the most vulnerable demographics in any community. Cambodia is not exception.

Currently there is a rapid spread of HIV/AIDS leaving many children orphaned. Traditionally, Cambodian orphans are cared for by aunts and uncles. However, sickness, poverty and other factors are making orphan care increasingly difficult for extended families. The responsibility sometimes falls to a grandparent (usually a widow with limited resources) or an older sibling who is also an orphan.

Relatives often find it difficult to provide for their own basic needs, much less those of an additional child. When so much focus is spent on survival, little reserve remains for providing a secure and loving environment for a child not their own.

So how does Loaves and Fish help?

Loaves and Fish provides a holistic approach to orphan care by caring for the following needs:

  • Nutrition
  • Education
  • Physical health and well-being
  • Spiritual discipleship
  • Emotional and relational development

Many orphans are placed in Cambodian foster families where they can receive appropriate care and nurturing. This allows IHSI to reach an entire family as well.

Relief and Development: Essential to Caring for the Poor

As we work within this demographic, we often discover needs that would otherwise go unmet. In His Steps intervenes in those situations to provide appropriate relief and development. Over the last several years, we have helped with the following:

  • Dug a well for a community to enjoy fresh, accessible drinking water
  • Connected individuals with medical care for a variety of health concerns
  • Provided rice and other nourishment to those who had little or none
  • Built homes when for those who had no shelter

Highlights:

  • Loaves and Fish was one of IHSI's first programs.
  • The program grew to a point where a larger place for education and community-building was necessary. Out of that need, our new Foundation Center was born.
  • Currently, Loaves and Fish cares for 29 orphans and 11 widows.