The Omega Kids

The Omega Kids Organization saves orphans in Africa whose lives have been devastated by the loss of their parents predominately because of war and at times sickness. It is the organization that I cherish the most and have committed to for life. Most orphans are forced to live on the street barely making it day by day. The majority will die before reaching their teenage years. Plagued by illness, starvation and the risks of living life on the streets as children- their demise is always a painful exit out of life... sometimes with no one even noticing. They are subjected to violence, rape, being sold into slavery or trafficked to other countries where their future is often one that is unimaginable and horrific. That is the problem with not understanding the severity of hatred and war. Unfortunately, as most people know that it is often only when another human being can properly fathom how their own life may be affected by loss that we may be able to understand the importance of empathy and compassion when others lose their family.

Because of the stigma associated with orphans and poverty in Africa (which some deem as a mere cliche) the need to help and save lives is lost and minimized as something that is impossible and impractical -an almost laughable joke. While there is often a greater desire to help children of Western and developed nations, according to the United Nations there is always a lesser value given to orphans in Africa, the Caribbeans, South America and other under-developed nations. The lack of empathy for helping children of color is unfortunately a known reality and statistic as a result of racism and xenophobia as stated by the United Nations. The disdain towards children who can not control the fact they have lost their parents should never be acceptable under any circumstances. Through Omega Kids and other organizations our mission is to eradicate the mentality of disdain and help people embrace the understanding and importance in valuing all human life. If we don't fight against that train of thought then we make it acceptable for everyone to become complacent about war and orphans dying because the importance of their livelihood is non existent.

Originally, The Omega Kids was started by Jenne Blackburn, an Orange County college student who was attending Baylor University. Jenne traveled to Kenya on a mission trip and was devastated by the horrors of orphan life and decided she wanted to change her life in order to change children's lives. After meeting with a local street preacher, Boniface in Nairobi who ministers and rescues orphans from the streets- Jenne decided that she wanted to help sustain the livelihood of orphans as well. That was four years ago.

"Boniface has been saving orphans for many years," wrote Jenne on the site. "He has seen great success and break through with the rehabilitation of the kids' glue sniffing addiction. Sniffing glue is a major component of their lives and is part of how they survive the hardships of everyday life such as lack of food and shelter."

Boniface gave up what may be perceived as the good life to save children. Today because of Omega kids, orphanages and homes are available for some of the orphans who at one point were starving and getting through the day by sniffing glue to escape from their reality. Boniface has many success stories of young people who are now going to college and have survived. At Omega kids we have a food program that goes directly to the children. There is an Internet mall in which people can order their everyday products that they purchase on-line whether it's clothes, shoes or cosmetics and proceeds from their purchase go directly to the Omega Kids food fund. We are now looking into a cellular renewal food program through Univera that helps rebuild 300 million cells in our body. Some of the most influential people at Omega kids are children here in the United States who are currently graduating from kindergarten and have been committed to making jewelery for the "Jewelery for orphans" fund through Omega Kids. From t-shirts, to music to products that we all use -children and young people are sustaining lives everyday through the Omega Kids' Yes campaign that says Yes! Yes we want to eliminate poverty. Yes we want to save orphans. Yes we want to give hope to those who don't believe they have a future because they actually do if given the chance to grow. Yes we believe in the hippies concept of Universal love , peace or spirituality. Because the bottom line is that we are actualley saving other people's lives. Until the world knows peace we will continue to have to save lives and are proud to keep children alive and end war because the casualties of war produces the orphans-our good friends that we cherish. Sometimes we think we are often just helping others in need when most times they will help us and affect our lives more then we can imagine. They wake us up to look at life with new eyes, promising eyes that believe. The Omega Kids, we hope to save a child one nation at a time so that they do not become invisible children. Yes we can.