Herefordshire | Archive | 2003 | October | 2
From the archive, first published Thursday 2nd Oct 2003.
ISN'T Africa where all the missionaries go? Not a primary school teacher from Bromyard who is to spend a year in Ecuador helping disadvantaged youngsters.
Julia Mercer-Wilson is preparing to spend a year in Santo Domingo de Los Colorados as a `house mother' looking after five children under nine, all of whom have special needs and many are HIV positive.
Acting as a mentor for children with parents dying from AIDS, Julia hopes to ease the transition to a new family and help the youngsters grieve for their lost loved ones.
After a few months at the orphanage working with a charity called ORPHaids, she hopes to set up after school clubs and a Sunday school at the local church.
Fulfilling vow
She also hopes to work with youths on the streets promoting AIDS awareness as well as being involved with the church and organising discussion groups.
Twenty-five-year-old Julia previously spent six months working at a Romanian orphanage seven years ago and vowed that once she had obtained suitable qualifications she would return to aid work.
With the help of Latin Link, an international community drawn from many churches with a focus on Latin America, Julia hopes to leave for Ecuador at the end of October.
Not wanting to be a financial burden to the people she is trying to help Julia now needs to raise £8,000 to cover language training, flights, visas, insurance, inoculations, rent and living expenses.
To sponsor Julia contact her on 01885 400665 or email jjmw78@yahoo.co.uk
© Newsquest Media Group 2008