Many of you will know that my daughter Eva Grace was born 8 years ago. On May 26th it will be the 8th anniversary of her death (from pneumonia following  severe hypoxic brain injury from a near cot death.)

Her short life made us realise more than ever that every child, however fragile and short their life might be, is a precious gift from God.

Two years later, on May 26th 2010, we were in the high court in Malawi finalizing the adoption of our son Reuben Mayamiko. We first met him at Open Arms Infant Home, a great organisation which seeks to re-establish links with childrens' extended families and enable the children to return to their communities after weaning. Sadly there are some children like Reuben who have no family which can be identified to take them back and support them. Some are adopted and others enter long-term foster homes and are raised in small groups by a House Mother and Assistant Matron from Open Arms. Currently 24 such children are in 5 houses in Blantyre.

We wish to honour Eva's memory by helping give other babies the chance of a positive start in life. Many infants enter Open Arms sick and malnourished, and basic, loving care together with medical attention and a nutritious diet transforms many of them. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.