Please Sign Our New Guestbook! 
February 2005
My name is Maureen Ahern and I currently live on the coast of Georgia. It has been my life long dream to take care of orphaned babies afflicted with AIDS. An opportunity has recently arisen for me to volunteer in an orphanage located in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. My dream has come true, and through the support of many others who have had a similar dream, I leave in May of 2005 for one year. All of this developed without my having anything but a desire to help. I decided to call this venture “Our Journey” instead of “My Journey” because it is clear to me that I couldn’t do this without your help and the help and direction from God.
The orphanage where I will be volunteering is located in a remote and isolated area many miles from any nearby towns. The treatment facility currently treats 97 abandoned children as well as approximately 4,000 children through an outreach program in nearby rural areas. These are babies and young children who have been shunned and abandoned as a result of their HIV/AIDS status.
The South African government, under the leadership of Mbeki, is still in a state of denial concerning AIDS and HIV which consequently has created a crisis for millions of children. If no support or intervention through organizations such as Our Journey Inc. is provided, thousands and even millions of children are left to die alone each year. Our goal is to (at the very least) provide a familiar and loving surrounding for these precious children in their final days.
Before embarking on this journey, Our Journey, we have much to accomplish. I will begin volunteering with local organizations in Brunswick, Georgia to gain as many skills as possible to maximize the aid I’ll be giving to these children. A group of friends and I have started a public charity, non-profit organization which we have named Our Journey, Inc. This status will enable us to accept tax deductible contributions to bring medical and other much needed supplies to the orphanagein May. Over the last few months I have received very generous personal donations which are specifically ear-marked to cover my expenses while in South Africa. Because all of my every-day expenses are taken care of, it will ensure that all other donations sent to Our Journey, Inc. will go solely to the aid of these children .
In the coming months our small but excited team of volunteers will be working on our website www.OurJourneyInc.org to provide our donors with a monthly newsletter and updates. In the mean time, I want to thank all of you who are now a part of “Our Journey” and to tell everyone else that we need your support, too! Please make checks payable to Our Journey, Inc. Any amount will be greatly appreciated and will be spent wisely to help these afflicted children. We will send you a donation receipt for tax purposes. Please include your email address with your donation so that we can update you with our progress.
If you have already contributed, THANK YOU! Please share this letter with your friends and family members. You will be receiving another notice via email as soon as www.OurJourneyInc.org is up and going. We would appreciate any email contacts you think will be equally excited as we are so we can send them an update.
From all of us at Our Journey, Inc., we wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year. Please call me if you have any questions or if you know of anyone in your circle of friends and family who would like to participate in our efforts.
Sincerely yours,
Maureen Ahern
Our Journey, Inc.
Route 2, Box 2299
Townsend, GA 31331
(912) 832-2809
ourjourneyinc@aol.com