Okay, so there is this orphanage in Uganda that has captured my imagination. And in my imagination I hope it will capture yours. Billed as the world's first atheist orphanage, BiZoHa has as its charter the care and education of 25 orphans in Muhokya, western Uganda. It has a GoFundMe campaign up looking for donations, a second tranch of a little over $3,000, to fund a kitchen, caretakers and solar panels.
The orphanage was started with a fundraiser in February 26, 2015, when the original campaign raised $5,820. I think I saw the link here. I coughed up $10 on the basis of the idea alone, and was joined by folks belonging to a variety of irreligious organizations.
I don't know that I expected much. An electronic thank you, maybe. Then I started to get updates in my email: pictures of the brick buildings going up row by row; pictures of the latrine; moving pictures of the water faucet running. I've been delighted to see the progress.
It seems so reasonable to support such a modest endeavor. Twenty-five children, ages 5-8 offered the promise of an education, a safe place to sleep and some hope, without the quid pro quo implied by the sponsorship of a religious organization.
It also seems the perfect antidote to raging angry atheism, which I see as equally as fundamentalist as it's theist equivalents.
As someone immune to belief, I admit to bewilderment that anyone finds it important to count the number of angels dancing on the heads of pins. I'm also confused about why anyone would insist such angels do not exist. I'm not entirely sure why anyone would care about matters of doctrine, either its presence or absence. I can't get my head around why it matters what sex a priest might be. I think I must have a kind of blindness or deafness to these matters, and feel only discomfort when pressed for particulars about what it is I believe, as I don't, and don't think about it from one day to the next.
So, it tickles me to find I can donate to the First Atheist Orphanage, where the children will have a bed to sleep in, books and lessons, and running water without having to sign up to worship the god of their benefactors. I invite you to join me in making BiZoHa a reality.
I promise, the updates alone are worth the price of admission.
So...Atheists... GoFundMe.
