Why Should You Care About These Children?

Eric Riddle, back center, hams it up with young residents of the Machao Orphanage in Makueni, Kenya.

Eric is the son of Pasadena Police Lieutenant Phlunté Riddle.  The Police Department is among the producers of a concert to benefit Machao Orphanage on Saturday, August 18, at 6 p.m. in the elegant Ambassador Auditorium and I encourage you to go!

See a full rundown of the evening here, then order your tickets and enjoy the evening this Saturday! It's for such a great cause.

Located about two hours from Nairobi, the orphanage serves destitute children who have lost their parents due to the AIDS pandemic.

AIDS has impacted the entire social structure in Makueni, creating a generation of orphans and vulnerable children.

Under the circumstances, the children at the Machao Orphanage get the best advantages available in their part of the world -- education, food, clothing, shelter, sports activities -- but ongoing funding is sorely needed for additional programs and buildings.

The children, with the help of staff and volunteers like Eric, help cultivate the land and produce their own food as part of a sustainable agriculture program.

Here's a nifty little video about the importance of the benefit concert:

I'll close out this post with a note from Eric:

With additional funds, we will be able to focus on facility enhancements like running water, bedding, transportation, etc. The concert is a fantastic opportunity to sow into these children’s lives. All proceeds go directly toward enhancing life on the Machao Orphanage. I look forward to returning to Machao in the future to aid in their continuous expansion and experience the deep gratitude that these orphans have for the impact we’ve made in their daily life.

Get your benefit concert tickets here: www.machaobenefitconcert.com