The Beautiful Gate story starts with seven abandoned babies and one couples’ decision to care for them. Ray and Sue Haakonsen took those seven babies into their care and loved them as if they were their own children. They helped the children survive HIV/AIDS if they could, or die with dignity.

That was seven years ago.

Today, Ray and Sue’s personal decision to care has evolved into an oasis of light in a very dark land. The Haakonsen’s ministry, Beautiful Gate Lesotho, cares full-time for nearly 40 babies while hosting just under 60 children in a preschool. It also employs 65 care-givers, teachers, administrators and maintenance staff from the surrounding community, providing valuable employment in an area where jobs are difficult to find.

Beautiful Gate is well known in the area surrounding Maseru, Lesotho, as a shining example of how to care for children. Since its establishment in June 2001, the center has cared for over 170 babies, and has seen more than 70 adopted both locally and internationally with the cooperation of Social welfare department of Lesotho. It’s current facilities, most of which were provided by donors and built by volunteers, are a literal bright spot on the city’s otherwise drab landscape. Even local government has been influenced by Beautiful Gate, as adoption practices in Lesotho have been written and improved through the work of Ray Haakonsen and this ministry.

The challenge facing Beautiful Gate is that there is much more need than current resources can meet. Many more children could be cared for. More care-givers could be employed.

That’s where the BEAUTIFUL::AFRICA campaign come in. Our goal is to raise awareness of the good work being done in Lesotho and expand the ministry’s base of financial support so that the ministry itself can expand.