As a young woman, Victoria Samuel came across a passage in Zachariah 11:4, “This is what the Lord my God says, ‘Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter’.” Victoria knew God was trying to tell her something, but for the time being it remained unclear.
Years later Victoria and her husband Patrick met Shane Clark, the founding director of Word Made Flesh. Shane shared his vision of a home for children affected by the global AIDS pandemic. Immediately, Victoria knew this was the “flock marked for slaughter” for whom she had been praying.
In 1994, Chris Heuertz moved to Chennai as WMF’s first overseas staff member. Later that year, the WMF community in Chennai launched the very first international WMF project by opening the first pediatric AIDS care home in all of South Asia. To this day, Machzhilichi Illam (the Home of Happiness) still cares for children orphaned by AIDS, children living with HIV, children from families affected by Hansen’s disease (leprosy) and abandoned babies. Rev. Patrick and Victoria Samuel, as Care Home Directors, have led the home since the beginning and continue to take in more children, daily laying down their lives for each one.
In 1995, WMF launched the Servant Team program in Chennai, one of the earliest teams included Tara Scherer Haley, currently a WMF board member; and Jared Landreth who would become the first WMF Nepal Field Director and eventually the founding Field Director for WMF Sierra Leone.
In 1996 WMFC opened its 2nd project, Samanthana Illam (the Place of Peace), a home for children with profound physical and mental disabilities. The home remained open for 13 years until a partnership with Prema Vasam was forged where the children of Samanthana Illam now live.
Since it’s founding, WMFC has also maintained a concurrent commitment to providing access to opportunities for destitute women. Many of these women have struggled to escape lives of prostitution or who are living with HIV, widowed, and divorced or victims of domestic violence. WMFC offers the women training as caregivers, providing them with a family atmosphere, Christian discipleship, economic stability and offering education through correspondence courses during their stay at the home.
After Machzhilichi Illam had been forced to change locations 3 times, in 2006 the sacrificial contributions of financial partners enabled the Chennai community to finally purchase a permanent residence for the home. Today, Machzhilichi Illam stands as a symbol of hope, home, and restoration for the children of the city.
Since 1994, under the able leadership of the Samuels, the WMFC homes have extended love and care to nearly 100 children from HIV/AIDS affected families, families affected with Hansen’s disease (Leprosy), children with profound physical and mental disabilities and has created safe haven for over 50 women. Over the years WMFC has also buried many of the little girls and boys its called family. These children whose lives have been cut short are martyrs in the struggle for dignity and justice.