Orphan hood is prominent in Sudan, perhaps to greater extent than anywhere else in the world.  There is a religious law in the country stating that no one may have sexual relations before wedlock. As a result of this restriction expectant mothers who have conceived outside of marriage will abandon their newborn babies out of fear of repercussions for being involved in illicit sexual relations.

This problem is more than just a legal issue.  This law is a part of Sharia Law. It reflects a religious perspective that is prevalent within the Muslim Sudanese community. This thought affects the children not only to the extent where they are abandoned by their mothers, but also to the extent where very few people are willing to adopt these children who have been born in ‘impure’ circumstances. Not only are the children victims of this situation, but the mothers are also put into an incredibly difficult situation due to social pressure. In recent times this has started to change and more and more Sudanese are starting to see that the children are not reflections of their mother's 'sin'. These children are have done nothing wrong and are not to be blamed for their parents' sexual misconduct.


The Big Heart Project team have plans to work in Sudan, in the country's capital Khartoum where there are a great number of orphanages set up to deal with this issue.Big Heart Project have plans to run in conjunction with one of these orphanages to create further opportunities for the orphans.