Courtesy of Dana Gold Youngsters in Johannesburg, South Africa, go online with their Net families through Infinite Family, which connects South African orphans whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS with mentors in the United States. Click photo for larger image.

Months before she opened the envelope and saw the photograph of the bright-eyed South African orphan, Angela Suarez had already opened her heart. So, when she first saw James, she cried.

Ms. Suarez, a Dormont mother of two, home-schools her children, volunteers for an immigrant assistance program and works to raise awareness about the genocide in Sudan.

So, it was no great surprise that Ms. Suarez, trained as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, would sign on for a new program that mentors, through video-conferencing, South African orphans whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS.

Last summer, she became one of six people in Pittsburgh to join Infinite Family, a New York-based organization that connects the orphans to caring adults in the United States.

The need is dire, said Dana Gold, an Infinite Family organizer and Presbyterian minister who once worked with the inner-city homeless and studied religion in Kenya while in college.

In the Johannesburg area, 15,000 children are orphaned or made vulnerable by poverty, parents living with HIV or other illnesses. By 2010, it is estimated that 18 percent of South African children -- 50 million -- will be HIV orphans.

"There are more children being orphaned in Africa than at any other time in history," said the Rev. Gold. "The future of the country depends on the children, but without kids who are achieving all they can achieve, what will become of the country?"

To bridge the divide, Infinite Family uses technology -- e-mail and secure video-conferencing -- to link the South African orphans to American adults who become mom-and-pop "Net buddies." They work with three nongovernmental groups in the Johannesburg and Durban areas.

Twice a week, Ms. Suarez logs on and connects with James for 30 minutes. The program asks the Net families to spend one to two hours a week with a child. It also asks for a year's commitment and that families donate $40 a month to meet the child's immediate needs and to help save money for long-term dreams.

In Pittsburgh, six more volunteers will be trained this weekend. There are 40 volunteers in all, caring for 35 children. The other mentors are in New York, where Amy Conrad Stokes heads up Infinite Family, an initiative she founded after adopting a South African child a few years ago.

The Rev. Gold, who had adopted a child from the same orphanage as Ms. Stokes, soon became involved.

Together they sought funding and plotted a training program to walk volunteers through the country's history and the roles of parents, children and religion in society.

"The whole idea," said the Rev. Gold, "is to add to the culture and not disturb it."

Because the children have sustained incredible losses, volunteers are also given lessons in mourning, on HIV and how to develop relationships through e-mail.

The goal is to have a national program of volunteers and sponsors who commit to the video mentoring. By 2008, they want to have 150 matched pairs.

"We can't all adopt -- and we shouldn't all adopt -- but we can make a difference by following our passion," said the Rev. Gold.

With technology, she added, we live in a global village and Africa's children are our children.

"What I love about the program," she said, "is that it challenges us to look around our communities and say there is more I can do."

Ms. Suarez met James when he was 14. He was living in Nkosi's Haven, a safe house for HIV-infected mothers and their children that operates on donations and goodwill.

James has been orphaned since he was 9 and has lived throughout South Africa before making his way to the haven, just outside of Johannesburg. He was introverted and performing poorly in school.

In an effort to touch the souls of children who've survived such trauma, Ms. Suarez wondered "How can I make a difference when he's 9,000 miles away?"

She showed up consistently for her video time. She sent James gingerbread cookies. She introduced him to her husband and two sons.

Slowly, he opened up and began to trust his mentor, telling her of his dreams to be a doctor or a lawyer. He sends her poetry.

Along the way, there were other improvements, too.

In school, James advanced three grade levels and was named student of the year.

The Rev. Gold said it's almost a miracle what happens to the children.

In as little as six weeks, children with serious issues have opened up to their far-away friends and shared their lives. In the process, she said, their English skills have improved, their spelling and language have improved because they use more e-mail and their computer skills are improved.

"The connections are inspiring," she said.

For more information on Infinite Family, visit www.infinitefamily.org or call 724-544-5809.