This is an article from the November-December 2011 issue: Africa in Crisis

Community-Based Orphan Care

Africa Models a New Approach to its Orphan Crisis

Community-Based Orphan Care

How do you take care of 15 million orphans and children at risk? This is Africa’s challenge, and it’s not just a problem for governments, NGOs and Oprah Winfrey. Most of Africa’s orphans are from Christian communities, confronting the global Church with one of the greatest humanitarian crises it has ever faced.

The traditional approach to this situation is to build tens of thousands of orphanages. Some are certainly trying to do this, among them many notable Hollywood celebrities. But the enormity of the challenge has forced others to rethink the traditional approach. The result may be something which is far superior to the institutional model, and which may actually help bring about change around the world in orphan ministry.

Seeking Cultural Appropriateness

In most African societies, institutional arrangements are the exception rather than the norm. Institutional care is a Western invention which we have created to replace traditional family care. This has resulted in a clash of values and understanding between good-willed Westerners and those we are seeking to assist in the developing world

One of the ironies of much of the world’s orphanages is that most of the children in them are not orphans. For example, recently a missionary came to visit us at the U.S. Center for World Mission and he was telling our staff of his new orphanage which was now caring for fifty children. We asked how many of these children were really orphans—children without parents. A little embarrassed, he replied, “Well, none.” So why call it an orphanage we asked? His reply was as pragmatic as it was revealing, “Because if I don’t, no one will give!”

What typically takes place in institutional models of orphan-care is that the quality of life is far superior to anything on the outside. When that happens, parents are sometimes tempted to give their children up to the orphanage so they may have a better economic chance in life. (Americans will not soon forget the missionaries who were arrested for trying to take “orphans” out of Haiti following the earthquake of 2010. Turns out the orphans had parents, and the missionaries were violating the law!) The problem with the institutional approach is that it gradually begins to isolate young people from their communities, creating a sub-culture with an inevitable identity crisis. Ironically, Americans have done away with orphanages in their own country because of the many problems they create. Yet we unquestionably continue to use this problematic model around the world!

Why might that be? One reason is because we intrinsically think our way of life is best and in order to export it we have to create institutions to do it. In this sense, orphanages are just as much cultural institutions as they are structural. For example, last year a group of Christians came on a short term mission trip to Northern Uganda and visited an orphan community. They were shocked that the only bathroom available to the orphans was a hole in the ground. So they promptly went to work to raise money for toilets. However, they were even more shocked to learn that the orphans wouldn’t sit on the toilet seats after they were installed. Instead, they stood on them. The orphans explained that squatting is much more sanitary than sitting on a seat where everyone else has sat!

Now while this may seem like a small and comical incident, you have to multiply this by a thousand when you import a cultural institution like an orphanage to Africa. Fortunately, the magnitude of the AIDS orphan crisis has outpaced the ability of Westerners to build such institutions, and as a result a healthy partnership is emerging between orphan ministries and affected communities. The traditional way that Africans have cared for orphans is through the extended family network. So why not work with communities and empower them to take care of their own orphans? Such an approach has come to be known as “community-based care,” and this model has successfully cared for many more orphans than the institutional model will ever be able to touch. Even so, a great deal more money continues to be sunk into the institutional approach, which requires land, buildings and full time staff.

Another model which is gaining prominence in Africa is the “child head of household.” In this model an older sibling, usually a teenager, takes care of his or her brothers and sisters, and keeps the family unit intact. Many NGOs are coming alongside this model and adding mentoring and support to bolster it. Why would orphan ministries want to work with this? Studies have shown that keeping siblings together dramatically reduces emotional distress, as opposed to dividing up the children among relatives or institutionalizing them. Such a model can also serve to carry on the family name, as well as maintain family rights and land inheritance.

Africa vs. America

Last year I visited a self-organized association of widows in Uganda, which included around 450 members. At this particular gathering there were around 50 in attendance. During our Q&A time together I asked them the following question, “If you could have one wish come true, what would it be?” The first widow to respond said she wished for a house (a traditional African thatched roof and circular mud hut). Upon further inquiry I learned that no men were left in her family who possessed the capability to build her one. She said her greatest desire was to provide proper shelter for her orphaned grandchildren. Now this got me curious. What was she doing caring for orphans when she herself qualified for convalescent care had she been in America? She explained that because of HIV/AIDS and the war, many widows have been left as the last remaining family member to care for the orphans. My curiosity peaked and I asked the group how many of them were caring for orphans. Most raised their hands. Then it dawned on me—by providing shelter security for the widow—you also shelter the orphan.

Another widow raised her hand so she could be recognized to share her one wish. She wished for vocational training assistance and/or micro-enterprise assistance in order to generate additional income. Imagine that! Here I was in the presence of these dear saints—the poorest of the poor in this community—and the primary thing on their minds was not a free hand-out, but rather a hand up. Their desire for vocational training was for the purpose of sending their orphan children to school, and for creating a self-sustaining family unit.

In this same community was the news that a very famous American evangelist was soon to erect an orphanage nearby. I visited the proposed site. It was huge, and knowing what I know about similar types of projects, this one was going to be lavish, sparing no expense. It would have all the amenities and comforts of a Western vacation resort, but exclusively for children. And this is the dilemma. What will this widow grandmother do—struggle to keep what remains of her family intact or release her grandchildren to an institution? Most likely, she will end up doing the latter, along with the others in the community. Unfortunately, at that moment, her grandchildren will be truly orphaned in every sense of the word—from their family, culture and community.

Some Friendly Advice

As more and more churches and individuals begin to get directly involved in orphan-care around the world, it will become increasingly important to learn from those who have gone before us. Seek out good counsel and do your homework. Don’t be tempted by fame or adulation for saving the poor or the world—that is deception. Be willing to put your pride aside and consider the time-tested, proven methods of others. If you don’t know where to begin, two ministries with a proven track-record are World Vision and the Firelight Foundation. No one organization has been caring for children at risk longer, or has invested more resources in Africa towards this cause, than World Vision. Additionally, no one organization is better recognized for their support of entrepreneurial community-based organizations (CBO) than Firelight Foundation. Of course, there are many other good organizations, but this is a good place to start. Initiate the conversation, read their material, consider partnering with them—and build on what you learn. f

Comments

As I studied cultural anthropology at UCSC as well as in South Africa, it has become so apparent to me that keeping a child within their cultural realm is probably the best option. This article truly articulates and paints a good picture of what’s going on out there (when Western worlds try to “help”). Its unfortunate that many organizations are blind to the damage they might actually be causing- however good their intentions. Firelight Foundation truly inspires a revolutionary mission in their support of community based organizations and I am impressed by the impact they create. Now, how do we get the word out faster??

I was in Uganda for half a year and this article totally resonates with my experience. There are many workers (like me) who go with a lot of passion and do things without really understanding that they are possibly causing more harm than good when trying to implement western values and thought. For example, while teaching at a local MFI I consistently instructed loan customers the value of consistency and time management. Of course this was done with good intentions. But in doing that I was shifting them away from their value of relationships. Not that relationships and time management are mutually exclusive, but often times the reason for their absence or tardiness is because of relational factors. They value family, friendships, community, etc. I think it’s crucial that workers learn the heart culture in order to understand what methods of development aid would best assist them with where they are. I think when we learn from them, we will be more discerning of what God is doing and how he wants us to participate, rather than dumping western culture on their beautifully preserved customs. For us, learning is key from both those have gone before us and from the culture we want to serve. Thanks!

Steve Roa’s article comes at a time that Africa is rethinking development and questioning models that have been used on the continent. There seems to be a belief that what is working or what is conceived of as good in America or Western Europe is what should be establshed in Africa and that constitutes development. When we think of helping orphans in Africa therefore, we think of giving them a life that is akin to that in North America or Western Europe. The best way to do this, so we conclude is to have an institution where all the amenities that are normal in the West are provided and where the children go to western type of education. Orphanages are therefore a good institution to set up. In any case, it would be easy to appeal for funds because the Western world will be moved by the images of suffering African children and they will give money. The article attempts to show the shortcomings of this approach and I agree with Steve’s observations and there is therefore need to re-think of how to help these vulnerable human beings.

I wish to add that even when we let the extended families take care of the orphans, the practice has been for help to be only for the orphans being taken care by that relative and not to the whole family. The result is that the relative (who has children of his own) will use the money or items sent to the orphan to take care of his own children and the orphan sometimes suffers more. The problem therefore is compounded. Let us face the facts: the whole society is poor and “illiterate” and everyone needs help and not just orphans! To simply think of orphans in isolation is not going to solve the challenges. The community-based care approach is an alternative that needs to be explored. However, other forces need to be brought in: government agencies, churches, individual local business persons, educators and concerned families. In other words, we need to “develop” the whole community. It means therefore, like that grandmother widow said, setting up vocational training institutions that will provide skills for the orphans (and other children in the community who are not necessarily orphans) and establishment of businesses in the community as well as agricultural enterprises. There will be the question of infrastracture in terms of roads, power, water, etc. Government will be engaged and this might mean change or passing of legislation that will help the community. It means that politicians will need to be engaged and made to care for the communities and not just for their own “stomachs.”

I am writing this as a reaction to the article but I would like someone to seriously do a research in this area so that we can arrive at a long-term solution to the challenge of orphans. In Africa, the extended family can take care of the orphans, but the biggest challenge is poverty, “illiteracy” and exploitation by the “elite” and governments that don’t really care about the orphans. I realize this is a sweeping statement because there are some governments that have programmes for orphans, but on the whole African governments have other “bigger” problems to deal with than orphans. We need therefore all of us to rise up and care and this will mean not simply putting up orphans but going to the root causes and dealing with them.

Forgive my ramblings but I hope someone will take it up and write something better.

I fully agree even in our ministry area we promote the family unit.  though the mother and father are not in the picture we support the eldest child to help nurture the younger ones.  We help to provide some small financial support for them to meet school supply needs or transportation, shoe uniforms and basic needs for the family unit.  this gives us the chance to give them the true gospel and disciple them in the Word of God.

We are currently hoping to start a preschool and elementary education.  but only if the Lord is behind this.

Satan, in his war against our Heavenly Father, has always been out to get the family.  We may miss the Biblical mandate that each generation is to reflect God’s character, reverence His Kingship, and reveal clearly His mighty deeds to the generation that follows. (Psalm 145:4)  But, Satan is well aware of this plan.  It is, therefore, no wonder that he targets the most vulnerable of the human race.  The very first family was torn apart by jealousy and murder.  Page after page of Scripture reveals God’s interventions on behalf of children, and their families.  Time and time again, God rescues those little ones who go on to fulfill His will, from Isaac to Jesus to the billions of children alive today who will pass on the knowledge of His love and holiness to their children – when and if they survive all that is being thrown at them.
Our talk about orphans and orphan care worldwide is important.  But this is only part of the picture.  We must add to our concern for orphans, a focus, also, on those who are child laborers, those enslaved in evil, lustful systems, flotsam from uncontrolled household rage and neglect, victims of war and famine.  If we can believe statisticians, about a third of the world’s seven billion inhabitants are young.  Can anyone guess what percentage of them live in a physically safe, emotionally healthy environment?  Even the rich among our planet’s children are at risk to systems of warped, self-centered sensibilities about the good things they deserve.  And then there are those millions who are kept alive physically, but enslaved to twisted worldviews, violence and spiritual poverty. 
The challenges are enormous!  The stakes are high!
With so many lives at risk, how much time do we have to spend on discussions of differing missiological viewpoints?  Of course, it’s possible to be mistaken, even while motivated to do good.  It’s not difficult to point out the sins of our forefathers.  How easily we focus on flaws in our brother’s strategies that we see through the smudged lenses of our own biases.  But, can any of us boast of completely pure motives?  Shouldn’t we make haste to hear and obey God’s calling on our lives, individually and as faith communities?  Can we take Scripture seriously, living by faith and obedience?  Can we be vigilant to make our lives purposeful and, even, sacrificial? 
Can we sense the urgency to wield the weapons God gives by the power of His indwelling Spirit?  It means we will not determine how much of our resources we will assign to God, but how much of God’s resources we need to live on in order to release the rest back to Him as good stewards.  And, we will stop making prayer a topic of conversation.  We will, instead, pray, really pray.  By faith we can believe that God will heal our lands.  He will do it through our bungling, halfhearted, selfishly motivated efforts.  And He will do it through the Spirit inspired deliverances that come when God’s people everywhere finally make real their commitment to love Him with their whole beings.
May God deliver us from erudite, hand-wringing rhetoric – from self-absorption – from outright disobedience and apathy.  The battle waged for the hearts of Adam’s sons, rages on today.  It just involves more than two children.  It is a global assault, an all-out attempt to thwart God.  Jesus, once a child who was miraculously saved from certain death as an infant, went on to the death which won God’s victory over Satan.  Though it is difficult to understand the battle that continues to be waged in the heavenlies and on earth, we may be sure that ultimately God is victor.  Satan and his cohorts will lose all their power and children will, at last, be safe.  They will be unhindered as they fulfill the purposes for which they were born, secure in the love of their Heavenly Father.  May we, in the meantime, do all that God intends for us to do, in the ways He directs us to use, to rescue and redeem children everywhere.

My response to your article is an impassioned call to arms.  A plea for Christians to understand that the plight of children in today’s world is a key factor in this global conflict between evil and good, between Satan and God, between the dangerous legions of hell’s emissaries and God’s chosen people, the Church.  And, of course, you know my heart beats especially for those children who already fill the ranks of Jesus’ faith-followers.  I urge adult Christians to train these kids well and then get out of their way, letting them grow up doing mighty exploits for their Heavenly King.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!  May this be our heart’s cry and the focus of our lives and ministries.

 

Steve Roa, rightly points out that the traditional way that Africans have cared for orphans is through the extended family network.  He also points out that another model which is gaining prominence in Africa is the “child head of household” whereby an older sibling, usually a teenager, takes care of his or her brothers and sisters, and keeps the family unit intact.

His article reminded me of a book titled:  Rescued by Angeles.  The Story of miracles during the Rwandan genocide by Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo with Alan Nichols - which addresses the subject of community-based orphan care.  The book is (or used to be) on our MA module 4 reading list. 

Here is a short excerpt (pages 111 to112) from the book:  The Barakabaho (meaning let them live) Foundation is a thriving national child welfare organization operating along thoroughly professional lines.  It has placed 8000 war orphans with foster families and has over seven years given them continuous support.  It provides access for the children to education, social support, health care and support in trauma counseling and reconciliation.  The agency has become so successful and professional that the Rwandan Government now regards it as the “national model” of child care.  Other agencies, and even international non-government organizations are sent to Barakabaho to see how it is done.

I appreciate your thoughts, Steve. You are focusing in on key starting points. The old proverb about giving a man a fish vs. teaching him to fish rings true in this situation. Empowering, educating, and equipping…these were the 3 biggest needs I saw over and over again during my time of researching and working with AIDS.

Thanks for your out-of-the-box insight and suggestions, Steve. The issue of orphans is a huge one and I sincerely hope we find a more loving, supportive solution within the context of culture, family, and community. I think a good question to ask ourselves when prompted to do something for someone is, “Whose need am I meeting?” “The honest answer, in many cases, is “mine/ours.” It seems second nature, at least in our culture, to want to fix things and save people, whether they want it or not. It makes us feel needed and wanted. We also like the acknowlegement and attention we receive for doing it. There is much positive reinforcement for that model—at least until you ask how much the “help” was valued, wanted, and accepted by the recipients of our “help.” I’m reminded of a class I taught on poverty, years ago, where a student raised her ahnd and told of her childhood memories. She talked about how humiliating it was to have someone come to the house and leave a “food basket” to “help” the family. She readily agreed the food was nice but she wondered why did those people only care once or twice a year? Why not offer her or her siblings jobs so they could earn their own money and feel good about it instead of receiving handouts. Good question…

I teach a class on “Rescuing Vs. Helping” which highlights differences. Caring, loving people are most likely to get caught in the trap of “rescuing.” Rescuing is basically “doing for” someone whereas helping is “doing with.” It’s similar to the giving a man a fish vs. teaching him to fish as Carissa noted above. Helping is empowering and improves self-worth, strengthens problem solving skills, prommotes growth, fosters independence, and builds responsibility and sustainability.

My prayer is that we continue the research to identify best practices when it comes to serving and that we emulate the model Christ presented in His approach to people in need.

Greetings from Rev Solomon, Bamako, Mali.
I m president of ICOVM a orphans and widows helping center in Mali. We are working here with more than 500 of them in critical sitaution.
So we need intensely to your partnership, help and prayer for their sake. in the Lord.

That’s really interesting.  Thanks for posting all the great information!  Had never thought of it all that way before.

Dear Steve,
> Thanks for you article in the MF news “AFRICA MODELS APPROACH TO IT’S
> ORPHANS CRISIS”
>
> Well this is interesting and how can we be in touch with you in order
> to improve on this for sure they need our help.And you know well about
> it because you were here in Uganda.
>

Steve, you captured the heart of Africa in Orphan care.  As clusters of family and community oriented societies, Africans like to keep family intact.  Orphanages separate and remove orphans from family and make them more orphaned than they are supposed to be.  Even without western helps, many African families have continued to absolve orphans into extended family units to ensure that family lineage is preserved. As some regions of Africa are hit with the double whammy of relentless wars and AIDs epidemic,surviving relatives like the ones mentioned in Steve’s article would give up family members to well sponsored orphanages to reduce personal stress, but that is often done reluctantly. One of the respondents to this article cited the problem that arises when relatives who are taking care of orphans would use the resources meant for orphans for their own children. Yes, that happens. Nevertheless, the experiences of those orphans in such a home will still be much better than the impersonal and institutionalized orphanage life that is alien to the African cultural experience.  In the 21st century, Christian missions should feel a mandate to be more creative and more relevant to the cultural situations when meeting such social needs as are raised by the growing number of orphans, rather than resort to antiquated western institutional structures that have long been abandoned in the West.  Sadly, native African ministers and missionaries are equally guilty. They know that it is easier to secure western funding for institutional structures that people can easily visit and check out and measure the effectiveness of their support money than almost invisible structures like extended family units taking care of orphans.  The family is still a better place for orphans.
May I add to the list of organizations that are doing a great job with orphan ministry the name Adonai Ministry, which is based in Central African Republic, but reaching deep into the Congo and Sudan.  This ministry led by Edet George, has established a network of orphan ministries in which families are taking in children who may not even be related to them, but providing them with a home environment to grow up and feel loved. With a little more help orphan ministry in Africa can become more culturally authentic, culturally sensitive, and God-honoring.  Thanks Steve for sharing this insight and allowing us to lend our voices to this plight.

I am pastor fro Cheptais Western Kenya, and in my ministry i have 500 Orphans. So i have arranged youth and Orphans Conference next year Apr. And i would like you to come and help us to teach them.

I am pastor fro Cheptais Western Kenya, and in my ministry i have 500 Orphans. So i have arranged youth and Orphans Conference next year Apr. And i would like you to come and help us to teach them.

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Thank you Dr. Chinaka for your comments and for bringing to our attention Adonai Ministry. Edit George’s networks sounds like something we need more of and hopefully we in the West can find a workable plan for further empowering the growth of this network and to encourage the formation of others like it.

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Thank you Brothers Solomon Ongoiba and Pastor Moses Olele for your reply. I’m warmed by your invitations and cherish greatly those times when I’m able to visit my Brothers and Sisters in Africa! Let us pray that the Father will provide and make a way for me to visit if it is His will. 

Further I hope that you both are as encouraged as I was to have received Dr. Chinaka reply above and to have been introduced to Edit George’s Orphan Care Network. I truly believe that there will be a greater synergy for caring for Africa’s Orphans if we could just somehow figure out how to better network all of you who are there doing Community Based Care with your own people. I’m going to also follow-up with Fire Light Foundation and see what African Practitioners they might have in their network of African Ministries whom they support that you might consider inviting to your gatherings.

Anything that is locally based with local solutions, empowering local Christians to do their part is going to succeed better than Westerners coming in with money to fix the problem.  If we want a program to be sustainable, embed it with the local people.  Allow them to come up with local solutions, work alongside them to achieve the goals, but allow them to make the decisions, plan the program, etc. We become egotistical and prideful when we come in with the solutions!

Whether it is taking care of orphans or building the church, coming in with programs and building projects is not going to give ownership to the local Christians.

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Linda you are expressing very well the challenge for us as Westerner workers. What has made our country so great is our can do spirit and entrepreneurial inventiveness, however those characteristics can act as a double edged sword when it comes to cross cultural intervention and can hinder us. Its interesting to note that the non-westerners commenting here also voice pretty much the same sentiments as yourself. As I travel and meet with non-western workers in the field its noticeable how much more vocal they are about this issue. In the past their cultural politeness would not allow them to voice their displeasure with how we worked among them. Hopefully we will soon learn to engage more as servants rather than as rescuers. 

Dear man of God,
I am pastor Joshua from Kenya and in my ministry i have 500 Orphans, and i need your help and prayer.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

welcome ,please teach us the word of Truth,pray for the dying of the orphans in kenya,needing bibles to read,giving hope to them in the word of God.Thanks yours pastor kenned

The tragedy of institutional based orphan care is coupled with many other issues coming from the western psyche and African dependence.  I totally agree with what you are saying.

There are several good models that have been developed by nationals that we have learned from that actually are self sustaining community based orphan care programs.  Millions of more orphans could be helped if the same millions of $$$ given to relief and dependency programs could be invested to help these programs be developed and become self sustaining

I am so very happy to have found this blog as it truely resonates with me.  It is nice to hear others advocating for the same things I often speak of with colleagues and friends.  In addition to Steve’s observation that there needs to be better networking in Africa, those of us here in the US who advocate for community based care need to collaborate in order to address all of the elements which go into this care.  In addition, as many have stated in these posts, there is a lot of work to be done to change some of the Western ideas on orphan care. I hope this blog, as well as other potential discussion platforms, will help with this.

The BBC ran an article recently on the issue of parents abandoning their children in Greece to institutions. They quoted Greek psychologist Stefanos Alevizos, who had the following to say about this phenemonen:

“Parents who are not able to provide for their child will feel despair, loneliness and anger. They will carry an enormous weight of cultural stigma and shame.

Children absorb the emotions of their parents, so the child will internalise all the feelings of their parent - particularly guilt. Often they feel they are to blame.

Children taken into care may avoid forming a bond with their care-givers because they are afraid it would be a betrayal of their parent, and might mean their mother or father will not return for them.

When they get older, they are likely to have problems with trust and that will manifest itself in difficulties with relationships”

Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16472310

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Great article here that David Taylor has provided us, I’d encourage you to read it. I think the BBC draws a good and fair distinction about the complicated challenge we have been discussing here.

There are many questions still to be discussed with this topic and we must keep in mind that we started out focusing on Africa, and Orphans more typically found in a rural context. Hopefully our readers will keep this in mind when considering our topic.

David’s comments however allow us to depart the African Continent for a moment and to learn about Orphan care challenges in that country and more specifically in an Urban context. 

Its been my pleasure learning along with you all!

when christ called us to go and make disciples he sent us to nations and people groups.Iam so much reminded of some of the individuals he healed and asked them to go back to their families and tell them about the good news. he sent them back!!! it is nations, generations,tribes, cultures that are being impacted. he came to where they were in their culture and transformed them within their cultural vicinities. he was concerned about individuals but yes had the community in mind to receive the same impact. he used their language that they understood best…to communicate so was very powerful. he was after transforming tribes and tongues. he wanted to empower communities. many people are not ready to invest in that..

i think i need to leave it at that. thanks Steve for this article. Keep them coming.

dear stave thanks in to capture the heart of Africa in orphan care. How can w4 be touch with u in order to improve on this in kitale kenya where children are making streets to be their home am trying but with no support.

Dear Friends,
I am very happy to read about you!
I am a pastor of one of the churches in Uganda located in the central part of Uganda in the town of Mukono. I would wish to work with you in the fields of my ministry here in Uganda. I lead a ministry called, Family At Risk Uganda. We are mostly involved in children who are at risk, counselling, and rehabilitation of homes.
I will be very grateful if my request is considered.

Yours in Christ,
Matovu Robert Lubega
  Uganda

Well i read through the informations concerning the Orphans care that which i have interest in partnering with your organization, i also have a Orphans group of 104, i am William Winner Barjebo Sr. General Overseer and Senior Pastor of the New Life Ministries Chapel in Liberia, West Africa.
I pray to hear from your soon that i will give some detail information, photos and even send some of our Video recording of the Church, School and Orphans as well, remain bless in Jesus Name.

Well i read through the informations concerning the Orphans care that which i have interest in partnering with your organization, i also have a Orphans group of 104, i am William Winner Barjebo Sr. General Overseer and Senior Pastor of the New Life Ministries Chapel in Liberia, West Africa.
I pray to hear from your soon that i will give some detail information, photos and even send some of our Video recording of the Church, School and Orphans as well, remain bless in Jesus Name.

I am a servant of God from Africa in Sengera community independent church..

I read your message from internet and I get it interesting I
am appreciating your work .your work and practices are commendable and best to
uplift the general work and task and entrusted on us by the Lord.

Kindly I request you to give me spiritual materials me also am a servant of God and our
Lord Jesus Christ.Here in our church we are taking care of the children whose parents died due to the 2007 post election violence and HIV/AIDS.Please remember them in your every prayers.This is the blessing from God.

I will be happy if you respond to my e-mail. Thank you and
God bless you.

Waiting hear from you soon with love and blessings.

Yours a servant in Christ.
christine Kerubo Bosire
p.po.box.178
Ogembo
40204.
cell.+254712033302

Hello Dear,
This is Taddese Meseret from the Land of Ethiopia. I Am the Deputy Executive Director and Programme Manager of ‘Gelgela Integrated Orphans and Destitute Family Support Association’.  It is legally registered NGO with the aim of supporting needy children that have been rescued, abandoned, and orphaned with the loss of one or both parents. We support programs that enhance and promote the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development of the target groups- to help them reach their full potential.
The Problem
• About 78% of the country’s population lives on less than $2 a day; 31% lives on less than $1 a day
• About 4.8 million children are orphans; 2 million children have been orphaned due to AIDS and the rest due to poverty and disease.
• About 72% of school aged children have no access to education.
• More than 60% of primary school children do not have the chance to continue to grade 5.
• 55% of Ethiopian children under age 5 are stunted due to malnutrition.

OUR KEY AREAS OF FOCUS:

1. Child Development
• Orphans and Vulnerable Children
• Child Sponsorship
• Foster child and parent Care
• Family Reconciliation
2. Health and Environment:
• HIV/AIDS Prevention
• Maternal and Child Health
• HIV Related Palliative Care
• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
• Clean water and Sanitation
3. Economic Development:
• Financial Service and Enterprise Dev.
• Women Empowerment

At the end, on behalf of GIODFSA, I officially extend my call for your attention to help or work in partnership with us in any of your interest area to change this tragedy. Hope I will hear from you very soon. Should you have any question don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Blessings,

I am conducting a PhD study on effective group care models for proposing recommendations to youth-advocacy-groups wanting to improve upon the foster care group home model in the United States. In my research, I am researching other models. One of them is the Eco-village/Orphanage Model in Africa. However, I have learned quite a bit from this short article. I’ve often wondered about an alternative to orphanages in Africa. The community care model suggested in the article not only makes sense to me, but seems to be a much better fit than orphanage to the broad culture of Africa. Moreover, the rationale for the community-care-model and the critique of western structure models, such as orphanages, by Africans (widows particularly) closest to the problem makes more sense. Two new doors have been opened up to me through this article; and I thank you for them.

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Thank you for sharing this Glenn. You are pursuing a much needed area of research and I pray that you will be granted wisdom for how we can improve our foster care model here in America. I’d welcome greatly you keeping me posted on your research. Also India is the next big challenge for us in this regards and presents different challenges to the community care model because of their unique cultural distinctions. Maybe your work will result in new methods for them as well as for us. I look forward to learning more from you and your research. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Dear Brother Steve
Beloved of the Lord and servant of Jesus Christ, and fellow laborer in the gospel of Jesus Christ as preached by our beloved brother Apostle Paul. I send greetings to family and Ministry and all blessings yours his Holy Name from whom grace, peace and supernatural blessings flow.

I have been blessed and delighting to your great testimonies as to how it relates to you and ministry. I am thrilled of your words and have confident in me that am not a lone in this heavenly journey. Dearly let me have Joy from you, refresh my heart in the Lord for in him I live and have my being.

I pray that this letter gets you fine and walking in the favor and anointing of God I thank God for His decision and purpose to lead me by His Holy Spirit into your wonderful website which has given me joy and an impression to write to you in this evening, down of my cheeks runs tears of joy as I see people wailing and pursuiting for Jesus, longing for him through your message of perfection as they experience the mighty move of the Holy Ghost through of your love in God and how faithfully given yourself to serving him wholeheartedly the mighty King of kings and Lord of Lords.I got your email under the Every Home for Christ under the US Center for world Missions.

My names are Bishop Thomas Matwetwe I do minister with the Apostolic churches in Kenya, East and Central Africa.

So it is a divine connection as well a divine purpose that we might preach and edify his Body the church and build His kingdom together. I therefore urge you to remain faithful in the Lord all days of your life and never come down of the wall till is complete. God bless you as I look forward to hearing from you as the Lord will lead you in Jesus’ name Amen.


Psalms 27:1-4 the Lord is my light and salvation, he is my stronghold of my live , one thing I do ask of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of my Lord all the days of my life and behold the beauties of the Lord and inquire in His temple. Amen my email is: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Yours Faithfully

Bishop Thomas

I will love to be part of you your mission and everything my life is for God so if you give me the chance to join your mission i will love it and if your answer is yes call me anytime +2348068134048 may God bless your group amen.

There is an excellent book by Craig Greenfield called “The Urban Halo: a story of hope for orphans of the poor”.  It gives practical insight on how to support orphans and destitute children within their community network.

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