There is no doubt that we all want to create a better tomorrow for vulnerable children and families out of the prison of poverty. The question is: How can we make that tomorrow truly holistic, empowering, and sustainable? My experience growing up in institutional care has taught me the importance of family for all children. As the director of that orphanage, I discovered the biggest root cause that puts children in orphanages: POVERTY! Which problem are we solving with orphanages - the root causes or the symptoms of poverty? If we desire to create a holistic tomorrow for children, we need to ensure their right to family and address the poverty that separates families. In order to ensure that children have a brighter and more successful tomorrow, we must make three fundamental shifts: ● We must let go of the orphanage model and prioritize children in families. By reunifying the family, we make them whole. Through family strengthening programs we build their capacity to manage on their own. Children thrive in families, where they have a true sense of belonging. ● We must shift from hand out to hand up approaches that prepare, equip, and empower families toward independence, where they can thrive with dignity rather than being stuck and dependent. ● And we must shift from telling people what we think they need to ask the right questions. It’s about empowering families to define what a successful tomorrow looks like for them and then providing them the tools they need to get there.
Related tags:
