The sun comes up before 5am these days. It's still a little cool, and I can manage to get a few more minutes of rest or a cool shower before I know what's coming...kids.
Jadon is always the first to come into our room, say good morning, and then he's off (with Phil) to school. Ali usually follows to say good morning and ask what's for breakfast.
A few minutes later I hear the giggling start and I know I better move fast because there are 4 hungry kids ready for breakfast.
This is our life. This is what most school mornings look like. We're a family, with a routine (some days) that fits our kids, followed by a delicate balancing act of letting them be kids & learning to be responsible young people who can think.
Some people want a label for what we do - what is your ministry? What EXACTLY do you do?
After a quick explanation about our dream to see institutions go away and orphaned kids have REAL families & family-based care, most people usually respond with something like, "So kinda like an orphanage, right?"
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| Ali & Marieta's Preschool Graduation! |
Let me be frank - we've never been offended to have our life-long work & dreams boiled down to one word. It really doesn't bother either of us. But here's the problem with putting Heart for the Needy into a box...
If what Heart for the Needy does is simply run an "orphanage," we would be part of a large problem that plagues Mozambique and many other 3rd world countries. You see, an orphanage is an institution, a child prison, essentially. The definition of an orphanage in Websters Dictionary says:
An institution for the care of orphans
So, what is an institution?
An institution is a facility or establishment in which people (such as the sick or needy) live and receive
care typically in a confined setting and often without individual consent.
Wow. This doesn't qualify our line of work in any way. Of course none of the kids we work with CHOSE to be orphans, but the institutional model is what causes so much harm.
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| Waiting for our little graduates! The sign says: Jesus taught us to love & obey |
The issue is that the emotional, social, psychological and physical well being of a child is rooted in their family, in the consistency of the care they have received since birth.
An institution doesn't allow for the same level of care as a family setting, and it's extremely harmful to a child to not be loved & touched by a caregiver on a daily basis. This actually impacts complete brain development of a child and can effect their overall physical growth, too!
I know you're hearing the social worker in me right now, but I promise I have a point. My point is this: an orphanage is a harmful place for a child; a home is a place where a child can be loved & empowered. They are 2 very different things.
In order to meet the needs of the orphans in the communities where we work, we have created 3 programs that most people don't know about. They are 3 different levels, 3 different means to meet 3 different needs.
The first is our "Let's Talk" program - simply put, it's education & prevention in communities in regards to orphans. This is done through various mediums, like during Phil's English lessons in the community.
The 2nd program is called "Hands & Feet" - this is a family based foster care type of program. We check in with relatives caring for children twice a month and help support them so the child can remain in the family setting. We are currently working with 2 families in this program.
And lastly, the most intense & highest level of care is our "Hearts" program. These children have no mother or father and no able family member to care for them. Their situation is usually quite desperate, which is the only reason we provide full time care. We currently have 4 kids in our Hearts program. We would eventually like to see these children taken in by a distant relative, if possible, or, we'd love to see them adopted.
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| Marieta with her school directors. |
I'm not saying every program that calls themselves an "orphanage" is doing horrible harm to children. I am simply speaking from what I've seen as a social worker, what I know as a professional, and what we've experienced & seen here in real life.
How difficult would it be to oversee 50 workers and 500 kids? How difficult would it be to make sure each child was well cared for, well loved and thriving?
The simple answer would be almost impossible. This line of work is full of paperwork, meetings, documentation, etc., that often times as a Co-Director of a very small organization, I have little time to spend with my kids. This is yet another balancing act that I'm not always good at doing.
But I know this - good intentions are no longer enough. As a Christian, as a leader, as a missionary, as a recipient of someone else's hard earned cash for our ministry - it is my duty to do more and be held to higher standards.
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| Ali with his favorite teacher! |
We are quite different from the norm, and that's okay! We're different in the way we approach things and I think that makes us unique. We're proud to not fit the status quo, no matter how difficult it is at times.
Our good friend and faithful support once asked us,"Would it just be easier to be a traditional orphanage?"
At times, I really believe that yes - if we just took in kiddos without much research, and no documentation, our job would be a lot easier. But it wouldn't be right and the social worker in me, as well as the Spirit of God in me, expects more. I know better, and when your eyes have been opened to the truth about something, it's rarely possible so simply go back into the darkness & pretend you never saw the light.
If you've been considering partnering with us, and haven't taken that step yet, I hope this helps give you an idea of WHY we are different. If this brought up more questions, I hope you'll reach out to us and learn more. And if you're ready to dive in and link arms with us, we are thrilled to have you as part of the team! You can always give at www.heartfortheneedy.org
Don't forget to check in with us on Facebook tomorrow, for Giving Tuesday! We'll be sharing more about what is coming in 2018 for Heart for the Needy, and how you can get involved.
Until next time, many blessings!
Phil, Laura & the whole crew
