As the trauma of the expensive December-month is starting to fade, this might be a good time to have a look at what causes you would like to donate to this year. People who really want to help vulnerable children, may feel thrown off kilter after hearing that donating to so-called orphanages actually does a lot of harm, despite the best intentions. This is very understandable. I really hope that this will not shake their determination to make a difference and donate to causes that would be of great help.
So in this blog I want to give an overview of the kind of things that ARE beneficial to vulnerable children and that can use backing and financial support.
Let’s start with a little recap of the previous three blogs. In them a variety of community services were mentioned that play an important role in the prevention of institutionalisation of children and the abandonment of children.
Here are some of the community services badly needed in many countries: Schools for hard to reach communities, inclusive schools where those with special education needs are welcome alongside other pupils, and schools that charge no fees and provide books, supplies and uniforms in poorer communities. Free or very cheap day-care for pre-school children and for children with disabilities who currently have no access to schooling, if a nutritious meal were to be served during the day, that would be a big bonus.
Healthcare clinics and hospitals providing care, medication and mobility and other aids free of charge or at very low cost. Both the affordability of the care and the presence of a healthcare facility within accessible distance in remote areas are major needs. The same goes for the presence of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and rehabilitative care in the community.
All of these things can make an enormous difference in places where they are not available. Of course, not just anyone could go to another country to open a hospital, but quite frankly, the same ought to be true of an orphanage.
So if you or someone you know is thinking of going to a low-income country to ‘help the children’ by opening a residential institutions for them, please give it some more thought. And consider whether you might not do more good by starting a day-care centre instead, or a free school, or a day-care or therapy centre for people with disabilities if you were thinking of opening an institutions for children with disabilities.
And if you are looking for a worthwhile organisation to donate to, choose one that will invest in community services and family-based care, rather than in institutionalising children. There are many NGOs that operate on a national level in various countries, helping the country move towards family-based care. And there are also big organisations, such as UNICEF, Terre des Hommes and Lumos, who work across the world to help governments put in place the structures needed to make institutional care redundant.
There are many great possibilities, but please always look closely at what the organisation is doing, past the heart-breaking picture of the adorable child, to make sure that supporting them will in fact help, and not harm, vulnerable children.
Please share this blog to help spread awareness.