In previous blogs mention has already been made of gross forms of exploitation of children, it comes in the form of the orphanage-industry (as you can read HERE and HERE), illegal adoption and forced labour or begging. These things are relatively easy to recognise and condemn. However, children who live in ‘orphanages’ and other institutions tend to be exploited in more ways. And the scary thing is that those who exploit them, do not always know that that is what they are doing.
Continue reading “Exploiting Children”Category: Awareness
What Is a Residential Childcare Institution?
It is often called an ‘orphanage’, even though most of the children living in it are not orphans. Or it is called a children’s home, while it cannot really be called a true home to the children, when their essential basic needs are not met. The most accurate word to use is residential childcare institution, but this is quite a mouthful. And as it turns out, even when you use the most accurate description, there is still a lot of room for confusion, because this term is used for a large variety of things.
Continue reading “What Is a Residential Childcare Institution?”I Have a Birthday, Therefore I Am
Today is my birthday. When you are in your fifth decade, this does not hold all that much significance anymore. It is nice to get friendly wishes, but other than that it is just another day, one filled with work and the drive to get more done for the children.
The situation is very different for children who live in institutions. Generally speaking, birthdays and becoming older are more important to children than they are to adults. But for children who live in institutions there is more to a birthday than that. Their birthday and the absence of any celebration have an important impact on their sense of worth and their identity.
Continue reading “I Have a Birthday, Therefore I Am”How Did Orphanages Spread?
A lot of people think that residential childcare institutions, or ‘orphanages’, are an unavoidable part of life. They think that it is the only way to provide care for children without parents and for children whose parents are unable to care for them. So, it follows, that all countries must have them and that they have been around for as long as settled community living, as we know it, has been in existence. This kind of thinking is illustrated by the headline: “Rwanda Wants to Become Africa’s First Orphanage-Free Country: Here’s How”. While Rwanda’s aim to be orphanage-free is laudable, they will not be the first country.
Residential childcare institutions are not universal, and they certainly are not the only or the best way to provide care to children without parental care. So let’s have a look at how ‘orphanages’ became so widespread and how widespread they are.
Continue reading “How Did Orphanages Spread?”Who Ends Up in Institutions?
In the course of my research work for the ‘world list’ it has become clear to me that the reasons why children end up in alternative care, and particularly in institutions, are surprisingly similar across many countries. It also became apparent that there is a big difference between why children in high income countries are in alternative care and why children in other countries are in alternative care.
Earlier this month I promised a blog on the reasons why children end up in institutions, why they are abandoned. Here is that blog.
Continue reading “Who Ends Up in Institutions?”How Child Trafficking Is Related to ‘Orphanages’
Today, on 16 October 2018, NGOs across the world are joining forces in a global trafficking campaign to raise awareness of the scale, the roots and the consequences of human and child trafficking. Unfortunately, child trafficking is a subject that is extremely relevant to anyone involved in institutional residential childcare. So, in this blog, I will describe some of the ways in which the two are connected.
Continue reading “How Child Trafficking Is Related to ‘Orphanages’”Don’t Take My Word for It
Recently, Lumos has held a major event in the US. Lumos is a London-based organisation that for the past 13 years has worked very hard and gained increasing momentum to achieve global deinstitutionalisation. And now they have released a video that was taken at that event.
In the summer of 2017, I had the privilege of attending Lumos’ ‘Introduction to Deinstitutionalisation’. For four days I was able to exchange experiences and have discussions with a variety of representatives of major international organisations involved in child protection and of several government bodies from across the world. As well as increasing my knowledge and understanding of various details of how to make sure deinstitutionalisation is done responsibly.
Continue reading “Don’t Take My Word for It”Reasons for Abandonment
In a later blog I will share with you more information about why children end up being abandoned and/or placed in institutions. While the reasons can be many, the bottom line is almost invariably that a mother is trying to give a child a better life or even is trying to save his or her life.
Before I find the opportunity to write that blog, however, I want to share this article with you, which gives some insight into one of these reasons:
Learning the Lesson and Providing Real Help: Indonesia
In the past days, the news has been full of accounts about the terrible earthquake and tsunami that hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on 28 September. A major disaster with a confirmed death toll of many hundreds and rising daily, with some people saying it may well reach thousands. Help will be needed for people to start to rebuild their lives. And many children will likely be separated from their parents and other relatives, either permanently or temporarily.
This brings back to mind the situation in Indonesia when a massive tsunami struck in December 2004. And it rings major warning bells: what happened in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami must not be repeated this time, for the sake of the children.
Continue reading “Learning the Lesson and Providing Real Help: Indonesia”The Danger of Voluntourism
It seems like such a good idea, like such a kind and generous thing to do, to go to a different country to spend time in an ‘orphanage’ giving your time and love to underprivileged children. It is almost always done with the best intentions and from a real desire to make a difference, to improve these children’s lives.
When you arrive, it really looks like you were the person they were waiting for all this time. A swarm of children runs to you, surrounds you, tries to hug you, or sit on your lap. The second-hand clothes that you brought look better than what the children are wearing. The extra food and treats you buy are accepted as manna from heaven. And when you leave there are many tears, on both sides. As you leave, while you are sad to leave the children behind, you are comforted by the thought that you clearly did make a real, positive, difference in these children’s lives. Unfortunately, all is not what it seems.
Continue reading “The Danger of Voluntourism”