God is touching almost 400 needy children through LifeRise orphan care projects in 3 African countries.
Orphans
nurture hurting children
LifeRise Orphan Projects | The Need | LifeRise Strategy
LifeRise Orphan Projects
Exciting news is that in the near future, LifeRise AIDS Resources will begin to provide small grants and/or technical assistance to 9 grassroots evangelical Christian partners to care for orphan and vulnerable children in family- and community-based projects in 3 African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique (see HOW WE WORK). After extensive screening, we have already selected our partners for these grants. However, we still need to raise the funds.
We will give grants one at a time as funds become available and we are able to obtain our partners’ measurable objectives and costs to serve a specified number of children through a project. Grants are for one year. We will report our progress on our website and in our newsletter, so please check back for updates.
Churches and individuals may underwrite one of these grants for orphan and vulnerable children for $6,000. This amount includes $5,000 to be given directly to our grassroots partner, and 20% ($1,000) to go to LifeRise for administration, travel, personnel, technical assistance, and monitoring. For more information on this investment opportunity, please visit Donate.
The Need
Children infected and affected by AIDS have largely been ignored in the global HIV/AIDS response, especially in poor countries. Yet, their needs are urgent and of great magnitude. In regard to urgency, acute need may threaten a child’s survival; chronic need may result in lifetime emotional scarring which robs potential. In regard to magnitude, it is estimated that over 15 million children have lost one or both parents from HIV/AIDS, and millions more have been made vulnerable. This pool is expected to double over the next 10 years. Traditional extended family and community care networks are being overwhelmed by the multitude of vulnerable children.
The adversities of children trapped in the HIV/AIDS struggle are substantial. Children affected may experience trauma and emotional distress when their parents die. Many are then cared for by elderly grandparents or older siblings and descend into poverty. They become malnourished. They are forced to drop out of school. They feel afraid and isolated, face the pain of social stigma, and are subject to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. They are at increased risk for HIV infection. Both infected and affected children face a high mortality.
LifeRise Strategy
LifeRise AIDS Resources projects for orphan and vulnerable children help them experience love and nurture, feel safe, be healthy, and achieve their God-given potential. Projects give comprehensive care, provide and strengthen families, and mobilize communities and churches to respond.
Children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS are those less than 18 years of age who: are living with HIV/AIDS or in affected households; have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS; have a chronically ill parent; are heading households; and, are outside of family care, such as those living on the street. To avoid stigma, all orphans and vulnerable children may be included in LifeRise projects; those who are vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS may take priority if the project has this information.
Child Care that LifeRise Supports
Traumatized children enter into a “cycle of violence” that moves from immediate crisis and risk of death towards exploitation, long-term loss and violence. The further a child progresses in this cycle, the more difficult it is to restore a child to healthy development. Therefore, LifeRise is most concerned with prevention of trauma for children, as well as early intervention. We support programs that anticipate a child’s needs to prevent loss, as well as assess a child’s acute needs and provide focused intervention to transition the child to a stable home situation. Projects may involve: reuniting children with extended families; providing families for children through foster care or local or international adoption; strengthening families, including child-headed households; community- or “village”-based group homes; day care programs; drop-in centers; and, community or church support committees or orphan trusts.
Holistic, Individualized Child Care
LifeRise projects provide holistic care to address 8 areas of need: 1) food and nutritional support; 2) shelter and care; 3) protection; 4) health care; 5) psychosocial support; 6) education and vocational training; 7) economic opportunity/strengthening; and, 8) spiritual care. LifeRise projects provide individualized services to children based on age, gender, stage of development, and household situation.
Child Care that LifeRise does not Support
Our projects support children in family- and community-based interventions only. LifeRise does not support institutional orphan care, including orphanages or group homes with more than 10 children per home. We follow this crucial principle to not support institutional care because we believe this type of care: is not according to God’s design for the family as the preferred structure to raise children; isolates children from their community and culture and places them in an artificial environment; is not beneficial for child development; is a less healthy setting, as communicable diseases are readily spread; and is more expensive and less sustainable.
LifeRise does not support cash-transfers, nor individual child sponsorship. Our projects support children in the aggregate in projects, not as individuals. We may partner with organizations which conduct sponsorship programs, however.
