Sustaining 50 Reunified Children in Rural Ethiopia

We keep getting positive reports from our social worker who travels far and wide to visit our re-unified children and their families. The children are settled, families are happy and the families who have been trained in income generating activities are doing well. We are pleased to hear the good reports and it confirms again and again that four years ago we decided to do the right thing for "our" children. 

Children belong in their families and not in institutional care. Yes maybe the first few months were challenging for especially the older children, but if you see how they have adjusted and how they have integrated in family and community life, it makes it worthwhile.

It has come at a cost as some of the sponsors of the children  were not happy as in their mind our residential care provision was much better than what a family could offer. It is sad as some people fail to see that material things can never replace the value of belonging in a family and a community. We have seen that the families love their children and that poverty is absolutely not a reason to take children out of their family and put them in an institution.

Moreover we have now succeeded to avoid dependancy on us as an organization by enabeling these families to generate some additional income. We see that the goats and sheep whom the families bought are now being multiplied, little shops are generating income and the families continue to provide care and love to their children. For some children the time has now come that we confidently can "cut the cord"  as we are sure that the family will continue to help them. They are not "our children" any more, they are children who are completely accepted into their family and community. This is where they belong and they don't need us anymore.

We hope that you will continue to support us for a few more years but this project will certainly come to an end in about two years time once all the children have completed their four years re-unification mark when we can say: mission accomplished!

We are forever grateful for all of you to believing in this project and partnering with us. We can call the first children who have fased out a succes and you as partners have been a vital part in their succes story!