A Thousand Individual Efforts

It's inspiring to see so many stories about individual efforts to help orphans. The stories are a constant reminder how each and every one of us can make a difference. It just takes that first step. We at the World Orphan Fund are developing a website that will allow caring people to see opportunties to help orphans -- and then take things in their own hands. But until then, below are three stories about people who have already done just that.

Cycling for a Liberian Orphanage

In Oregon, Clackamas Sheriff Craig Roberts and his son Ryan are cycling for an Orphanage in Liberia. When John Van Huizen, a retired Clackamas County deputy told the police benevolent association he needed a conduit for a fundraiser to help orphans in Liberia, they enthusiastically took on the project.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts and Son Ryan

"When John came back from a trip to Liberia, he was emotionally distraught by the plight of orphans in Liberia, where 300 children a day die,” from causes related to AIDS and physical abuse, Roberts said.

With the benevolent foundation’s help, an orphanage for 50 children was built and local volunteers visit frequently to help carry out its mission.

“Our goal now is to raise $22,000 to buy bunks, desks and furniture,” Roberts said, adding that the plight of the orphans “makes us feel fortunate for what we have.”

Starting an Orphanage in Uganda

Holly Pheni saw the African Children’s Choir perform in Casper, Wyoming in 2005, and answered their call for volunteers. Pheni toured with the choir for a year and chaperoned some of the singers back to Uganda. Instead of coming home, she worked for an orphanage.

There she found orphans, many with AIDS, often left to the streets or go to caregivers who’re too afraid to touch them. While there she met her husband and together they founded "Our Own Home" for orphans with AIDS.



Holly Pheni at "Our Own Home" Orphanage


In the four years the home has existed, only three children have died — two babies for whom help came too late and an older child who got leukemia.

Most of the residents are healthy and energetic. The only way you’d know they have a disease is that they take medication twice a day, Pheni said. They go to school, run around, play soccer and have fun in the tree-house William built. Proud of growing their own maize, they help make a cornmeal called posha.

“What happens is when kids come in, they usually have health problems,” Pheni said. “Then as they get on their medication and have a better living environment — especially love — they change. They get strong.”

 I'm Not to Cool To Beg

Carrien Blue says she used to try and be cool. She says it changed after meeting forty orphaned kids from Burma, holed up in a little house in the Thai jungle with their protector, a guy named Chala, who was feeding them as well as he could with what little he could make, working as hard as he could in a 3rd world country. You can't un-know that, says Blue.

Carrien Blue

In the years following Blue and her husband founded a non-profit called The Charis Project, came up with a plan for a self sustaining orphan care model, and started figuring out how to implement it. Now they're trying to raise enough money to build them.

Blue homeschools four kids and runs the charity from the kitchen counter. Now that's cool. Check out her story.

Queen Rania and the Al-Aman Fund

I came across the Al-Aman Fund for Orphans yesterday after reading the Arab Bank's announcement that it will sponsor  a years worth of vocational training for 50 orphans through the Jordanian fund.

Queen Rania of Jordan

The Al-Aman fund was started in 2003 by Queen Rania, and every orphan residing in Jordan, regardless of their religion or nationality is eligible to benefit. It provides educational scholarships, living expenses, counseling services, apprenticeship and employment assistance and health insurance.

Focusing on post-secondary education and vocational training for 18-21 year-old orphans is one that we at the World Orphan Fund have a very strong interest in. Until these children obtain marketable skills, there is little hope of ending the cycle that made them orphans in the first place.

As I followed link after link, I was amazed by Queen Rania's impressive history of advocating for Children beyond Jordan's borders.

In 2007 she was named UNICEF's first Eminent Advocate for Children. 

In 2008, she participated in YouTube's In My Name campaign and appeared alongside The Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am in the video, "End Poverty – Be the Generation," which urged world leaders to keep the promises they made in 2000 at the United Nations Millennium Summit. 

So not only is she genuinely commited to children, she's cool.

In 2009 she became Honorary Global Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), and is co-founder and global co-chair of the 1GOAL Education for All campaign to rally World Cup 2010 fans together during the world’s biggest single sporting event and call on world leaders to give 75 million children out of school an education.

Her efforts are nothing short of inspiring.

A New Toddler House in Honduras

I'm pleased to announce that the World Ophan Fund is helping build a new Toddler House at Orphanage Emmanuel (OE) in Guaimaca, Honduras. They will break ground in September or October.

Less than a year ago a dedicated team from Emmanuel brought about 70 new toddlers from an overcrowded orphange 6.5 hours away. My youngest sponsor child came from that Ophanage. He's a beautiful and happy boy, but he was clearly abused early in life and came with a host of issues from his tramautic first 3 years of life. Thank God there are loving places like Emmanuel for children like him.

The cost to build the house is $45,000 and it can house 70 kids. Can you imagine that? Some people in the U.S. spend that much for a car! 

The World Orphan Fund has committed $20,000 toward this project and OE has another $9,000 pledged. That leaves them $16,000 short and we at the World Orphan Fund are helping them find it.

If you'd like to donate to help build this house just click here. You can make a secure donation online and help make a difference in the lives of these wonderful children.