Busting the Narrative on Orphanages
“What is the narrative about orphanages?” Tara, the Executive Director of Kuda Vana, asked me when I asked her why Kuda Vana was transitioning to a wrap-around care model that prioritizes family-based care.
Puzzled, I said, “A home for children with no living parents or families.” “Unfortunately, that’s often not the case, ” Tara informed me. “In fact, globally 80% of children in a Children’s Home have at least one living relative who could care for them if given the right support.” She also shared more FAQS / Myths about Orphan Care on 1 Million Home’s page HERE.
Tara went on to explain that unfortunately many Children’s Home and the good people who have supported them have unwittingly contributed to family separation. Facing extreme poverty, many parents feel that a Children’s Home is the best place for their children - there they can access an education, food, shelter, and security. Most times, the leadership in those Children’s Homes have no idea that the children relinquished to their care actually have family.
Prior to interning for Kuda Vana, I had never thought of this, which made me wonder – how many of us do not understand the reason why public discourse is centering around family-based care versus the traditional residential care for orphans? I am from Zimbabwe and I certainly didn’t.
In my research, I came across a video created by Orphan Myth illuminating the reality that some children living in orphanages were not necessarily alone – they have living relatives they have been separated from for a variety of reasons. Other studies have shown that despite orphans having their immediate needs met, they are still prone to isolation, depression, extreme poverty, and sometimes, suicide. Moreover, the traditional orphan care model requiring children who have turned 18 to leave the orphanage has vastly contributed to and forced these children into prostitution and drugs and sentenced them to a life of deprivation. These factors are the true enemies of healthy child development.
Therefore, Kuda Vana is addressing these issues by shifting toward a wrap-around model that includes prevention, residential care and aging-out services but prioritizes supporting family-based care. In partnership with organizations like 1 Million Home, Zimbabwe Without Orphans and the Christian Alliance for Orphans the organization is making progress!
Family has always been God’s best protection plan for kids
Kuda Vana has been hyper-focused on safely reunited children with relatives through a painstaking process of tracing and going through old records. In several cases, those children are now happily living back in family while Kuda Vana continues to provide support in the form of school tuition.
Kuda Vana has also been growing its FAMily program, which focuses on educating and encouraging Zimbabwean families to consider fostering or adoptiing. In our culture, there are many beliefs that make considering adoption a challenge. Kuda Vana helps de-bunk their beliefs in a special section of their website, and has staff-on hand to have personal experience adopting and can walk potential adoptive families through the process.
When there are no good options for the vulnerable children placed in their care by Social Services, Kuda Vana provides excellent, holistic residential care for each child. This includes a full-time Staff Psychologist, working alongside the Caregivers to help these children heal from past traumas and provide them with the love, security, healthcare, education, and spiritual guidance they need to live a more independent, dignified, and enriched life.
Lastly, through Kuda Vana’s Youth Transition Program, children who have aged out of orphan care are provided with housing, mentorship and tuition support through vocational school or college to help them achieve healthy self-sufficiency.
Kuda Vana is committed to empowering the most vulnerable children of Zimbabwe not just to survive but thrive. It is successfully doing so through its programs. However, we know that the best solution for orphaned and separated children is to find them forever homes! Your support helps Kuda Vana not just raise orphans, but build families.
Written by Vongai Chokuda, Development and Communications Coordinator