People Changing People
Everything that happens at A Child’s Hope is about people: helping people grow, taking steps forward, and empowering them to accomplish more. You are lifting orphans from surviving to thriving. Here are three of the most exciting highlights that you made possible in 2023.
New Partnerships with Homes and Government Leaders in Mexico
Your contributions are changing what child care looks like in Mexico. Throughout 2023, A Child’s Hope, home directors, and leaders of DIF (Mexico’s Social Service Agencies) built new partnerships to improve existing systems. For the first time, DIF and A Child’s Hope co-hosted the Hope Training Conference in Baja California. This training impacted 121 people in the sector, including children home leadership, psychologists, and state agents.
This collaborative effort offers a renewed sense of hope for everyone involved. In further meetings, one of DIF’s coordinators, outlined their new work system. Children’s home directors requested more transparency, consistent reports on the children’s legal status, and improved communication with DIF. A Child’s Hope staff and DIF outlined specific action items that will be managed in a shared agenda for the upcoming quarter.
Martha Álvarez, a caregiver at one of the homes, shared, “I really liked the openness of [DIF’s] new coordinator. I hope we can work as a team and offer more solutions to care for the children.”
We are excited to see the progress we’ll make in 2024 as more opportunities open up in Mexico. Your donations of time and resources will allow us to continue training DIF leadership and home directors and to incorporate the Thrive Program into both government and private care, ultimately improving the lives of more children.
Team Visit to Children's Homes in Bulgaria
In early May, a group of A Child’s Hope staff and volunteers paid for their own way to travel across the world for a week-long staff trip in Bulgaria. There, they visited seven of the 20+ homes that are part of One Heart Bulgaria’s support network.
While there, the team learned more about Bulgarian culture, met incredible directors and caregivers, and observed the different needs orphaned and vulnerable children have in Bulgaria. Back in December, the Mother Teresa Home purchased a digital piano with a grant from the Thrive Program. Many of the children were taking lessons from a local teacher and were excited to practice with a new piano at home. This made for a wonderful recital when our team came to visit. Though a few children were shy to perform, there were lots of smiles and cheering after each song.
One Heart Bulgaria is eager to implement the Thrive Program and to benefit from the tools and training it brings. This program is centered on helping children’s homes be the best intermediate safe haven for displaced children until they can be placed in a permanent home with a loving family. We look forward to what this partnership will bring.
Thrive is a Success with Homes in Africa
October was a month of comprehensive training for our partners at 92hands, Both Ends Believing Uganda (BEB Uganda), and Child in Family Focus Kenya (CFFK). Not only did we have our team, led by Jaime and Elyse, train on the Thrive Program, but representatives from 92hands and CFFK also attended the RiverCross Summit in Eastern Africa.
According to Carol from 92hands, “The three-day training benefitted the team, emphasizing the significance of empathy, patience, biblical teachings, and a profound understanding when working with vulnerable children, young adults, or anyone facing challenging situations.” The training focused on a holistic approach for each individual child. The caregivers that attended are enthusiastic about implementing the training to support the children in their care.
The Thrive Program will teach care providers about trauma and how it affects children so that they will have the skills to provide better support to the children under their care. The Thrive Program will also help home directors set goals and prioritize their home’s needs, providing a path to improve the care their children receive.
Conclusion
It’s been an incredible year of expansion and success for the children and homes in Mexico, Bulgaria, and Africa. The training and growth that we see each time we connect with our partners is astounding and it’s only possible because of people like you. Whether you take time to donate, fundraise, or join a service trip to Mexico, you are helping create a better future for children in tough situations.
