There’s something about young children who have lost one or both parents that pull at our compassion and evoke a desire to do something for the plight of these destitute. I remember seeing TV ads in the ’80s from charity organizations that reported horrific shots of malnutritioned children during the worst drought in the Horn of Africa up to that time. This call for well-resourced members of the Western world to give sacrificially to help their neighbor on the other side of the globe has gone out for decades, and with great result.
Now that we are positioned for ministry on the African field, I constantly receive requests for advice on how to help solve the orphan problem, whether here in Uganda or in other parts of the developing world. Many are stirred with a desire to help the fatherless but are unsure about which organization to work with or where to start. I firmly believe the practice of true religion spoken of in James 1:27 is pleasing to the heart of God and I pray that the efforts of the compassionate will be blessed when we walk in wisdom.
But if you haven’t realized it, we westerners are very trusting people. We automatically assume the best of people and since lying, cheating, and stealing are culturally unacceptable behavior we couldn’t conceive that people could be so evil as to capitalize on our compassion and exploit the destitute to squeeze resources from our generous hearts. But that is exactly what happens in the developing world. Opportunists have clearly seen that caring for children hits a chord in loving hearts, so many “orphanages” started by “Christians” have the base motive of personal gain at the expense of the poor and needy. Their exploitation of the fatherless (and sometimes of their own flesh and blood!) not only wastes charity dollars to line their own pockets, but is an abomination in the sight of God. We’ve seen dozens of these startup type orphanages and even more established ones who actually abuse the children in every way (or don’t even take care of children at all – they just post pictures on a nice looking website!).
I would be cautious of working with any organization that is not internationally recognized or that you don’t have a personal connection to. You should only ever work through institutions run by well-known credible people, and if you can find those that are linked into a local church, the better. You want all your prayers, concern, hard work and finances to produce fruit that remains, not to be squandered by child traffickers!
There is a massive need for the care of orphans in Uganda and there are many legitimate ministries working sacrificially to see that the Gospel brings hope and transformation to their shattered lives. I’ve listed some of my favorites below.
Each of the following ministries follow a traditional orphanage model of gathering fatherless children, caring for them in family-style homes, and training them to be mighty men and women of God and successful citizens of their communities:
- Watoto Childcare Ministries | Watoto (“Children” in Swahili) has set the standard for orphanages in Uganda, caring for thousands of children in well-run villages throughout Uganda that care holistically for children of all tribes, both genders, and all ages. Their model of utilizing widows to care for orphans has been duplicated across Africa as Watoto generously shares their secrets with all who desire to replicate their success.
- Otino-Waa Children’s Village | The “Village of our Children” was started by friends of our family and based on Watoto’s model, Path Ministries cares for hundreds of children in the war-torn north of Uganda, having established a local church, primary & secondary schools, health clinic, vocational training center, and many other development projects.
- Osanidde Village Orphanage | We’ve worked closely with this vibrant children’s village on Bussi Island in Lake Victoria, and have always been struck by the childrens’ living faith and worshipful spirit (their name means, “You are worthy”). More than other orphanages, they have done a good job of providing fatherly influence with the “uncles” who live among them and operate the many development projects of Lake Victoria Child Care Uganda.
- Calo Me Lare Orphanage | The “Village of Redemption” was started and run by friends from my hometown of Bend Oregon, also serving those children impacted by war and disease in the North of Uganda.
- Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center | The desire for the 700 children who are cared for in the western region of Uganda is to “Keep with Jesus.” The orphanage is overseen by Jon & Ann Dunagan of Harvest Ministry, our long-time friends who became the catalyst for getting us to Uganda seven years ago.
The following well known sponsorship organizations utilize a model of providing for children from within the homes of extended families. The great benefit of this model is that you don’t have to recreate all the structures and institutions of the society you have pulled them out of in order to care for their physical needs. Family members care for the fatherless as they are resourced by loving partners, empowering them to succeed from within their communities.
Do you know of other organizations that provide responsibly for orphans? Please let us know in the comments.