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Curious about how sustainable development models can transform entire communities? Our latest episode promises to unravel this by sitting down with Melody Curtis, the inspiring Executive Director of Helping Children Worldwide. Discover how her organization transitioned from temporary relief to an empowerment approach, fostering resilient communities and strong families. Melody shares uplifting success stories of families gaining independence, and our program strategist Laura emphasizes the value of local expertise, highlighting the key role communities play in driving long-term change.

Rethinking mission work? We definitely are, and this episode challenges the traditional models of short-term missions. We move beyond task completion to embrace relationship-building and mutual learning. Join us as we recount the experiences of mission teams in Sierra Leone, where medical training and simulations offered deep insights into the challenges faced by local communities. Learn how this shift towards understanding and collaboration leads to a richer, more reciprocal mission experience that empowers both participants and the communities they engage with.

Finally, we dive into the nuances of cross-cultural collaboration and the push towards localization in international development. Our conversation with Melody illuminates the Rising Tide initiative's success in empowering local leaders in Sierra Leone and celebrates 25 years of impactful collaboration. As we look towards 2025, we share our ambitious goals to expand our network and support vulnerable communities even further. With a commitment to justice, mercy, and humility, this episode is a testament to the power of global partnerships and the dedication of everyone involved in this important mission.

Give Generously - Make a difference!! As we wrap up the year, Helping Children Worldwide will be making a difference for families in need through our support for healthcare, education, and economic empowerment programs.

Join us in our Year-End Campaign celebrating 25 years of impact and starting 2025 strong. Your generosity is the light that shines across the world as a beacon of hope, transforming lives and creating bright futures.

Visit go to helpingchildrenworldwide.org to learn how you can be a part of the solution

A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way!

There is no shortage of need in this big, messy world, but with your help, together we can change the world!

Helpingchildrenworldwide.org

Send us a text

Explore the power of transformation and empowerment in this special retrospective episode of Optimistic Voices. Join Dr. Laura Horvath, Emmanuel Nabeu, and Yasmin Vaughn as we promise to uncover the compelling journey of Helping Children Worldwide (HCW) through 2024, celebrating remarkable milestones and visionary shifts in global leadership. We reflect on standout episodes that shed light on crucial topics like maternal and child health improvements in Sierra Leone, transitioning care leavers to adulthood, and fostering dynamic partnerships between NGOs and churches. Our discussions dive deep into the empowerment model, highlighting a pivotal movement from immediate relief to sustainable growth, with a closer look at our fruitful collaboration with the Sierra Leone Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Journey with us as we recount our global adventures and pioneering initiatives throughout 2023. Our visits to Kenya and Mozambique, and participation in significant international conferences like the CAFO Summit and the ICAR 8 conference, have deeply informed our focus on transitioning orphanages to family care models across Africa. Yasmin Vaughn offers insights from the Rising Tides Conference, revealing how intimate collaborations among global health professionals are crucial to empowering communities and strengthening family bonds. Learn how these experiences have shaped our collective mission to create lasting impacts in child welfare and global health.

Celebrate the growth of Helping Children Worldwide as we approach our 25th anniversary in 2025, emphasizing our commitment to shifting power and decision-making to local leaders in the Global South. This transformative journey is highlighted by empowering local solutions, exemplified by the successful training of 98 midwives in emergency procedures for maternal and child health. Through stories of local leadership driving innovative solutions, such as self-sustainability initiatives at Mercy Hospital, we underscore our dedication to fostering local insights and collaborative global alliances for meaningful, enduring change.

Give Generously - Make a difference!! As we wrap up the year, Helping Children Worldwide will be making a difference for families in need through our support for healthcare, education, and economic empowerment programs.

Join us in our Year-End Campaign celebrating 25 years of impact and starting 2025 strong. Your generosity is the light that shines across the world as a beacon of hope, transforming lives and creating bright futures.

Visit go to helpingchildrenworldwide.org to learn how you can be a part of the solution

A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way!

There is no shortage of need in this big, messy world, but with your help, together we can change the world!

Helpingchildrenworldwide.org

Send us a text

Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the profound shift from orphanage care to family-based support in Sierra Leone and beyond. Featuring insights from George Kulanda, the case management supervisor at the Child Reintegration Center, and David Titus Musa, a senior consultant at the Center, this episode promises a deep dive into the complexities and triumphs of reintegrating children into family environments. From engaging with orphanage leaders to collaborating with governments and civil society organizations, David shares his inspiring transition from the confines of orphanage walls to advocating for family reintegration. Meanwhile, George sheds light on his role in bolstering family ties and ensuring successful reintegration through comprehensive case management.

Moving beyond individual stories, we explore the broader implications of family strengthening and financial literacy programs in Africa. Delving into the challenges caregivers face, we uncover the delicate balance between providing for and nurturing children, while also highlighting innovative research methods used to assess these programs' effectiveness. The episode also brings to life the rich discussions from the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit, where diverse voices from across the globe, especially from the Global South, are given the platform they deserve. This dialogue is pivotal in reshaping global child welfare conversations and ensuring that care leavers and practitioners can voice their unique perspectives unhindered.

Our journey would be incomplete without emphasizing the irreplaceable value of face-to-face connections in cultures like Sierra Leone, where true understanding and trust are built. Through compelling anecdotes from George and David, we uncover the limitations of digital interactions and the profound impact of in-person engagement. Whether it's overcoming visa hurdles or fostering international networks in Mozambique and Uganda, the episode underscores the necessity of direct personal connections in advancing child protection initiatives across West Africa. This episode is a clarion call for empowering Global South voices and fostering collaborations that lead to systemic change and shared knowledge in the realm of child welfare.

Give Generously - Make a difference!! As we wrap up the year, Helping Children Worldwide will be making a difference for families in need through our support for healthcare, education, and economic empowerment programs.

Join us in our Year-End Campaign celebrating 25 years of impact and starting 2025 strong. Your generosity is the light that shines across the world as a beacon of hope, transforming lives and creating bright futures.

Visit go to helpingchildrenworldwide.org to learn how you can be a part of the solution

A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way!

There is no shortage of need in this big, messy world, but with your help, together we can change the world!

Helpingchildrenworldwide.org