HOW IT WORKS
And how it keeps families together
These 8,000,000* children come from poor communities and poor families who are promised that the orphanage will provide education, housing and food for their children. Because these families struggle to raise them, they may reluctantly accept to send their children away. But they are often abused and suffer from living away from their families. We believe these children should stay with their families, because poverty is not a crime. We should all help those families keep their children with them by supporting them to solve the problems that prevent them from raising their children: generate more income, solve health issues, be supported to get rid of addictions, etc. The Keeping Families Together campaign helps achieve these objectives thanks to three main components: national awareness raising campaigns, emergency responses and social support. Let’s look at how the model has worked in Cambodia, and can do elsewhere.
*Save the Children – Keeping Children Out Of Harmful Institutions (2009)
National Campaign
A nation-wide campaign was launched to raise awareness about this issue among the general population and vulnerable communities. More than 2 million people heard about the campaign through media coverage, radio spots and trainings of key people in poor communities.
Emergency Response
A 24/7 hotline is available for everyone to call if they hear about children being taken away from their families or if they are thinking of sending their own children to an orphanage. A team of social workers are ready to take action immediately to protect children if needed. Find a list of hotlines here.
Social Support
Social workers can provide a wide range of support to the families that are considering sending their children to an institution. The needs of the families are assessed and the appropriate services will be provided such as income generation, health care support, reintegration of children into public school, etc.
HELP THE CAMPAIGN
And what it can change