Vital voices in the fields of global health, global child welfare reform and family separation, and those intent on conducting ethical missions in low resource communities and developing nations. Join our hosts as they engage in conversations with diverse guests from across the globe, sharing optimistic views, experiences, and suggestions for better and best practices as they discuss these difficult topics.
Send us a textWhat happens when five remarkable young adults transition from the regimented life of an orphanage to the uncharted reality of post-orphanage life? Join us on Optimistic Voices as we welcome these inspirational individuals who grew up at the Child Rescue Center Orphanage in Sierra Leone and now stand as influential care leaders. From navigating transportation challenges and irregular meal times to adapting to a lack of protection and electricity, their stories are a testament to resilience and adaptability. Gain insights into their journey and the broader implications for care reform for orphans and vulnerable children worldwide.Our heartfelt conversation reveals the emotional and practical struggles of reconnecting with family and integrating back into society after years in care. Our guests candidly discuss the essential life skills they missed out on due to gender roles and reflect on how the orphanage instilled discipline, personal hygiene, and academic readiness. The challenges of blending back into family life highlight the complexities and resilience required during these transitions, underscoring the role caregivers play in shaping the futures of care leavers.The episode also touches on preparing care leavers for the world, emphasizing the importance of community integration and realistic preparation for life post-care. Listen as our guests share their experiences of becoming parents and spouses, focusing on building strong bonds with children and fostering open communication. We wrap up with a hopeful vision for the future, advocating for family-based care and inviting mission-minded communities to join forces in creating a better world for vulnerable children. Tune in for an inspiring discussion that champions resilience, adaptability, and the power of collective action.Bring voices from the global south to a policy conference with the potential to change the world! A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way! go to helpingchildrenworldwide.org to learn how you can be a part of the solution There is no shortage of need in this big, messy world, but with your help, together we can change the world!Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
9/5/24 • 70:46
Send us a textWhat if your church could transform lives across the globe while strengthening your local community? Discover how two Virginia pastors, Reverend Gina Anderson-Cloud and Reverend Jason Duley, have achieved this through enduring partnerships with NonProfits such as She Believes in Me, CornerStone, Backpack Buddies, and Helping Children Worldwide. Hosted by Emmanuel Nabieu, this episode of the Optimistic Voices Podcast takes you behind the scenes of church/nonprofit collaborations that make a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.Explore the remarkable stories of transformation in Sierra Leone and Northern Virginia, where initiatives like food assistance programs and refugee aid have left a lasting impact. Learn about the profound contributions of Floris in Fairfax County, VA and Galilee Church in Loudon County, VA, two churches in the Greater DC area and the diversity of their family-oriented missions and partnerships with NGOs - from educational support for local children, to building a hospital in Sierra Leone, providing opportunities for impoverished children to attend universities, and the value of small contributions, such as the heartwarming Backpack Buddies program. This episode paints a vivid picture of how united efforts can create ripples of change that span continents.We also tackle the crucial elements that sustain these impactful partnerships: trust, transparency, and a shared mission. Hear personal anecdotes and heartfelt reflections on biblical teachings to love one's neighbor, fostering unity across cultural and geographical boundaries. Join us as we celebrate exemplary global outreach, radical collaboration, and the inspiring journey of connecting people to God’s love through dedicated service.Bring voices from the global south to a policy conference with the potential to change the world! A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way! go to helpingchildrenworldwide.org to learn how you can be a part of the solution There is no shortage of need in this big, messy world, but with your help, together we can change the world!Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
8/5/24 • 64:17
Send us a textWhy do African social workers believe that it is essential that local governments, foreign donors, and parents understand that children living in orphanages should be returned to family homes? Join us as we explore the profound journey and epic revelations of two social workers devoting their careers to making this change across the continent of Africa, starting with orphanages in their own country. David Musa and Rosamund Palmer from the Child Reintegration Center (CRC) in Bo, Sierra Leone discuss the experience of change, and the unexpected areas of resistance, and what they find is behind it. Discover the intricacies of how the CRC is reshaping child care by helping others do what the CRC did, moving away from institutional settings to nurturing family-based environments. David and Rosamund share their experiences training social workers, engaging orphanage directors, and advocating for an attachment-focused approach that fosters strong bonds with children returning to family homes.Our episode delves into the pivotal role of the Transition Coaching and Mentoring Department (TCM) at CRC. Learn about the power of mass media campaigns that educate communities on the benefits of family care and the harm caused by orphanages. Hear about the unique training workshop for media personnel that ensures accurate reporting on family reunification and child welfare, and why regular follow-ups, training, and mentorship are essential for organizations in transition. This discussion underscores the importance of relationship-building and trust in achieving successful transitions from orphanages to family homes.Finally, we address the significant challenges faced in transitioning from residential care institutions to family-centered care models, particularly in Sierra Leone. David and Rosamund discuss their strategy of local engagement to garner national government support and the CRC’s own discovery of how this change permits organizations to exponentially grow their impact. CRC supported 40 children in residential care, and for the same budget, are now able to support nearly 1600 children by strengthening 450 families. We call on American donors to rethink their contributions to orphanages and instead support family-based programs. Join us as we envision an orphanage-free Sierra Leone within five years and celebrate the optimism from institutions ready to adopt best practices for the betterment of children's lives.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
7/7/24 • 55:36
Send us a textDiscover the unforeseen ripple effects of child sponsorship programs with Dr. Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong as we dissect the challenges and triumphs in philanthropy's evolving landscape. As we navigate this complex terrain, our guests reveal how well-intentioned aid can sometimes miss the mark, inadvertently creating dependencies that hobble the very communities they intend to uplift. With a watchmaker's precision, we analyze the intricacies of international aid, focusing on the necessary shift from quick fixes to sustainable, community-driven development.The journey toward ethical advocacy is fraught with obstacles, yet it's one that our guests and I tackle with unwavering commitment. This episode peels back the curtain on the delicate process of shifting from child-centric to family-centric models, highlighting the language and financial challenges that arise. Our heartfelt conversation extends gratitude to those donors who've held steadfast through the transition, illustrating the power of aligning with shared values over personal interest.Ending on a note of optimism, we share tales of resilience and hope that fuel our mission for children separated from family care. Kelly and Jared, with their tireless dedication and sharp intellect, embody the change-makers forging a path to a brighter future. By embracing radical honesty and collective action, we underscore our belief that even amidst overwhelming odds, we can make a profound difference in the lives of the most vulnerable. Join us in this critical conversation as we champion ethical and moral advocacy for children worldwide.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
6/5/24 • 42:53
Send us a textPart One:Discover the transformative power of reimagined humanitarian aid in our latest episode of Optimistic Voices. Join me, Dr. Melody Curtis, along with experts Dr. Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong, as we share our journey from traditional child sponsorship models to a new paradigm that champions community empowerment. We're peeling back the curtain to reveal the ethical dilemmas and strategic decisions that are reshaping the way we support vulnerable children around the world.The narrative of child sponsorship is being rewritten, and you're invited to listen in as Jared discusses the rationale behind EKISA aschewing child sponsorship for an innovative fundraising effort that doesn't "throw the baby out with the bathwater." As our conversation unfolds, we explore how this organization has courageously stepped away from individual sponsorships to pioneer a collective approach that enriches entire communities. This crucial episode uncovers the reality of these programs — from the potential to unintentionally propagate paternalism to the inspiring possibilities that emerge from consistent, holistic support.Kelly Strong spotlights how their bold rebranding of a monthly giving program places family empowerment at the forefront. Hear firsthand from Dr. Laura Horvath about how her organization grappled with the false narrative that lifelong personal bonds are developed through child sponsorship, and their decision to adopt a new way of speaking about dedicated donors advocating and partnering with workers to uplift and protect entire communities. The insights shared by our panel challenge traditional donor roles and highlight the importance of sustainable change, ensuring that this episode will leave listeners enlightened and potentially inspired to advocate for more equitable forms of humanitarian aid. But what happens to organizations after they make this decision? Listen in to our next episode, as these bold leaders discuss with radical honesty the impacts, good and bad, on their organization and its mission.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
5/5/24 • 42:55
Send us a textWhen Barbara Sprout accompanied her daughter Kim to Sierra Leone on a mission trip with their church, little did she know it would mark the beginning of an incredible journey, not just for Kimberly, but also for her and her husband Rick, filled with deep connections and life-altering experiences. Rick joined a volunteer crew at the church to pack a container filled with hospital equipment in 2007 to ship overseas to Mercy Hospital in Africa, then traveled years later, humbled to see how his one mundane act had helped to save lives. Today's episode features the Sprouts as they recount their transformative work with Helping Children Worldwide, offering an intimate glimpse into the joy and fulfillment that comes from serving communities in Sierra Leone. From medical outreaches to family support, their heartfelt stories illustrate the profound impact of dedicated service and the visible progress achieved over a decade of commitment.Have you ever considered the ripple effect your actions can have across the globe? The narrative unfolds as our guests share their engagement with Helping Children Worldwide, discussing the rewarding nature of building relationships and watching children thrive. The conversation takes us on a journey of growth, both personal and communal, showcasing the power of generosity to change lives and the evolution of child care from orphanages to family-focused support. Join us as we share inspiring anecdotes from mission trips and explore the true meaning of service, aiming to ignite a spark in others to discover the deep satisfaction found in helping others.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
4/5/24 • 23:13
Send us a textStep into the heart of Sierra Leone with us on Optimistic Voices, where Carrie Jo Cain from CHAMPS imparts her wisdom on neonatal mortality and the life-saving power of evidence-based training. Through our conversation, we celebrate a major leap in maternal and child health, with 80 trainees now armed with the expertise to tackle challenges like bleeding after birth and birth asphyxia. Witness the embodiment of hope as these professionals, with Carrie Jo's guidance, forge a path towards a healthier future for mothers and their newborns.Joining us with tales from the frontlines, Dr. Andrew Justice, a pediatrician with unwavering dedication to global health, recounts his serendipitous journey to Sierra Leone and the transformation he's witnessed by educating nurses and midwives in Essential Newborn Care. His narrative not only highlights the resilience of healthcare workers but also the innovative teaching methods that cross cultural and language barriers. Dr. Justice's reflections provide a vivid account of the complexities and triumphs in elevating healthcare standards under challenging conditions.Lastly, we pay homage to the midwives of Sierra Leone, true vanguards in the realm of maternal health. Their tireless work and relentless pursuit of excellence are not just improving outcomes but also inspiring change across communities. From their expanded roles to the leadership they embody, the strategies for community engagement they employ are nothing short of revolutionary. Their stories, alongside those of Embrace International nurses like Betty Tenga, underscore the significance of compassionate collaboration and the enduring spirit of those dedicated to nurturing life in its earliest moments.Kathleen Pfohl is the maternal Health mission intern with Helping Children Worldwide. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Global Health Policy at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, DC. Through this program she has been building upon her academic foundation in international conflict analysis and resolution, for which she obtained a bachelor's degree from George Mason University. As a full time manager of training coordination with the National Coalition of STD directors, she is am actively involved in advancing public health initiatives. Her professional passion lies in addressing global health challenges, particularly in low and middle-income countries and conflict settings, with a special focus on reproductive and maternal health. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
3/15/24 • 58:12
Send us a textWhen Americans and others living in the global north (aka Westerners) think about trafficking, they tend to have an image of a child being kidnapped by a bad guy, and then sexually exploited. While that is certainly a trafficking issue, there are all kinds of child trafficking. You may not have heard of orphanage trafficking before today, but it is real and real life horror story happening all around the world, every single day.It is a genuinely horrific idea to contemplate. It is, simply put, the use of children as commodities by using them to bring profit to a business that is characterized as an orphanage through solicitation of donations, inflated adoption fees, and international charitable tourism expenses, and even direct sales of children or child parts. What is it? How can a child be trafficked into an orphanage? Or indeed, out of one? Isn’t an orphanage supposed to be a safe place for - well - orphans? Katie Milazzois a repeat guest on Optimistic Voices, and during Season One of our podcast during November of 2022, she discussed her work with the Child Prosperity Centre. Since that time, the organization she headed up at the time has been transformed and has new supporting organizations, and a new Director, who just happens to be Katie's husband, Johnny Donoghue. The organization Johnny now heads up is called the Child and Family Permanency Services Centre, and like the program that HCW supports in Sierra Leone, CFPS works to reintegrate children separated from family care back into families, and to strengthen vulnerable families so that they can care for themselves. CFPS enjoys a stellar reputation in community where they are located, and along with their reintegration work, and because of their focus on child protection issues, have found themselves in a position to witness some pretty terrible orphanage and orphan trafficking in their own community - and have taken steps to address these issues.Katie has stayed in the field of child protection and child welfare, and remained in Sierra Leone. Shd is now a Protection Specialist of Anti-trafficking and Gender Based Violence at World Hope International. World Hope InternationalChild and Family Permanency CentreVideo Presentation by David T. Musa, CRC TCM Senior Consultant on how Family based care models for orphan response can help to disrupt the practice of Orphanage TraffickingHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
2/20/24 • 71:32
Send us a textWelcome to the first episode of Season 3 of the Optimistic Voices podcast of Helping Children Worldwide. We help children worldwide by strengthening and Empowering Families and communities. This podcast is for people interested in deep conversations with thought leaders in the field of child welfare, global health and international missions to the global South. Our special host for this episode is Kathleen Pfohl, the maternal health mission graduate intern with Helping Children Worldwide., along with guests Josephine Garnem, Executive Director of Healy International Relief Foundation and Dr. Mariama Massaquoi, co-founder of Tenki for Born, which she runs together with her siblings as a way for members of the diaspora to recognize and give back to the communities where their families and ancestors were born. Dr. Masaquoi is a family medicine doctor based in Virginia. Mariama, and a guest on a prior episode of Optimistic Voices, where she discussed the Mission of Tenki for Born. Tenki for Born is dedicated to alleviating maternal mortality. Helping Children Worldwide, Healy International and Tenki are members of Together for Global Health, a professional Network convened by Helping Children Worldwide and managed by Yasmine Vaughan, Helping Children Worldwide's Technical Advisor for Global Health and Missions. During January 2024, the together for Global health network members are hosting a maternal health conference in Sierra Leone, West Africa, training midwives and nurses and focused on creating a cadre of well-trained practitioners who can train others locally in order to sustain the educational impact of the conference, improve continuity of care and capacity of local providers. The training builds on training provided by CHASL in 2023 and is the first collaboration of a long term plan for training missions to Sierra Leone to bring the educational efforts to every community and region in the country.The conference outcomes will inform future collaborative endeavors, through monitoring, evaluation and collaborative research on long term impacts of the training.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
1/15/24 • 35:44
Send us a textHost Dr. Laura Horvath is joined by Short Term Mission Leader for the Teachers' Learning Collaborative, Sharon Gardner from Grapevine, TexasSharon is the project lead teacher. She has traveled six time to participate in Short Term Mission in Sierra Leone, every year since 2016 with the exception of HCW's Covid restricted travel period. Sharon is also a 2018 recipient of the Grapevine-Colleyville Foundation Star Teaching Award Grant and the US team lead author of the shared curriculum developed by the collaborative, and currently the First UMC Colleyville HCW Partnership Representative, working with local Family Advocates supporting family strengthening and empowerment in Sierra Leone . We are hoping to include both the US based lead author, and the African team lead author in the TLC's season 3 episode scheduled for release in September 2024. Helping Children Worldwide program staff worked with the mission team members to produce the program outline and teaching materials for a new kind of short term mission intended to be a model for our future STM deployments.The opportunity to come to Africa to teach summer school to children in an orphanage for a very short time period is different from what teachers used to do when they traveled with HCW. Now teachers work in collaboration with teachers in a different country to develop a train the trainer “in-service” for teachers in Sierra Leone. In SeasonHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
9/7/23 • 66:48
Send us a textYour Optimistic Voices Podcast Host, Yasmine Vaughan, discusses appropriate training for Short Term Mission (STM) Teams to ensure ethical missions with Guest, Andrea Kroeze. Helping Children Worldwide engages with individuals interested in short and long term missions overseas and provides training for STM deployment.In our Season One episode with Eli Oswald of Faith to Action "Do No Harm" we discussed ethical STMs in orphan response. In our Season One episode with Tory Ruark of Standards of Excellence "Certified Ethical" we discussed the 7 Standards of Excellence in STM. In today’s Episode, we will talk more about standard 6, appropriate training. An excellent short-term mission prepares and equips all participants for the mutually designed outreach, and is expressed by: Biblical, appropriate, and timely training On-going training and equipping (pre-field, on-field, post-field) Qualified trainersAndrea Kroeze has been on staff with Touch the World since 2004 and currently serves as the Training & Curriculum Coordinator where she finds innovative ways to train and prepare students to serve locally and globally. Andrea is also the Head Instructor of The Missions Academy, an online learning platform that equips people to do short-term missions better. Andrea and her husband Jesse have three children, two of whom were born in Uganda, Africa, when they served as overseas missionaries there for 5 years. In Uganda they learned about life in another culture, more than ever about God, and formed some of the most meaningful relationships of their lives. While living overseas, Andrea developed a deep love of culture and it’s now one of her favorite topics to learn about and teach. She’s currently pursuing her Masters degree at Fuller Seminary in Theology and Ministry with a concentration in youth, family and culture.www.touchtheworld.orghttps://shop.touchtheworld.org/pages/missions-resources (Missions devotionals and Re-Entry Journals)www.themissionsacademy.com (online missions training) MissionWorks General Website: https://missionworks.global/MissionExcellence Website: https://missionexcellence.global/7 Standards: https://missionexcellence.global/7-standards/ TTW’s Core Mission Principles For Long-Termers training: https://www.traininternational.org/pre-field Instagram @mamakroezeHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
8/25/23 • 46:21
Send us a textDr. Carol McIntosh was born in Brooklyn, NY although her family roots are based in Carriacou, Grenada. She graduated from Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction and obtained her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical School in 1987. Dr. McIntosh is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. For many years, Dr McIntosh has served in medical missions to Grenada, the Eastern Caribbean, and Sierra Leone; with the latter working as a board member of Helping Children Worldwide (HCW). In June 2008, Dr. McIntosh was awarded the medal of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth for her work in Grenada. From October 2018 to 2022, Dr. McIntosh served as the Director of Hospital Services with the Ministry of Health and Social Security in Grenada; overseeing 4 hospitals and one Nursing Home. Returning to the US in 2022, Dr. McIntosh remains on the board of HCW while working as an attending physician at InovaCares Clinic for Women in Alexandria and Falls Church, providing prenatal and gynecologic care for uninsured and low-income individuals in Northern Virginia. Today we continue with part 2 of our discussion of medical missions. I would encourage you to go back and listen to part 1 of our episode where we shared Dr. Carol McIntosh’s discussion of this topic at Rising Tides. Now, I am here with Dr. Carol to continue that conversation. There is a break at 30 minutes - so if your commute is shorter than mine, you can listen to the ad and return for the rest of the episode on your way home tonight! Short-Term Medical Service Trips: A Systematic Review of the Evidence: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056244Health impact assessment and short-term medical missions: A methods study to evaluate quality of care: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2464597/ Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
7/11/23 • 77:36
Send us a text At our Rising Tides conference in March, Dr. Carol McIntosh presented on being a giver and a receiver of medical missions. Dr. Carol McIntosh was born in Brooklyn, NY although her family roots are based in Carriacou, Grenada. She graduated from Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction and obtained her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical School in 1987. Dr. McIntosh is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. For many years, Dr McIntosh has served in medical missions to Grenada, the Eastern Caribbean, and Sierra Leone; with the latter working as a board member of Helping Children Worldwide (HCW). In June 2008, Dr. McIntosh was awarded the medal of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth for her work in Grenada. From October 2018 to 2022, Dr. McIntosh served as the Director of Hospital Services with the Ministry of Health and Social Security in Grenada; overseeing 4 hospitals and one Nursing Home. Returning to the US in 2022, Dr. McIntosh remains on the board of HCW while working as an attending physician at InovaCares Clinic for Women in Alexandria and Falls Church, providing prenatal and gynecologic care for uninsured and low-income individuals in Northern Virginia. Dr. Carol’s session featured case studies of Sierra Leone and Grenada and provided an examination of the motives of governments, NGOs, individuals, and other providers of global health services and humanitarian aid, as well as the perspective of how these services are received. So, I’m going to share part minutes of her session from Rising Tides, and then in the next episode Dr. Carol and are going to continue this conversation. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
7/7/23 • 17:19
Send us a textJennifer Suma Tharmu and Emmanuel “Nabs” M. Nabieu reflect on their shared and individual experiences of being rescued orphans living in a good orphanage, and the good and bad legacies of that childhood.Certified Nursing Assistant at Medstar Hospital.One of the first 40 children recruited and taken to live in the Child Rescue Centre Orphanage at the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War. Jennifer stayed at the orphanage for 10 years. She got access to education, healthcare, and food while also missing connecting with her mom, siblings, and extended family and community. Jennifer is now a care leader that advocates for children to be cared for in safe, loving families. Listen to Jennifer shares her journey of transformation and struggle of adaptation. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
7/6/23 • 20:55
Send us a textYasmine Vaughan shares another incredible breakout session from HCW’s Rising Tides 2023 Together for Global Health.This informative session on the practice of midwifery in low to middle income countries was conducted by Jennifer Stevens.Midwifery centers are a community-based approach to addressing maternal mortality by increasing access to quality care that strengthens health systems, provides an enabling environment for midwifery and eases the burdens on hospital beds by providing right-sized care. Learn more about this approach, and why it is important. Jennifer Stevens has worked globally for over 10 years. Beginning in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, she supported work in Mexico, Peru, Haiti, Niger, Namibia, and much of South Asia with WHO, UNFPA and her NGO, Goodbirth Network. She completed her doctorate in public health, focusing on maternal health in LMIC, specifically midwifery centers as enabling environments for midwifery care. From 2018-2020, she lived and worked in Bangladesh with UNFPA on their Strengthening National Midwifery Program. She is co-founder of Good Birth Network (GBN), focusing on a global network of midwifery centers in low resource areas. Their mission is to support the growth of high quality midwifery centers through standards, education, networking and data collection. GBN is currently piloting the first accreditation program for midwifery centers in LMICs. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
5/31/23 • 34:20
Send us a textIn this episode host Yasmine Vaughan will be following up on our 2023 Rising Tides Conference, held in Washington, DC in early March. The attendees voted on a session they would like to do a deeper dive into, and this is the session that was chosen from the conference was "localization."So today we are going to talk about localization with Doug Fountain. Doug Fountain serves as Executive Director for Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH). Previously, he was Vice President for Strategy and Impact for Medical Teams International (MTI). Before coming to MTI, Doug served on the executive staff at Uganda Christian University, where he began in 2004 as the head of the Department of Health Sciences and later served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Development and External Relations. He helped establish the Christian Journal for Global Health to promote evidence-based practice. Doug has been a member of CCIH since 2006 and has served on the board for four years. He holds an MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Oregon.PASSING THE BUCK The Economics of Localizing International Assistancehttps://www.usaid.gov/localizationCCIH Conference pageBlog on LocalizationHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
5/26/23 • 84:06
Send us a textHost Yasmine Vaughan is joined by the Rising Tides Global Health conference support Intern, Tanatswa Sambana to share tidbits of interest they gleaned from the expert presentations at the Rising Tides 2023: Together for Global Health conference, which was held in Washington, DC on March 3-4 2023. Over the course of a day and a half, conference speakers shared a wealth of information on sustainable practices to care for the most vulnerable, including community participatory practices, and international partnerships to train local communities. Their presentations focused on different ways that organizations can contribute to building a strong healthcare system. Tanatswa or “T" as we call him at Helping Children Worldwide, is a Master of Public Health candidate at George Washington University. T is interested in utilizing data-driven approaches to positively impact social determinants of health on a national and global level. Tanatswa is passionate about reducing disparities and improving community and global health outcomes. He is skilled in policy analysis, monitoring and evaluation, and project management, and can use and implement design thinking methodologies. Please check out our other podcast episodes pertaining to global health and the Together for Global Health 2023 conference.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
5/10/23 • 26:34
Send us a textCertified Ethical!Mission Excellence and Standards for Global Mission DeploymentLast year we did an episode with Ellie Oswald from Faith to Action focused on the importance of ethical missions in regard to the safety and protection of children. In that episode, we talked broadly about ethical approaches to short-term mission trips, and introduced the 7 standards of excellence in mission. On today’s episode, we will go through in more detail these 7 steps and discuss why they are important for churches, charities, and other organizations to consider when doing volunteer mission work. With me today is Tory Ruark from Mission Excellence. Tory is the COO of MissionWorks and Director of MissionExcellence (formerly SOE). He’s been leading mission trips since 2001 and been in his current role since 2016. Tory has served in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Italy and mobilized teams to many other countries. Over the years, he has worked with churches from all over the United States, spearheaded organizational partnerships, and served on the pastoral staff of his church. Welcome Tory!MissionWorks General Website: https://missionworks.global/MissionExcellence Website: https://missionexcellence.global/7 Standards: https://missionexcellence.global/7-standards/Giving Wisely Book: https://amzn.to/3KzLUCTCulture Link: https://culturelinkinc.org/Mission Trip Quick Audit Download: https://missionexcellence.global/free-downloads/short-term-mission-quick-audit/Become a member: https://missionexcellence.global/membership/Standards Introductory Workshop: https://missionexcellence.global/category/workshops/Short-Term Mission Connexion: https://missionconnexion.global/short-term-mission/Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
4/21/23 • 52:38
Send us a textWe can't fix anything if we don't know what's wrong!Your Hosts, Yamine Vaughan and Laura Horvath talk about everyone’s FAVORITE topic - DATA! Medical professionals understand that monitoring and evaluation is a huge and important part of our work in global health, certainly, but this optimistic voice believes that M&E is as important in the child welfare sector. It seems that everyone in the sector is struggling with how to find ways to capture data that can really tell us whether our interventions are having a positive impact or not. Guest Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Neville joins us to talk about the importance of M & E in the field of caring for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and the challenges in implementing best research practices in the field. In 2022, the Christian Alliance for Orphans created a grant called the Research Challenge Grant. This program was an opportunity for researchers to be connected with a nonprofit doing a promising practice in caring for orphans and vulnerable children. The researcher would conduct a study on that non-profit’s program, write a paper on its outcomes, and share lessons learned. 5 organizations were selected for this first grant, and HCW was one of them. Sarah Elizabeth Neville, PhD, is a post doctoral research fellow at Brown University. She obtained her PhD from Boston college school of social work in 2022, where she conducted her dissertation on children reunifying with family after living in residential care institutions (orphanages) in Kenya. Sarah‘s research is on children and residential care in low- and middle-income countries, including strategies for enabling them to live in safe and nurturing families, preventing them from entering institutions, and enhancing their mental health and well-being. Sarah received her BA and MA in child development from Tufts University. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
4/10/23 • 52:59
Send us a textThis is the final episode in a series. If you have not listened to parts one and two of Pastor Rob Lough’s interview of Emmanuel Nabieu regarding his memoir My Long Journey Home, you should. Emmanuel Nabieu is the HCW Director of Mission Advancement and Partnership Development - whom we all call Nabs. Warning, the content of the first two episodes can be somewhat disturbing in truthfully depicting the violence that Nabs experienced as a child during the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. Although the interview took place during a single session, we elected to break it into several episodes. Part Three is the celebratory wrap up of the topic, covering his achievement of a lifelong dream of an education, his triumphant college years, and the decisions he made to return to the orphanage where he spent a decade before being reunited with the family he thought he had lost forever. As the Child Rescue Centre Director, he used his passion and experiences to lead the transition from institutional care to family-based care, to work toward family preservation to eliminate the trauma of separation in the lives of orphans and impoverished families, "fighting the fire, instead of the smoke," as he is fond of saying. Nabs continues to advocate and lead in bringing about that transition all across the continent of Africa and the globe, as part of his commitment to Helping Children Worldwide.I think you will agree with me that Nabs has a vital message to share on the importance of family, and his work to bring this message to the global stage is worthy of attention. His voice is uniquely passionate, vulnerable and inspiring. I hope you will go to Amazon.com and order a copy.It's really good. Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
3/29/23 • 43:22
Send us a textThis episode is part two of a series. If you missed part one - you should return to the prior episode and listen to it first. Although the interview took place during a single session, we elected to break it into several episodes. Warning, the content in this and the prior episode can be disturbing as it truthfully depicts the violence and brutality that Nabs experienced as a child during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Part One takes us from Nab’s early childhood through the time of his initial escape from the rebel soldiers who were hunting him. Part two takes us on his trek through the bush, his time on the streets in Bo, and his ten years in the orphanage.Emmanuel Nabieu is the HCW Director of Mission Advancement and Partnership Development - whom we all call Nabs. We asked our dear friend, Rev. Rob Lough, former Pastor at Ebenezer UMC and long time supporter of the work being done at HCW, to guest host this episode. This is a story about resilience and transformation. It is both Nabs’ life story and also a beautiful testimony for hope and overcoming trauma. Nabs is using his experience living in an orphanage to bring global awareness and change to child welfare institutions. He is an example that we as humans can overcome difficult circumstances and use them to create something unexpected and positive. According to Nabs, he wrote this book as a way to address and overcome his trauma. He says that digging back into the past is a hard thing to do but was a huge part of his healing process. Nabs was raised in a rural village in Sierra Leone. His childhood was brutally interrupted by the civil war there when he was about 8 years old. When their village was attacked, Nabs' life was shattered. He initially recalls a bucolic, though impoverished, childhood in rural Africa, where scraping adequate nourishment from their labors was the number one struggle, and he was surrounded by the love of his family and the joys of camaraderie with his boyhood friends. He describes his rural life as he and his friends begin to explore what it means to follow your dreams, and the wisdom of his elders as they try to imbue his future with hope and resilience.Then he shares how his early life of hope and innocence transformed almost overnight into a nightmarish existence of fear and uncertainty that overtook his entire family. After hiding together in the bush and in holes dug for latrines at the family farm, and nearly escaping, a unexpected ambush separates Nabs from his parents, some of whom are murdered before his eyes. Always trying to find his way back to family, he survives without them for months in the jungle, and then on the urban streets of Bo, as the war began to draw to a close. Eventually, he was brought into an orphanage. After living there for 10 years, he was finally reunited with his family. But his story doesn’t stop there. He went to university and after he graduated he returned to the orphanage where he was raised where he later became the Director and used his passion and experiences to lead the transition from institutional care to family based care. He now works for Helping Children Worldwide as the Director for Mission Advancement and Partnership. His work brings this vital message on the importance of family to a global stage.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
3/28/23 • 44:53
Send us a textThis episode is part one of a series. Although the interview took place during a single session, we elected to break it into several episodes. Warning, the content can be somewhat graphic in truthfully depicting the violence that Nabs experienced as a child during the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. Part One takes us from Nab’s early childhood through the time of his initial escape from the rebel soldiers who were hunting him.Emmanuel Nabieu is the HCW Director of Mission Advancement and Partnership Development - whom we all call Nabs. We asked our dear friend, Rev. Rob Lough, former Pastor at Ebenezer UMC and long time supporter of the work being done at HCW, to guest host this episode. This is a story about resilience and transformation. It is both Nabs’ life story and also a beautiful testimony for hope and overcoming trauma. Nabs is using his experience living in an orphanage to bring global awareness and change to child welfare institutions. He is an example that we as humans can overcome difficult circumstances and use them to create something unexpected and positive. According to Nabs, he wrote this book as a way to address and overcome his trauma. He says that digging back into the past is a hard thing to do but was a huge part of his healing process. Nabs was raised in a rural village in Sierra Leone. His childhood was brutally interrupted by the civil war there when he was about 8 years old. When their village was attacked, Nabs' life was shattered. He initially recalls a bucolic, though impoverished, childhood in rural Africa, where scraping adequate nourishment from their labors was the number one struggle, and he was surrounded by the love of his family and the joys of camaraderie with his boyhood friends. He describes his rural life as he and his friends begin to explore what it means to follow your dreams, and the wisdom of his elders as they try to imbue his future with hope and resilience.Then he shares how his early life of hope and innocence transformed almost overnight into a nightmarish existence of fear and uncertainty that overtook his entire family. After hiding together in the bush and in holes dug for latrines at the family farm, and nearly escaping, a unexpected ambush separates Nabs from his parents, some of whom are murdered before his eyes. Always trying to find his way back to family, he survives without them for months in the jungle, and then on the urban streets of Bo, as the war began to draw to a close. Eventually, he was brought into an orphanage. After living there for 10 years, he was finally reunited with his family. But his story doesn’t stop there. He went to university and after he graduated he returned to the orphanage where he was raised where he later became the Director and used his passion and experiences to lead the transition from institutional care to family based care. He now works for Helping Children Worldwide as the Director for Mission Advancement and Partnership. His work brings this vital message on the importance of family to a global stage.Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
3/27/23 • 42:18
Send us a textToday’s episode peels back the curtain to show the considerations that are made by organizations around the world when it comes to building sustainable programs, and for those of you getting into this work, may help you understand some challenges you may face and see some gaps in program planning. Host Yasmine Vaughan is joined by Mariama Massaquoi, a family medicine doctor based in Virginia. Mariama is double board-certified in family medicine and family medicine obstetrics with an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She currently works full-time for the US Army. Mariama and her siblings run an organization called Tenki for Born, a org dedicated to alleviating maternal mortality in Sierra Leone. Tenki began about 2 years ago and has been doing health system strengthening work in Bo, including training midwives, funding clinic improvements, and other activities.Mariama started on this journey to help Sierra Leone from her passion to empower others and transform lives. She and her sister are co-founders of Tenki and are part of the board. Welcome Mariama!Important links:USAID Global Health CoursesPartners in Health Program Management Guidehttps://www.workwithusaid.org/events/rising-tides-2023-together-for-global-healthhttps://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org/rising-tides-conference-2023.htmlAs Mariana says,"We maximize our effectiveness by working together."Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
2/14/23 • 40:16
Send us a textHost Dr. Laura Horvath engages in conversation withBrandon StiverSENIOR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS The spiritual side of Orphan Carehttps://1millionhome.com/https://thinkorphan.com/Brandon has worked in the child welfare and nonprofit sectors for over twelve years. Before joining 1MILLIONHOME, he led a family based care and advocacy program in Tanzania for several years. Brandon has also worked at a Tanzanian orphanage, in the Californian foster care system, at various churches and teaches on issues facing at risk children at the university level. He has his Master’s Degree in Global Development and Justice and is passionate about indigenous leadership, community mobilization and seeing global entities come together to deliver the best care for at risk children.Today we’re going to dive deep into an aspect of the work involving care of orphans and vulnerable children that doesn’t often get talked about. For those of us in what we call “the sector” we talk a lot about the research, and the nuts and bolts of getting kids home, transitioning residential programs like orphanages into models that prioritize family care, engaging with donors, missioners and others in shifting the model and shifting the mindset. That’s all really important stuff. What we don’t spend a lot of time talking about is the motivations for getting involved in orphan care in the first place. We cite the scriptural language we all know - James 1:27, Psalms 68:6,etc. Today I want to get into something a little more spiritual - the idea of being “called - by God” specifically to this work. If you talk to people in this space, including those who have built and supported orphanages, they will often tell you that they have answered a “calling.” As we are coming to understand that orphanages are not the best place for children to grow up, how are we to think about having received a calling that prompted us to build or support an orphanage? How are we to reconcile these seemingly conflicting ideas?Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
1/29/23 • 54:18
Send us a textLaura, Nabs, Yaz and Melody talk about their love for Helping Children Worldwide, and changing the world together!Helpingchildrenworldwide.org
12/23/22 • 54:30
Send us a textHost Yasmine Vaughan discusses the topic of health disparity in wealthy and poor countries, and wealthy and poor citizens in every country.Special Guest Dr. Aruna Stevens is the Chief medical officer at Mercy Hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone. Dr. Stevens is a graduate of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences from the University of Sierra Leone. Since joining the staff at Mercy Hospital, Dr. Stevens has transformed the hospital into one of the top medical facilities in Bo, with over 10,000 patients treated every year by his staff. In addition to his duties at Mercy Hospital, Dr. Stevens regularly heads up the medical team assessing patients at the outreach clinics in rural villages surrounding Bo, and serves as associate faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C., USA.Mercy Hospital was first conceived as a joint project of the Sierra Leone Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and Helping Children Worldwide and is part of the UMC medical health ministry in Sierra Leone.Important links:To learn more about the programs offered at Mercy UMC Hospital:Watch:Mercy-programs.html - Videos on the maternal/infant mortality programs at Mercy Hospital, including vaccinations, prenatal care, child nutrition, labor and delivery, including surgical interventions such as C-sections.tour-mercy-hospital.html Dr. Stevens acts as a tour guide for his medical facility located in Bo, Sierra Leone in 2020 - prior to significant renovations in 2021 and 2022. (New videos coming soon)READ:About mercy-hospital.htmlEmpower Magazine Winter Issue 2022Empower Magazine Summer 2020To learn more about health disparity and infant mortality in Sierra Leone:Listen to: Optimistic Voices Podcast Episode Season 1, Episode 6 - CHAMPS. Read:https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/health-inequities-and-their-causeshttps://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org/global-health-resources.htmlHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
12/12/22 • 39:13
Send us a textHost Dr. Laura Horvath continues her conversation with Katie Milazzo and Lucy Matsumoto of All for One Foundation, as they share with their work in 23 countries, and their experience founding the Child Prosperity Centre in Sierra Leone with a new family support and a focus on child/family reintegration. This is a great episode for those who are thinking of moving away from old models of international aid to promote a shift away from dependency on external donors. Our guests discuss how AFO went about undertaking this sea-change decision to repurpose a gorgeous new building intended to be a 200-bed orphanage planned for the national capital city of Freetown. Katie and Lucy share specific experiences and practical details of How Western Partners can operate to embrace the shift and partner in programs that focus on building capacity in the community to care for their ownHow to effectively partner with other organizations (i.e., Helping Children Worldwide, Child Reintegration Centre, World Hope International) with radical honesty and radical collaboration to share experiences, resources, expertise and fill gaps rather than working in silos and duplicating efforts. How fund and resource development is “everybody’s job” in nonprofits and how to leverage story-telling by program professionals to explain the value of investment to donors in shifting to family support and capacity-building models, and supporting greater collaboration and networking of knowledge and resources to increase impact.Shifting the philanthropic philosophy that motivates donors from “I feel bad” for the needy to “I feel like a partner” in making the world work well for everybody.All for OneChild Prosperity CentreWorld Hope InternationalHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
11/30/22 • 68:37
Send us a textHost Dr. Laura Horvath is delighted to have Katie Milazzo and Lucy Matsumoto on the Optimistic Voices Podcast for this two-part episode. Lucy is the new Executive Board President of All for One Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on work with orphans and vulnerable children. Lucy has been involved with nonprofit for more than 35 years and was blessed to have been part of a grassroots movement that changed the paradigm for children with disabilities in the field of play that became an international movement. She was delighted to find All for One and get engaged with their work on behalf of children around the world. Also with us today is Katie Milazzo, Acting Director of the Child Prosperity Centre, an AFO supported program in Sierra Leone. Katie is originally from Illinois in the US, but has worked in Sierra Leone on and off since 2013, most recently returning in 2021 after completing her masters in Humanitarian Law at the National University of Ireland - Galway. Katie focuses her leadership on staff capacity building and community training, ultimately working towards self-sustainability and community growth. All across the world, organizations that have once supported an orphanage, have shifted or are shifting their model of care from residential programs that house children in institutions like orphanages or children’s homes; to programs that reintegrate children into family, and strengthen those families so that they can care well for their own children, through case management and family strengthening training. For a lot of us, this has been challenging, but also fairly self-contained. HCW, for example, supported a residential children’s home for 16 years in Bo, Sierra Leone, before transitioning to become a reintegration and transition support services center. While that transition was not easy, and was certainly complex, we only had the one site to focus on, which allowed us to move step by step through the transition journey without worrying about other programs or orphanages.What happens, though, when your US-based organization partners with programs in 23 different countries? And to complicate matters further, in some places you support orphanages, in other places you are less directly involved?For Part A of the episode, Katie and Lucy discuss the background and development of the Child Prosperity Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa.All for OneChild Prosperity CentreHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
11/30/22 • 45:16
Send us a textHost Dr. Laura Horvath interviews the team behind the Attachment Theory Workshops being introduced as a means of bringing the lessons of Trauma-Informed care into low resource environments for social workers who work with primary caregivers taking on the challenges of accepting children into their homes to raise. We’re really excited to introduce you to the guests on our panel today. They’re all in some way connected to the University of Maine’s Honors College, and working collaboratively with social workers on the ground in various parts of the global south, they’ve developed a tool to help caregivers heal the trauma of separation for themselves and their children, and learn how to form strong and healthy attachments with them. Even in places where the caregivers themselves are not literate. Patty Morell, an alumna of UMaine, was one of the first to even conceive of what we now call the Attachment Theory Workshop. Patty and her husband, Allen, have been active alumni, and have always looked for ways to engage energetic, altruistic college students from their University in meaningful ways to make a difference in local and international projects and programs. Elaine Thomas is a senior in the UMaine Honors College studying Business Management, Alli O’Neil is a Social Worker, who began with the AT team during her undergraduate study at the UMaine. And finally, Dr. Julie DellaMattera is a professor of early Childhood Development and Education at UMaine.Trauma-informed care (TIC) is critical in institutional settings to address not only the trauma of experiences that lead children to be enrolled into alternative care such as child care institutions (CCI), but also the inherent trauma that comes from a child being separated from her or his family. It’s a critical consideration when orphanages transition from residential to family care models as well. It’s critical that any reintegration plan moving children from separation (in institutional settings or living on the street) back to families. Orgs engaged in reintegration must apply principles of trauma-informed care at every stage: from intake and care at a CCI while awaiting placement, to preparing children and families for transition, and finally to monitoring and supporting post-placement. According to our panelist: It was a total surprise for them to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans annual summit a few years ago to present the concepts of the work they were doing alongside Helping Children Worldwide and to discover the overwhelming interest. From there, the number of organizations asking for support of this kind has grown exponentially. "We didn’t realize we had created something new, something that didn’t exist. ...a culturally competent attachment theory workshop designed specifically for non-literate caregivers. With the shift to rehome children internationally, agencies and NGOs have been looking for something that can support and strengthen families."UMaine: https://umaine.edu/ Honors College: https://honors.umaine.edu/ Article About Trip to Sierra Leone (Minerva Magazine - see pages 8 through 13): https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=minerva Video About Trip to Sierra Leone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MheEwebrdbc Helping Haitian Angels: https://www.helpinghaitianHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
11/23/22 • 66:11
Send us a textHosts Yasmine Vaughan and Dr. Laura Horvath:We’re happy to have with us today, Elli Oswald from Faith to Action, to talk about how they share with others best practices in short term missions. In particular, we are eager to have her talk about the importance of ethical missions in regard to safety and protection of children. Elli Oswald is the Executive Director of the Faith to Action Initiative, which seeks to elevate best practices in orphan care, specifically recognizing the importance of family in the life of every child. Prior to this role, she served the Missions Pastor at Bethany Community Church in Seattle. Elli also served on World Vision's Child Development and Rights Technical Team, specializing in community-based care for children deprived of parental care. Thanks for joining us, Elli!Short term missions are a vital part of the work of organizations supporting missions in the majority world. When done right, short term missions enable people to travel somewhere and engage meaningfully in support of others that lifts and enriches both the missioner and the recipient. Additionally, to put it bluntly, short term missions are often a means to enable usually western partners to ‘tell the story’ to help raise funds to support the local missions on the ground. However, this can lead to all kinds of issues of concern, especially when those missions are focused on orphans and vulnerable children. Helpful links! With Eyes Wide OpenWhen Helping Hurts in Short Term MissionsFaith to ActionThe Love You GiveROK Kern7 SOE7 F2A practices Changing the Way We Care: A Family TornThe Global Church PledgeHelpingchildrenworldwide.org
11/9/22 • 67:03