Childrens' Projects

(Kind of a continuation of the first part of the last post - Andrea felt like it was two stories being crammed into one)

I am no expert on development issues. I don’t know how it all works and I don’t admit to having learned more than the surface in the past weeks here. But I’m learning a few things and I feel changed by them. Let me give you examples of the projects that Andrea and I went to just yesterday morning.

The first project was a Canadian led organization. The plot of land is isolated and far removed from any other community. There are 12 homes on the property with 2 functional at this time. The homes are quite large and cost around $40,000 a piece and cost around $12,000 a year to run. The homes are donor dependant with all the donations coming from Canada. There are around 8 kids per home at this time with a ‘mother’ that has been hired and lives in the home with the children. This is normally a widow whose responsibility is to mother these children. We have met the Canadian couple who run the project and they seem motivated to love these kids and see them grow up in good homes. The children are very healthy and well-fed and have all their physical needs met.

On to the next project. We went to a community project called Adziwa where one of the key donors is a local church in Lilongwe as well as some international donors. There are 17 homes on the property with all being used but two at this time. They are 2-3 bedroom homes costing around $6000 a piece. This community project was built alongside a poor community where most of the homes are derelict and run down. They asked the community what was needed most and the community responded with the following; homes to assist families that have taken in orphans, income generating projects, water treatment facilities, and irrigated plots of land. In most cases, orphans are absorbed by the extended family (grandmothers, aunts, uncles, etc.) but they often lack the resources necessary to feed the children or house them. These homes allow the children to stay connected with their community, and become part of various income generating projects like chicken coops (seen here) and other farming practices. Every house gets a 30 x 10 m plot of land to grow food and there are 117 children currently in the homes. The land was not purchased but given by the chiefs simply because it is a community project. It is sustainable and not reliant on continuous external funding. There are no paid staff members as it is the family members caring for the children. The family interacts directly with the village



The last project that we saw was actually on architectural drawings as it has not yet been built. They are taking a run-down orphanage and turning it into a mega-orphanage with no intention of turning children away that are dropped off there. It is quite different from the first project as they will be dormitories instead of smaller homes and the dining will be done all together in one place. I’m trying to be a bit unbiased in how I’m describing the projects but here is where I’ll stop. The person who we are with, their face dropped as these drawings were explained to him. He basically described it as an institution that will do more damage to the children and the future credibility of their organization than good. Within dormitories, sexual abuse is rampant, particularly when you’re dealing with previously abused vulnerable children. The kids grow up without specific attention from a mother or father figure. UNICEF and other model agencies don’t approve of this method at all. And by opening their doors wide without holding the community accountable, this place will become a drop-off point for unwanted children, orphaning more than necessary. I’m a bit jaded by this meeting and I know the organization means well. They see children who are abandoned and they want to help as many as possible at once. But they are not involving the community from which these children come. There is a disconnect with the responsibility from the extended family. And it’s said that they’ll learn. That they might spend millions of dollars, fail on this time around, and improve it next time. I just hope that the least amount of kids get hurt in the process.