| Orphan's Dream Project Proposal |
Acorn
to Oak International
Orphan's Dream
Project Proposal
Orphans, Street children and Widows
Orphans, Street Children and
Widows... These three societal groups have one thing in common: without intervention, they are at
imminent risk of harm or even death, because they often have no caregiver to
provide food, clothing, shelter or protection from those who would victimize
them. Orphans, children whose
parents are no longer living, and street children, those whose parents have
cast them into the street to care for themselves, are becoming a lost
generation without a glimmer of hope or a future. Tens of millions of children, mostly orphans, live on the
street. Although they are
physically in plain sight for everyone to see, the plight is ignored. When we fail to see these children, we
forget them. When we forget them,
we fail to protect them. When we
fail to protect them, they are must grow up quickly to make adult decisions
that can mean the difference between their life and death.
Deuteronomy 27:19 (NLT) speaks
strongly to our obligation here when it says: "Cursed is anyone who denies
justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows."
Widows, without extended families who can care for them, beg
in the streets to buy a piece of bread or a bowl of rice. At a time in their life when they
should be passing on wisdom to the next generation, they find themselves
wondering where they will sleep and what they will eat.
"I know the thoughts that I have for you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah
29:11
According to UNICEF, there are over 143 million orphans in
the world. In countries where
birth rates are not counted or parents die daily of AIDS or natural disasters
wipe out entire communities in a matter of hours, it is easy to see that this
is a conservative estimate. How
can an orphan dream of a family where they will be loved and protected? How can a child forced to live on the
streets trust that their Heavenly Father will not abandon them when the going
gets tough? How can a widow have
hope that she will have a safe place to lay her head without a blanket to keep
her warm?
The lost and forgotten need to know that they have a hope and a future. The Lord has not forgotten them. James 1:27 clearly states that "Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress" The Lord uses projects like Orphans Dream to "raise the awareness of the plight of orphans, street children and widows and to implement effective programs that will protect and provide for them in a safe and nurturing environment, while also demonstrating the love of Christ in a real and practical way"
Acorn to Oak International:
Who we are and how we began:
From the prodding of their God and a responsibility toward their faith a group of friends made a decision to take their hands and their hearts and make a difference in the world. They talked about how helping the underpriveledged, training leaders and partners, and taking the necessary steps of faith, they could meet the challenge of the call that faced them. They identified with the verse from Isaiah 61:3, which says "So they will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Planting of the Lord, that He may be Glorified." From those early conversations, Acorn to Oak, International was born. Today these friends are all actively engaged in working toward this cause.
Acorn to Oak, International exists, by nature of its name, to take small beginnings and grow them toward sustainable life, success and productivity. Every oak tree began as a single acorn. If placed in the right kind of soil, given the light and water that it needs, an acorn has what it needs to grow into what it was made for. It is amazing the potential an acorn has when it is placed in the right environment. It is our desire to create environments and programs that prepare people toward a productive and rewarding future. We believe in cultivating good soil for ultimate seed potential.
Acorn to Oak, International is a non-profit organization working with individuals, corporations and churches to bring love and hope to hurting children and families all around the world. We believe that whole societies can be transformed by creating healthy, safe and enriching environments that benefit and sustain the families living in these societies.
The Orphan's Dream Missions Statement
"The Orphans Dream Project seeks to raise the awareness
of the plight of orphans, street children and widows and to implement effective
programs that will protect and provide for them in a safe and nurturing
environment, while also demonstrating the love of Christ in a real and
practical way"
Our Purpose
- Provide resources to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of orphans, street children and widows.
- Stabilize the family so children and widows can continue to live with their biological families through providing physical, emotional, educational and spiritual resources.
- Train orphans, street children and widows in the Bible so they may find hope through a saving knowledge of Christ.
The Orphans
Dream Project is partnering with individuals, corporations and churches to
provide for the needs of these children through providing foster homes and
orphanages for orphans and street children throughout the world. The long range
goal of the Orphans Dream project is to provide foster home or orphanage care
for children in over 1000 locations around the world. The initial phase of the Orphans Dream project will begin
in Southern Leyte, Philippines.
The reason this location was chosen is that the Governor of Southern
Leyte, has offered land to build an orphanage in every city on the island. In addition, Warm Blankets, another
project partner, has offered the funds to build the first five orphanages in
Southern Leyte.
One of the
first orphanages to be built will be in Maasin City. Southern Leyte has a growing population of 321,940 and
Maasin City, one of the oldest towns has a population of 79,737, according to a
2007 census. Maasin City has
approximately 70 barangays. A
barangay is a village or small community comprising of 50 to 100 families. The orphanage in Maasin City will house
thirty children. In addition, a
staff member with the Orphan’s Dream project will work with families within the
community to establish foster homes that can assist in providing care for
orphans and street children. Food
and clothing will be offered to each foster home to ensure the continued safety
and well-being of each child.
This staff member will also be responsible for meeting with family
members and community leaders to determine if extended family members are
available and able to care for children who are legal orphans, those whose
parents are deceased.
The orphanage
in Maasin City will also have a church that will also be used as a school. Widows will be hired as caregivers and
as schoolteachers, when appropriate.
When not, individuals from the community will be hired to fill these
positions. The farmland
surrounding the land will be used to plant food that will be used to feed the
children directly and sold to individuals in the community as a source of
income. A farmer will be hired to
plant and care for the garden.
This farmer will also be used to teach the young men how to grow food.
.
Currently there are seven feeding stations located in Southern Leyte feeding many children and even some adults.
Anticipated outcomes of
proposed program
Direct
impact on those served:
1. Children and young adults will learn
social and vocational skills that will help them to become more
productive members of their society.
2. Children will be fed nutritional foods
that will encourage positive physical and mental growth.
3. Children
and young adults will be nurtured by caregivers who will love and care for them
in an environment that will promote positive behavior.
4. Widows
will be empowered to share wisdom with the younger generation.
5. Widows
will receive financial compensation, in addition to food, clothing and shelter
that will sustain them in their senior years.
6. Children
and widows will receive encouragement and support over the grief over lost
loved ones.
7. Children
and widows will receive and understand the value of family based
connections.
8. Children
and widows will be taught Biblical principles, including salvation that is
offered through Christ.
Indirect
impact
1. The local economy will increase
for several reasons:
a. The reduction in street children and widows begging will promote increase sales by tourists to the area as well as possible theft committed by those living on the streets.
b. The purchase of goods needed to supply the orphanage will be reflected in the growth of the economy.
c. Their will be a reduction in the unemployment rate in each location due to the number of staff members hired to operate orphanage.
2. The Christian church will grow as a result of the Gospel being taught:
As young people and widows become Christians, they have the opportunity to reach others within their community. This has the potential to reach the entire island with the saving knowledge of Christ. This will have an eternal impact!
Evaluation of Program
Effectiveness
A three year balanced scorecard
assessment will be implemented to assess the project goals. These goals will be specific and will
determine how effective the Orphan’s Dream project is toward meeting the
physical, educational, emotional and spiritual needs of orphans, street
children and widows. Although the
over all assessment will take place over a three year period, internal
evaluations will be performed every six months. The beginning date of the assessment will be the date of the
first placement of an orphan, street child or widow. These assessments will be submitted to board members and
will be made available to any donor or potential donor, at their written
request to Acorn to Oak International.