Widowed and Vulnerable Families
Around the world, children are not entering orphanages because they are truly alone.
8 out of 10 children living in orphanages have a living parent or family member. What they lack is not family—but the support needed for that family to stay together.
Poverty, conflict, crisis, and disability are among the leading drivers that push families to the brink. For many, it only takes one hardship to separate a child from their home.
Sometimes, that hardship is surprisingly small.
It can be the absence of a boiler or heat source during harsh winters—when unsafe temperatures can place children at risk of being removed from the home. It can be the inability to pay school fees, leaving children without access to education or stability. It can be the lack of sustainable income, food, or safe shelter.
For widowed mothers, the situation is often even more fragile. After the loss of a husband, many are forced to work long hours outside the home just to survive. In doing so, they face an impossible tension—providing financially while being unable to consistently care for their children during the day. Without support, this vulnerability can increase the risk of children entering institutional care.
Strengthening Families, Preventing Separation and Supporting Reunification
Our trusted partners on the ground come alongside vulnerable families in countries like India, Ghana, and Ukraine to strengthen their ability to care for their children.
We support efforts to provide:
• Livelihood support to provide food security and sustenance
• Small business funding to help families generate sustainable income
• School fees and educational support to keep children learning and stable
• Day Center programs, where children receive care, meals, tutoring, and mentorship while parents work
• Basic needs support, including food, clothing, and essential home improvements
Keeping Families Together Changes Everything
When families are strengthened, children are able to reunite with their family, or stay where they belong — in family.
What may seem like a small intervention can have a life-changing impact. A boiler. School fees. Seeds for a greenhouse. A safe place for a child during the day.
These are not just services — they are the difference between family preservation and family separation.
You Can Help Protect a Family
Below, you’ll meet families who are working tirelessly to care for their children but need support to stay together.
Your generosity can help provide the stability, resources, and care they need to build a stronger future—together.
Will you help keep a family together?
• $10 provides a box of seeds for families in Ukraine
• $30- $50 provides school fees for a child in India for 1 month or Ghana for 1 semester
• $150 provide enough wood in Ukraine for the winter
• $100 provides a parent in Ghana critical support for their small business