The best way to help orphans is to host them, find good families to adopt them, participate in fundraising events, support them financially, volunteer physically and online, and raise public awareness.
Orphan children are the most vulnerable in society. Once their parents die, orphans often feel sad, shattered, and all alone. Orphans feel like they’re standing in the middle of a vast empty hall, all by themselves, in midnight silence.
People will always say, “Everything is going to turn out okay.” But these are just empty words because most people don’t take action. With time, orphans build a wall around them. A wall so high that close friends and relatives can’t get over it.
Orphans suffer in silence, with devoid souls yearning for love. These orphans need saving. They need to feel a sense of belonging and happiness.
In this article, I will show you the best ways to help orphans and make them happy. Come with me.
1. Host an orphan
Become a host family for an orphan. Give that orphan child a roof over his head. Provide him with basic needs, including food, healthcare, and clothing. Let that orphan feel the support, love, and warmth of having a family.
As you host them, make the child feel like part of the family. Treat them like your own children, with no discrimination on race, color, or religion. Handle them so well that they forget the pain of not having parents.
2. Find a reputable family to adopt the orphan
Suppose you can’t adopt an orphan; find a reputable family to adopt them. Find them a family who can’t get children of their own, or one that wants to give back to society. The family should have good intentions for the child.
Visit these families personally to engage them. When they agree, ensure that you follow all stipulated guidelines for adoption in your country. Otherwise, it could be interpreted as child trafficking. You don’t want to serve a jail term just for trying to be good.
Beware that some people use orphans for their dirty business. For example, they can use orphans for manual labor for money or drug trafficking.
Foster homes are also good places that can host orphans around you.
3. Support an orphanage financially
Keep children’s homes and orphanages running by giving your financial support. Your finances will go a long way in helping orphans to:
Get quality education
Orphanages need finances for paying school fees and buying educational materials. The future of orphaned children depends on the education they get. They say education is an equalizer. Education will give them the key to the lives they desire in the future. Educating a child is securing the future of a nation.
Provide medical care
Medication for children can be costly, from paying doctor’s consultation fees to buying drugs for treatment. Children are very vulnerable to diseases since their immunity is not fully developed yet. Your finances will ensure they live healthy lives while reducing the burden on the management.
Support infrastructure establishment
Buildings, electricity, and water connection systems alleviate the living standards of children in orphanages.
Provide food
Food tops the list of children’s basic needs. Money is required for purchasing this food or cultivation to produce food.
4. Participate in fundraising events
Fundraising helps make orphans happy because they can easily get food and better living conditions. All you need to do is help out with the fundraising events in your area or by fundraising online.
Also, get your friends and family to follow suit by sharing the information with them. We need more hands in the Drive Change Foundation orphanage. Can you be our champion?
Participate in as many physical events e.g. fundraising marathons, as you do online. Don’t hesitate and help these little ones without waiting too long. The more people that will help them, the happier they will be!
5. Empower orphans with quality education
One solution that can help orphans become empowered is giving them a quality education.
Provide financial support for schools and teachers in low-income areas where there are a lot of orphans (e.g., Tanzania). Not only will the students learn about Math, Science, English, etc., but they’ll also build a better future.
Education can empower orphans to get the help they need in the future. People usually give donated goods such as clothes and food (which is good!), but this does not help the children to help themselves or other people in need.
6. Volunteer at a local orphanage
Visit an orphanage near you and help them with their day-to-day things like cleaning up after themselves, folding clothes, or even just playing with them for a little bit every once in a while. This way, orphans will feel loved and cared for. Make the orphans feel like someone has them at heart.
You can also volunteer online. For example, when you volunteer online for DCF you can manage our social media accounts or fundraise. Running social media accounts involves posting, linking, commenting, and replying to comments under posts. Please fill in this form to volunteer online at DCF.
7. Raise public awareness about helping orphans
Orphans need help from anyone who cares to help them.
Using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook is an excellent way of reaching out to more people about needing help for orphaned children. You can use hashtags on social media platforms like #helporphans or #orphanage. Depending on the type of help you want to give out.
It would also help to tag a specific orphanage like DCF’s Facebook page so that your audience can find a practical way to help.
Anyone can help orphans in different ways, either physically or virtually. Regardless of the method used, people need to know that orphans need help because they are young and vulnerable.
Help one orphan today
Drive Change Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps orphans in Tanzania, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to receive help, so they can reach their full potential and help themselves.
We help orphans by giving them shelter, food, medical care, and education through our school program. You can help these children become productive members of society by donating $20/month or any amount that you could spare for an orphan!
Share this fundraising link with your friends and family if you want to see the orphan children of Africa get the help they need. Helping just one child can make a difference in their life, now and in the future!
Here are some more ways to help orphans through the Drive Change Foundation.