The renowned philosopher Thomas Aquinas once said, “Charity brings back to life, those who are spiritually dead.” This statement rings especially true when it comes to the plight of orphaned children worldwide. According to UNICEF, there are currently 153 million orphans globally, with approximately 5,700 children becoming orphans every day – that’s 1.4 million every year. Many of these children live in extreme poverty and are left to fend for themselves. They often have no access to education, healthcare, or protection, and their primary focus becomes where their next meal will come from.
Orphaned children are the most vulnerable people in the world, and their right to grow up in a supportive family environment that supports their physical, psychological, social, and emotional development becomes secondary. While an estimated 2.7 million orphaned children worldwide live in residential care, the actual figure is likely much higher. Growing up in an institution can protect children at risk of physical, emotional, and social harm, but there is no substitute for care under adoption or foster care.
Every child has the right to a better future, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that they receive it. Beauty queens, first ladies, presidents, CEOs, and ordinary citizens all acknowledge this responsibility. Children’s charities offer a legitimate and positive way for each one of us to play a role and impact the world around us. By providing various ways to connect with vulnerable children who desperately need someone to speak for them, these charities bring welfare and spread big-heartedness, the message of brotherhood, and pure love among people.
Compassion towards the poor and unfortunate is a virtue that every human being should strive to inculcate. As Nelson Mandela once said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than how it treats its children.” Children’s charities offer a unique way to put hands and feet to a compassionate intent, no matter how small. By becoming part of something bigger, we have the potential to rewrite history and give hope to those in need.
To improve the present pathetic condition of orphaned children, we need to work on several areas. First, we must accelerate efforts to end the institutionalization of children through targeted programming and advocacy. Second, we must strengthen families to prevent family-child separation and improve child protection and welfare. Third, we must redirect resources and prioritize family-based alternative care within communities. Fourth, we must improve data collection and reporting systems for children without parental care.
Lady Elizabeth is an individual who understands the importance of charitable work for children. She spends time with kids with Down’s syndrome and does charitable work in remote areas to support the welfare of the weaker sections of society. Lady Elizabeth believes that children’s charities are a positive way to impact a child’s future by connecting with vulnerable children who desperately need someone to speak for them. She understands that these children are so preoccupied with their basic survival that they don’t have the mental space to plan for their future. By providing proper guidance and counselling, orphaned children can recognize their talents and abilities and shape their future while being protected from the pitfalls of undesirable traits and social situations.
Charitable work nurtures creativity, and resourcefulness, and helps children adapt to mainstream society. In today’s era, making a difference does not require becoming a messiah – it simply requires devoting some time of one’s life to be in the company of orphans, helping them attain education, fulfilling their basic needs, providing them with constructive guidance, and giving them love. By doing so, we can ensure that these vulnerable children receive the care and support they deserve and build a better future for themselves.