Find out the five ways to advocate for orphans and vulnerable children regardless of your location. It’s that easy, simple and less costly.
Despite the frequent reference to Orphans and Vulnerable children (OVC) as a category that befits urgent attention and support by a cross-section of stakeholders, the evidence suggests that the priority accorded to this category of children in planning and budgeting is relatively low. Several reasons have been advanced to explain this low level of prioritization. One of these is the image of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection under which OVC matters are considered portrayed.
It is evident from existing child and non-child poverty studies that high levels of child vulnerability are linked with geographically fragile and poverty-stricken environments, including conflict-affected areas.
There is a wide range of stakeholders carrying out OVC-related activities in various parts of the world, meaning you can be a part of a big family once you decide to be an advocate. You could probably be doing advocacy work but it could be that you need to fine-tune and take it to another level.
Below are the five ways of advocating for orphans and vulnerable children
- Promote and share social media content about orphans and vulnerable children. This may seem easy, but it goes a long way to impact lives. Also, leaving positive reviews beneath advocacy posts can go a long way.
- Join an advocacy organization. Search for organizations into advocacy in your country and become a part.
- Travel to foster care homes or visit the vulnerable people on the street and write a story about your visit. It could help shape the views of others. Do well to cover the children’s faces when posting on social media.
- Read books, and watch documentaries and movies about orphans and vulnerable children to gather many facts. Author Deborah Dzifah Tamakloe has written books on her experience in care (Beyond the orphanage, forest in the wilderness- patronize the softcopy at www.dzifahtamakloe.com) plus, you can browse on social media for the various books on child care.
- Visit the Department of social welfare in your country and learn about the new developments in child welfare and be a voice. Take time out of your busy schedule to learn about happenings in your country’s child-welfare state by visiting the social welfare.
Children need other SUPPORT aside from advocating
Children need various types of support, ranging from those things necessary for survival, such as food and health care, to those interventions that will provide a better quality of life in the future, such as education, psychosocial support, and economic self-sufficiency. In an ideal world, all children should have access to high-quality services. This is not so in the real world as many children, orphaned and not, are malnourished, sick, and without shelter. Some argue that a comprehensive program to support children should include all essential elements, including food, health care, education, clothes, shoes, bedding, psychosocial support, economic self-sufficiency, etc. Others hold that some of these elements are not ‘essential’ or far exceed the situation of most children living in poor households with both their parents.
Our Advocacy Manager is willing to provide you with the necessary guidance in your advocacy journey. Send an email to charistouch.worldwide@gmail.com or call +233249272409.