We rescue children, then we do whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention they need to thrive.
We rescue children, then we do whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention they need to thrive.
Our kids are amazing. They’re all different; they have different stories, different needs, and different dreams. They’ve come from terrible backgrounds, but with the right care, they’re thriving.
Meshack is part of a big family. They all live together in a tiny mud hut.
Their home had barely enough space for them to all sleep alongside their mother. For breakfast all they would have is black tea. Meshack's mother worked all hours of the day but could barely afford to feed all her children. But now Meshack attends our Open Arms Academy. He receives breakfast and lunch every day. He loves to play football with his friends and teach his younger siblings what he learns at school.
Naomi was a special surprise. At just nine days old she was abandoned outside our home, with only a piece of a calendar to mark her date of birth.
We knew we had been entrusted with this precious gift of a lovely baby girl and we accepted her into our family and named her Naomi. From abandoned to accepted, from being alone in the world to having a family who adore her, Naomi’s life is now full of love. Her beautiful smile tells nothing of the difficulty that led to her becoming part of the family but shows the vast opportunity ahead of her and the joy and love that every child should experience.
Mersayit lives with her mum and sister. Their small mud hut does not have a toilet, toys or even a bed.
Mersayit’s mum used to have a flock of sheep that helped her earn an income to support her children, but most of her sheep were stolen. This pushed the already struggling family deeper into poverty. Without the means to provide food and clothes for Mersayit, Mersayit's mum felt hopeless. Now Mersayit receives regular food, medical care and a fantastic education at our Bethany School. Mersayit is able to play with her friends knowing we are looking after her and her family.
Khup lived with his four siblings, mother and grandparents, crammed into one basic hut, washing in the nearest stream and cooking on a wood fire.
Khup’s mother felt sad when her children were hungry and even more hopeless that they couldn’t attend school. But she heard about a better life for her children – the Stand by Me Children’s Village. Khup and his siblings moved to the children’s village where their lives changed drastically. Khup loves learning at school. As Khup plays football at the children’s village, shouts of joy erupt from him and his siblings. They are thriving through child-centred care.
Grace was handed to us in a bundle of rags by a policewoman. But her name wasn’t Grace then, in fact, she didn’t have a name at all. At just three weeks old she had been abandoned by the roadside. No one wanted her and she was going to be put back where she was found.
But we couldn’t let that happen. So we adopted her and named her Grace. We gave her a comfortable home and a loving family in Jane’s Home at our Bekoji Children’s Village and today Grace is chatty, funny and a little bit bossy. Grace is loved and cared for and is full of life.
This is Child-Centred Care
Truly caring for each child begins with considering the needs of the child, their family, and their community
Loving care
We get to know each child — their hopes, history, needs and dreams. We delight in our children and want the best for them. We invest our time, love and attention raising them to know that they’re loved and accepted for who they are.
Strong families
Usually the best place for a child to thrive is in their family – that’s why we work hard to help families stay together. In the absence of a stable family, we place children who are at risk into our loving family homes.
Great education
A great quality education is key to escaping poverty. Our education programmes equip our kids with the skills they need to rise above their circumstances and help change their communities.
Access to healthcare
The health of our children is vital to their development and happiness, so we go the extra mile to make sure that they are fit and well, and can enjoy their childhood.
A reason for hope
It’s a privilege to teach our kids of Jesus’ love for them, and to demonstrate this through the quality of our care. As their desire for spiritual answers grows, we encourage them to discover a love, respect and knowledge of God for themselves. Read more.
Caring relationships
It’s incredibly important to each child’s sense of value and stability that they’re raised by parents and teachers who care about them. Child sponsorship supports this further by giving our kids a relationship with a sponsor who loves them and helps them feel part of a wider family.
So what happens when our kids grow up?
As you’d expect, the answer is different with every child. We have hundreds of stories. Here are just a few to begin with...
All Wilton wanted was to go to school.
Wilton was one hundredth on a waiting list to attend a school in a chicken shed in the Dominican Republic. Then we built a school there so that we could provide Wilton, and children like him, with a great education and regular meals. There, Wilton grew from a challenging pupil to a mature young man who trained to be a doctor at medical school. Today he is a surgeon, serving his community.
Dim was born into extreme poverty in Northern Myanmar.
When Dim joined our home she was 10 years old. She watched the Stand by Me staff care for her and the other children and was inspired to become a teacher. She passed all of her exams and gained a degree in child care. Now Dim is a Preschool teacher, caring for kids just like our staff cared for her.
After sadly losing his mother, Lal joined our Sophia Home in Myanmar when he was 11.
Lal worked hard through school, never failing an exam. We were so proud of his achievements and we continued to support him through Theology School. Since graduating he is using his skills and passion for the children in our care as a sponsorship coordinator for Stand by Me.