Kidsave Sierra Leone: Reuniting Orphan with Family

In June, 11 older orphans from the Mpodo Home in the Bo District of Sierra Leone were reunified with their biological/extended families. During the much anticipated reunification ceremony, mattresses, large bags of rice and hand washing buckets were also given to the 11 children and their new families to help them take in another member.  

The children were orphaned due to the Ebola virus and have been living in the Mpondo Home orphanage since 2014. Chidlren in orphanages are cut off from local cultures, customs, traditions, family living, home training and community living. Kidsave’s Sierra Leone program manager, Ibrahim, and his small team of social workers worked hard to find qualified relatives to raise these children. 

“Children are our greatest asset and we must invest our time in them, train them to become responsible people and guide them as they grow,” he said. In the coming weeks social workers will visit each of the families to ensure that the children are living in a safe and healthy home and community. They will also conduct foster care training to reinforce good parenting.

One of the newly-placed children, Josephine, said, “I am very happy today to be reunified with my aunt. I now know that even though my biological mother and father are no more, they left behind somebody who has shown concern and passion to add me to her family. For six years I [was] cut off from community life; from playing hide-and- seek with my friends and sitting together in the night to hear stories of our great ancestors. Going back to where I come from reminds me of the great sorrow [of losing my parents] but I now know that things will get better for me with support from my aunt. I appreciate FID and [its funding partner] KIDSAVE for bringing smiles to me again and I promise to make the best out of your support.”

Links:

• Kidsave's Reunification Program
• The Need
• Kisave's work, Super-mentoring, reunification, family visits