Kidsave Sierra Leone: Reuniting Orphan with Family

My name is Alix Halloran and I am GlobalGiving's Field Traveler in West Africa. For the past three months, I have been traveling around West Africa, meeting with GlobalGiving's nonprofit partners. I was very excited to meet with the Kidsave International team in Sierra Leone a few weeks ago. I was moved by the work that they are doing to change the lives of children in Sierra Leone.

Ebola had a crippling effect on so many aspects of life in Sierra Leone. Even though the epidemic is over, the country is still working to recover. One particularly devastating consequence of the outbreak is that many children lost their parents to the disease. Kidsave International is working to provide loving homes for these children and other children who have been abandoned or neglected.

I was so impressed by the Kidsave team because they go the extra mile towards helping these kids. Kidsave International identifies children who have lost parents and are in need of a loving home. They work hand in hand with local government ministries to find permanent families for the children, either by reuniting them with extended family members or finding caring community members. Kidsave International knows that children will be happiest and healthiest if they grow up surrounded by community and family. Meeting with these families and talking to them about their experiences was the highlight of my visit.

I am so thankful for all of Kidsave's donors who support this amazing work and I am excited to see the continued impact that Kidsave International will have on communities in Sierra Leone.