We were listening to Bunly, a young man who had grown up in an orphanage in Cambodia. His words were clear, but we did not understand what he meant. We asked him to explain.
“Visitors to the orphanage would say things like, ‘Would you ever like to see England?’ Or, ‘Would you like to study in Australia?’ Every time they asked, I felt they were inviting me, like they were promising to help me go to those places.”
Bunly had spent most of his formative years in orphanage. As a young boy, whose parents were very poor, he and his older brother were sent to the orphanage. His parents made the decision thinking it would improve Bunly’s chances for a better life.
Our partners became aware of Bunly after he ‘aged out’ of the orphanage system. He had received very little formal education and did not possess the appropriate legal documents to re-enter the education system or even find employment. Our partners were able to help him find a job and a placement in a course of study. In this conversation, a small group of us sat with Bunly in the lobby of the hotel in Siem Reap, where he is now working.
I asked Bunly how things changed for his parents after sending he and his brother to the orphanage. “It made no difference. They were poor when I was sent away. They were poor when I returned. The difference was, when I returned, I did not know them, and they did not know me. My sister had remained at home, but my brother was no longer part of the family. He ran away from the orphanage.”
We hear many stories like Bunly’s; stories of how families are being separated. In many parts of the world where parents live in extreme poverty, there are influences which lead them to believe that sending their child to an orphanage can give the child a ‘better life’. However, this belief has been proven incorrect through decades of research, and the experiences of those who have grown up in orphanages and institutions.
In Tearfund Ireland we are convinced that it is better for children to remain with their families, rather than growing up in an orphanage or institution. Toward this aim, we have been working alongside local partners in Cambodia to help strengthen families. We believe that if the attention, funding, and resources were redirected to strengthening families, rather than funding orphanages, we could do so much more to help children have a ‘better life’ – together, with their families.
Each time I meet, or hear from, someone like Bunly, I become more convinced that we, as the collective Body of Christ, need to reconsider how we strengthen families and care for vulnerable children.
To assist in this, we are asking for your help in two ways.
First, would you please complete a short survey HERE to help us better understand how the Church in Ireland is supporting vulnerable children in other countries? This is not a long survey, but it will provide important information.
Second, will you share the link to the survey among your friends, family, colleagues, and networks?
Similar research was recently undertaken among the Christian community in the UK, and we would like to ensure Christians in Ireland have an opportunity to contribute. The more people who complete the survey, the more helpful the results will be.
If you have any questions about this aspect of our work, you may like to download our FAQ document HERE which is full of helpful resources. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us for a conversation.
Thank you for walking alongside us as we walk alongside our local partners so vulnerable individuals can overcome poverty, withstand crises, and transform their communities.