Approximately 140 million children worldwide are orphaned, and another 160 million children live in extreme poverty. Poverty, hunger, exploitation, lack of education, and social isolation, are just a few of the stressors that vulnerable children in developing countries face every day.
These traumatic experiences have the potential to impact every area of a child’s development, and relationships, and increase the risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Often in the immediate need for food, water, and shelter, we overlook the emotional needs of the child which can directly impact her/his future. Yet, traumatic experiences alter a child’s brain chemistry and directly impact their emotional growth, behavioral growth, cause physical changes, and cause difficulties in forming healthy attachments. They need intervention for their emotional health and well-being.
Growing from L.O.V.E., our Holistic Model of care attends to the psychological, emotional, spiritual, social, and physical needs of traumatized children.
Children who have suffered traumatic experiences due to prolonged poverty, hunger, abuse, neglect, exploitation, or natural disasters, are often lacking in basic brain functions and the ability to process information. They lack in:
Educating caregivers about the chemical changes that occur as a result of a child’s trauma, equips them with the skills necessary to aid in the healing process.
Just as psychological health is the ability to process information, emotional health is the way to process emotions. As a result of trauma children often display these behaviors:
To be successful every child needs to have at least one deeply connected adult relationship in his/her life.
Our program educates caregivers in how to help children self-sooth, develop proper coping skills, and form healthy emotional attachments. This helps children to develop trust in their adult caregivers, reducing at risk behaviors.
The emotional and psychological struggles of traumatized children have the potential to hinder their peer, adult, and family relationships, also preventing them from forming healthy attachments throughout their lifetime. Early trauma intervention helps children to:
A traumatic event or a lifetime of repeated traumatic instances, shatters a child’s world view, and often causes them to lose their faith, and their belief in a “good” God, as well as their hope for the future.
Spiritual care helps to restore a child’s relationship both vertically with God, and horizontally with others. Even the youngest of children pick up the faith traditions of their family and community, and begin to question the presence of God when they’re hurting.
The Good News has the potential to reach the deepest wounds of trauma and rejection; God is love – unconditional love and faith in the God has the power to release children from shame and guilt.
Some of the physical effects of trauma that are caused as a result of traumatic stress are:
In addition to caring for the whole child through healing their trauma, our Child Life Sponsorships provide children with the nutrition necessary for healthy growth and development. Additional opportunities for medical, dental, and basic necessities such as clothing and hygiene are also available.
Our Child Life Sponsorships give children who are otherwise too poor to attend school, the chance to pursue their dreams.
Studies of adults who were sponsored as children reveal significant increases in pursuing higher education, job prospects, and relieving poverty for other family members in trickle-down effect.