THE CHILD’S JOURNEY PROGRAM
There are over 14 million children around the world whose parents are in prison right now. Many children are living in unsafe environments and one million are living in extreme poverty without adequate care. In Malawi, over 50,000 children have their parents in various prisons. The Child’s Journey program comes in to confront the harsh realities that these children face on a day to day basis in form of deprivation, vulnerability and neglect. To date, the program has registered 712 beneficiaries. These children are among the world’s most forgotten and destitute populations.
Many of the children are hidden from society living in remote, hard to reach communities and experiencing extreme poverty. Children of prisoners are at much greater risk than impoverished children whose parents are not in prison. They are at greater danger of slavery, sex trafficking and violence. The mission of The Child’s Journey program is to rescue, restore and rebuild the lives of poor and vulnerable children of prisoners. The overall goal is to see the children of prisoners become resilient adults who actively participate in and contribute to the society.
- Children are in approved, safe caregiving environment and adequately sheltered.
- Children are experiencing satisfactory health and appropriate growth for their age.
- Children are progressing through primary and secondary school and achieving a basic education.
- Children are experiencing positive relationships with God, selves, family and peers.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
To increase our chances of achieving these outcomes, the program collaborates with sponsors who provide care and opportunities for these beautiful children and equips them to live a life of their full potential. The program focuses on safety, health, education and spiritual and emotional resiliency. In terms of safety, each child receives visits from a child caseworker to ensure they live in a safe and caregiving environment. On health, each child and their respective families receive nutritious food, regular health checkups and urgent medical care so they can grow strong and heathy. With regard to education, each child is given access to education through assistance with school uniforms, fees and supplies. In the area resiliency, it is about improving the child’s relationship with God, selves and family.
Overall, the program has seen remarkable changes in the life of children since inception in July, 2019. From motivating children to go to school, to reestablishing connections between children and incarcerated parents, the program has holistically served the children.
Under the program 3,427 children have been served over the years
