Fighting for Families

"When I live with my mom, my mom shows me a lot of love, a lot of affection," Sondy says. "When I'm with my mom, I have everything. When I was in the orphanage I didn't have anything."

At Espere, we find ourselves on the front lines of this orphanage crisis.

We stare into the blank eyes of the traumatized five-year-old who hasn't smiled or laughed or even cried for years. We can only guess the memories she is trying to forget. We wipe the tears of the the mom who is drowning in the grief and guilt of leaving her babies at the orphanage doorstep because she couldn't afford to send them to school. We listen to the challenges of the 17-year-old, the 37-year-old who aged out of the orphanage and struggle to find their role in society.

At Espere, we focus on strengthening families. We work to help moms and dads find the supports they need so they can provide for their own children at home. We teach children healthy ways to cope with abandonment, attachment, abuse, and other issues often associated with institutionalized care so that they can have healthy relationships and break the cycle with their future families. We work with orphanage directors and staff to provide trauma-informed care. We provide ongoing support to families that have been reunified and are trying to navigate post-orphanage life.

We offer hope that safety, security, belonging, love, and affection exists and is possible.

Right now we need one-time and monthly support so that we can continue our fight to put families first. Consider donating today by clicking the donate button at the top or bottom of the page.

Photo from the CNN Article that inspired this post, "How traffickers exploit children in Haiti's orphanages"