OVERVIEW
At any given time, there are about 132 million orphans who are living in orphanages and foster care systems around the world. These systems have been put in place to protect children from neglect and abuse therefore providing a safe, temporary shelter in times of crisis. Though we cannot control the natural disasters, wars, and poverty that inevitably displace children, we can utilize our resources to transform these children. UNICEF suggests that children who have lost parents and have been placed in unstable institutions are much more likely to experiment with dangerous behaviors that result in sexually transmitted diseases, criminal behavior, teen pregnancy, mental health issues, substance abuse, and malnutrition.
We emphasize that the chosen children services we provide should bring foster parents, field agents into contact with children on a regular basis. Field agents and caregivers are urged to involve children in activities in centers or open spaces away from their homes, including sharing the knowledge they’ve gained from the program. The services provided should involve confidential one-on-one contact between an adult and child occasionally in order to fully understand the needs of the child.
The services of the chosen children are provided by volunteers most of them being pastors and trained children teachers. The use of social media with community groups is a key element of the program. No information or images of children are allowed to be obtained by unauthorized persons. Abusive texts or emails, hurtful messages, images or videos are not to be allowed at the disposal of children. Caregivers and institutional heads are to put in place family /institutional policies and control measures to ensure that the channels and images shown on TV at home, OPD and Inpatient are child friendly.
The chosen children program works with all children irrespective of their religious background. Field agents and caregivers are to checkout if there are existing customs and traditions that can promote abuse of any kind on children within the different areas of interventions. Children are always reminded that Christ died for their sins and therefore they have been forgiven from their sins, and you live differently when you know that you’ve been forgiven.
- The program is totally home based with a motivating slogan which says “Stand with the vulnerable even if you have to stand against the Powerful”.
- The program falls under social assistance which is about providing care to vulnerable groups including orphans, vulnerable Children, widows, internally displaced and the aged persons at critical times without having received any contribution from them.
- The program takes time to notice where there might be hidden pain in people around and responds to it from a loving space.
- The staff is indigenous and culturally sensitive to the needs of the children, caregivers and specific local villages.
- The staff is sensitive to the special needs of HIV-infected children and challenges in the management of chronic illness in the home/village situations.
- The program has a special emphasis on moral education of children and caregivers with encouragement to attend and participate in local churches and organizations of all faith or belief.
PACKAGE GIVEN AS ASSISTANCE
The form of assistance is payment of school/ apprenticeship fees, medical care, food subsidy, psychosocial support (visits, counseling) and other basic needs such as clothing.
Funders and implementers
The Program is funded by North American Baptist Conference (NAB), CBC Churches, CBCHS staff and other individuals
Implemented by the CBCHS through Chosen Children Program
MAIN GOAL
VISION
Helping families and changing lives
MISSION
We seek to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering in order that they might experience true love and come to God through Jesus Christ.
Access Points:
- Churches
- Field Agents
- Office staff
- Committee I/C
- Age <18 years
- Priority given to those who have lost both parents.
- Exit after acquisition of GCE A/L
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
- Provide emotional and physical care to orphans within a home environment.
- Provide caregivers who can meet common parental roles and responsibilities including assisting in medical bills, food subsidies, school fees, apprenticeship fees, clothing, etc.
- Ensure that funds designated for the Orphans registered are judiciously used in their best interest.
- Collaborate with multiple partners who are interested in the plight of the orphans, including other Missions, NGOS, and the Government.
- Lobby the Government for favorable legislations to be passed in favor of the orphans and other dependents.
- Sensitize, educate and mobilize communities regarding the plight of the orphans which will assist in understanding the orphans and promote program sustainability.
- Address the spiritual needs of all the orphans in the communities through field agents, local Churches and Christian Institutions.
- Recruit staff who are indigenous and are spiritually and culturally sensitive to the needs of the children, caregivers in their specific local villages.
- Recruit staff who are sensitive to the special needs of HIV-infected children and challenges in the management of chronic illness in the home/village situations.
- Ensure special emphasis is on moral education of children and caregivers with encouragement to attend and participate in local churches and organizations of all faith or belief.
- Ensure that all field workers are Christians and basing their activities on the program theme verse of James 1;27
- Sensitize the CBC churches to the biblical mandate of care and support of orphans, vulnerable children and widows in Cameroon.
- Commemorate World AIDS Orphans Day on May 7 every year.
ACTIVITIES
- Pay school/apprenticeship fees
- Cover full Medical bills
- Give food subsidy, clothes, others
- Psychosocial support (Home visits
- Need Assessment Surveys
- Report Cards and medical records
- Family home visits by Health Educators and Field Agents.
ACHIEVEMETS
- Since inception in July 2001 (20 years ago), the program has assisted and given hope to 12,300 children in 7,050 homes, 42 villages of 7 Regions of Cameroon. At the end of 2021, the program assisted 2,601 orphans in 1,702 homes. Northwest includes (22) : Wum, Abba, Kochin, Boaboa, Funfoka, Misaje, Dumbu, Nkambe, Nfumte, Mbiyeh/ Biplah, Ndu Urban, Nguuffu, Mbuntzi, Sabongari, Mbem, Nso, Noni, Ndop, Mbissa Island, Gebuar, Bamenda, Belo;
- Southwest (12) Bamoumboh, Lebialem, Kumba, Buea, Tole, Mutengene, Wututu, Mapanja, Bojongo, Ekondo Titi, Ekona, Bwassa; West region (6) Bafoussam, Foumbot, Koutaba, Malande, Massangam, Magaba; Centre region (3) Ngambe Tika, Yaounde, Ntui; Littoral (5) Melong, Nkongsamba, Souza, Bonaberi, Urban; Adamawa (2) Nyamboya, Banyo; Far North (1) Miskine in Maroua.
Specific achievements
- Among the Children who have completed
- medical doctor (Dentist),
- 1 Public Works Engineer
- 11 Nurses,
- 98 degrees
- 25 School Teachers
- 5 Hotel managers,
- carpenters,
- hairdressers,
- 111 builders,
- 76 Tailors/seamstress.
- Many happily married
- 112 Caregivers operate small businesses that help them to sustain their families.
- All 26 Field workers are Christians and work with the fear of God
- The prompt medical assistance has improved the health of most of them especially those that are HIV + (89) and some are regularly on antiretroviral treatment and 5 Sickle cell patients
- All CBC Health Board staff have frequently and generously funded the Program especially during World AIDS Orphan Day on May 7th every year.
PROSPECTS/VISIONS (or Upcoming projects)
- Continue home visitations
- Hold mid year workshops to access academic progress of children
- Observe Word AIDS Orphans Day on May 7, 2022
- Gather children of FSLC, GCE to pray and distribute writing materials
STAFF CAPACITY
Six permanent staff
15 Field agents
CBCHS Chosen Children Program, PO Box 01, Baptist Center, Nkwen Bamenda, 679930870, ccp@cbchealthservices.org, denisbambo@gmail.com
Director of CBC Health Services
P.O. Box 01, Bamenda, NWR, Cameroon
Tel: (237)67 776 47 81
Email: piustih@cbchealthservices.org,
Website: www.cbchealthservices.org
Program Manager
Denis Bambo Ndzibidtu, BTh, PGD Comhlth, MPH