How It All Started
Losing my father at a young age, I had always felt empathy for children who are missing their parents. It is heart breaking to try and relate losing one parent as opposed to losing both. Making it a goal in my life to help these children, I took the opportunity to learn how I could make a difference for these children.
I became a Board of Governor’s member for Opportunity International, which is an organization that provides loans, savings, insurance, and training to people living in poverty. During this period of time I flew to Florida to hear speakers from around the globe discuss their situations and how big of an impact they are able to create with small donations. Having a better idea of what needs to be accomplished, I flew with a team to Uganda to visit displacement camps, orphanage schools, and the result of this trip was the beginning of Opportunities for Orphans.
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Opportunities for Orphans is my contribution to orphans all around the world. My goal is to provide children with scholarships and schools with grants so orphans may have a brighter future. I have laid the groundwork and I hope you join me in moving this project forward.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide for the overall well-being of children orphaned in the world through developing and supporting programs that promote health, maintenance, support and education for orphans.
Opportunities for Orphans
Opportunities for Orphans is a non-profit charitable organization working to give orphans the funding that will offer them a chance for a better education. We are dedicated to making sure our funding will foster educational and economical growth. Educational institutes and organizations will be required to demonstrate how the money will be used to create leaders in their institutions.
Who Is an Orphan?
An orphan is generally defined as a child under the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents. In current child-protection practice, this definition is often broadened to include orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) — children who lack consistent parental care or protection due to separation, abandonment, conflict, illness, or extreme poverty.¹
According to international child-welfare standards, children may be considered orphaned or vulnerable when they have:
• Lost one or both parents
• Been separated from their family due to war, displacement, or disaster
• Been abandoned or neglected
• Parents who are unable to provide care due to illness, incarceration, or severe hardship¹
Children without stable caregivers are significantly more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, trafficking, discrimination, and neglect. In humanitarian and conflict settings, these risks increase substantially, often resulting in long-term physical, emotional, and developmental harm.²
Globally, more than 140 million children are estimated to have lost one or both parents. While many live with extended family or community members, millions grow up without stable, long-term care and protection.³
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Sources
1. UNICEF — Orphans and Vulnerable Children
https://www.unicef.org/topics/orphans
2. UNICEF — Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
https://www.unicef.org/protection
3. UNICEF Data — Children, Orphans, and Global Statistics
https://data.unicef.org