Helping Mothers Rise: Addressing the Root Cause of the Orphan Crisis

“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” ~Oprah Winfrey We live on a planet plagued by crisis. War, hunger, disease, exploitation, racism, gun violence—these are just a few of the headlines presented, daily, on news outlets worldwide. It’s seldom when we hear on our televisions, or read on our news tablets, of the crisis that I advocate on behalf of: the orphan crisis. This crisis has placed its grip on an estimated 17.8 million children around the globe: orphaned and vulnerable children in need of our care and attention. And, where there are orphaned and vulnerable children—there are also vulnerable and marginalized mothers. The continent of Africa is geographically some ten-thousand miles away from where I live, in California. Yet, the very heart of Africa is snuggled next to me, and sleeping, as I write these words. My daughter was once one of the 17.8 million orphaned children in the world. She was born in Ethiopia. In 2010, when she was 10-months old, I became her mother. There is no sweeter gift than being the woman that my girl calls Mommy. Through her zest for life, I have learned to expand the horizons of my own capabilities. My daughter sees no limits to what she can accomplish in her life—no boundaries on her dreams. Every girl, every woman, should feel just as free and empowered! The truth is—they don’t. Women and girls remain vulnerable in countless corners of the world. Mothers are crying, dying, exploited, exposed, marginalized and left with little choice but to orphan their children. The exploitation and discrimination of women and girls are directly impacting an ever-growing orphan crisis. If the numbers of desperate, abandoned, and orphaned children are on the increase, so too are the numbers of desperate, abandoned, and isolated mothers. The two are intricately interwoven. Read full blogpost, here: