Child Welfare Programs Liaison Mohamed Nabieu represented HCW at World Without Orphans' global forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand last month.  WWO's mission is helping children remain in, be reunited with, or regain a healthy family, so that they can reach their God-given purpose.  As a "care leaver" (someone who grew up in an orphanage) Mohamed was a featured speaker at the conference.  In addition to presenting as a care leaver, Nabs was a co-presenter with Andrew Schneidler of 1MillionHome, sharing the Child Reintegration Centre's experience transitioning from an institutional model of care to a family-based model.  HCW/CRC is a globally recognized leader in care reform and in how to transition to family-based care.

"Keeping families together should play a pivotal role in childcare. Family is firmly entrenched into our bloodlines and DNA, and it is through a family that secure attachment and healthy relationships are born," Mohamed told the attendees.  "Poverty being the driving force for separating families, taking children and putting them into orphanages just deepens the separation by adding emotional and psychological aftermath to it. Part of God's design, families as natural systems, are meant to uphold each other through both favorable and odd seasons. With poverty and other crisis, orphanages or institutions for children should not take the lead as the only and ongoing solution."
 
"Families may be poor in providing the materialistic support to their children, but they are rich in providing genuine love to them. Our role as leaders is to partner with them for their success  at all levels," he concluded.  HCW is collaborating with WWO and other child-focused organizations to support the global movement to help children grow up in caring families, instead of institutions. 

Attendees learned strategies for family reintegration and preparation of foster and adoptive families, as well as case management tools for assessing children's well-being. 

 The CRC is pleased to welcome Assiatu Tarawally and Andrew Forbie to the staff.   Assiatu is joining the team of case managers who monitor the CRC students' academic progress and well being.  Andrew is the new Monitoring and Evaluation Officer who will collect, analyze and report  data to help the CRC improve programming, and communicate progress to partners.  Andrew will work with M&E Project Lead Sam Bundren to establish a data management system. 

Assiatu graduated with a bachelors degree in social work from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  She served an internship at Don Bosco Fambul, a Christian ministry that cares  for street children in Freetown, and also volunteered for Project Pikin.   Assiatu is the youngest child in her large family, who live in Freetown.  Assiatu is a committed Christian who enjoys reading and dancing. "I love gaining new experiences, dealing with challenges, and finding a way out," Assiatu says.  "I have a passion for children, and I want to contribute towards nation building."

Before coming to the CRC, Andrew served as Governance and Research Coordinator for People's Foundation for Humanity Development, a Sierra Leone-based NGO.   Previous to that, he was a data collector for the World Food Programme in Liberia.   He holds a bachelors degree in sociology from the University of Sierra Leone, and a secondary education teaching certificate from Milton Margai College. 

Andrew is married and has three children and one foster child.  He enjoys traveling to new places with his family and listening to music.  He is a devoted Christian evangelist and musician who plays the keyboard and drums.  "I am excited to work at CRC to represent and promote its mission, vision, core values and Biblical principles," Andrew says. 

The Child Rescue Centre is encouraging Senior Secondary school graduates to consider vocational or technical education if they don't do well on the college entrance exam.  Throughout West Africa, graduates of Senior Secondary School (high school equivalent) sit for the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), to determine their eligibility for further education. Upon receiving their results, CRC students are welcomed to apply for a Promise Scholarship for university or votech programs.  Many CRC students who scored high on the WASSCE have pursued university degrees including medicine, engineering, journalism, applied science, or social work.  However, the test is difficult and many students don't earn scores that will gain them entrance to university.  

The CRC aims to remove any stigma about votech education, and help every student become a self-sufficient, contributing member of their community.  CRC Director Olivia Fonnie and other staff members recently met with graduates to encourage them to consider vocational or technical training. 

There are many successful individuals who do not go to college; they went to technical or vocational school," CRC Case Manager Victor Kanu explained.  CRC graduate Amara Foday used his scholarship to attend welding school, a highly sought-after skill in Sierra Leone (read about Amara here)  and is now enjoying a career in the booming Sierra Leone construction industry.  CRC students have successfully completed vocation and technical education programs including catering, tailoring, and auto mechanics.

The CRC is offering extra tutoring and preparation classes for the students who decide to take the WASSCE a second time.