CRC's Transition Coaching and Mentoring team continues to coach orphanages to transition to family care models

by David Musa, Transition Coaching and Mentoring Department Senior Consultant.

​A two-day Rising Tides Family Reunification was conducted in Makeni for orphanages and child protection organizations in the north. Almost every institution that works with children in other parts of the country have benefitted from this workshop from the CRC except for the ones targeted here in the north.

Based on the information from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs and the previous visits done by the CRC/TCM, there are few institutions here that are run as typical orphanages even so they are substandard as children do not get the required provisions, such as adequate feeding, clothing, education and security. So this workshop was timely because most of the institution here have limited idea on family reunification and family base care program and it importance. So they only believe in keeping children that have either lost parents or are vulnerable in orphanages.
The workshop attracted 35 participants from 16 organizations across the northern region including the media, representatives from the ministry of Gender and Children Affairs and other stake holders in the region. Giving the key note address the regional Director of the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs applauded the effort of the TCM department in complementing the effort of the government in spreading the message of family reunification, he admonished child protection organizations and stake holders to see it as an eye opener and hence work together to ensure the best practice for the children we are serving and hoped to be part of such engagement in the near future.

Presentations were made on selected topics from the two days version of the Rising Tide family reunification manual by the TCM team and had an interactive session with participants.  Many ideas were brought forward and the participants raised interest in learning more from the CRC and getting our resources. Further requests were made to have more training and some organizations requested that the TCM visit their offices to have a one-on-one discussion for further trainings.

Contacts and relevant information were shared to establish a good relationship with these organizations and we are looking forward to have them becoming clients for continuous mentoring and coaching.  Distribution of certificates and Photographs climaxed the workshop.
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The workshop event was followed by a radio discussion programme aired on 98.1 Wusum Radio Station in Makeni. There were lots of talking points on air and many text messages were received with complements and questions on family separation, reunification and child protection concerns. The panelists from the TCM team responded to most of them appropriately