In Uganda, poverty is the primary driver of family separation.
of children in Ugandan
orphanages have living family
Poverty, not lack of family, is the main reason children are placed in residential care. Families often see orphanages as a lifeline, providing necessities like food, clothing, and education that they struggle to provide on their own. Orphanages have traditionally been viewed as the go-to solution for supporting vulnerable children.
What if orphanages were not the default solution
for orphaned and vulnerable children?
Here’s the thing: we believe there’s a better way, and we recognize that children deserve more than just their basic needs being met. Decades of research consistently point to one truth—children belong in families. Children grow best in safe, permanent, and nurturing families where they have the greatest opportunity to thrive. Families provide a sense of belonging and identity that cannot be replicated within the walls of an orphanage.
We believe strengthening families and addressing barriers to care is the most effective way to care for orphaned and vulnerable children. Rather than relying on orphanages, we aim to support and strengthen families and the communities that surround them so that children can reach their full potential.
At Otem Collective, we are dedicated to challenging the status quo and reshaping the way we care for orphaned and vulnerable children. We envision a world where families are at the forefront and orphanages serve as a last resort rather than the default option.
At Otem Collective, we want to see every child in a safe, loving family. Our response is twofold, and our efforts focus on tackling family separation from both ends of the spectrum—on the front-end by strengthening families to care for their children and on the back-end by helping orphanages get children into families.
Strengthening Families
At Otem Collective, we’re not just interested in addressing the symptoms of family separation—we’re all about tackling the root causes head-on. We understand that poverty is often the underlying factor leading to family separation. By addressing the root causes of poverty, we aim to break the cycle and equip families with the necessary resources, skills, and opportunities to create a nurturing environment for their children. Through holistic family strengthening initiatives, families are provided with access to education, healthcare, vocational training, and income-generating opportunities. By addressing the root causes of family separation, we strive to prevent families from ever reaching the point where they feel forced to place their children in orphanages.
Reuniting Families
Once children are in orphanages, we work to get them back where they truly belong—within families. We provide coaching and support to orphanages, guiding them through the transition from residential care to family-based care. We understand that every child has unique needs, and we make sure those needs are met every step of the way. We work with orphanage staff, offering them the knowledge, resources, and expertise they need to make the shift, including guidance on family assessment, individualized care plans for every child, and identifying safe and suitable family placements. Our goal is to create a smooth transition, where children are embraced by families who can provide them with the nurturing and supportive environment they deserve.
Strengthening Families
Children in Orphanages
Reuniting Families
Strengthening Families
We combat the root causes of family separation through initiatives that holistically support and strengthen families and communities to care for children. We work to prevent families from getting to the place where they have to put their children in an orphanage.
Once children are already in orphanages, we work to get those children back into families. We coach and support orphanages through the process of moving from residential care to family-based care while ensuring the needs of each child are met.
Strengthening Families
Children in Orphanages
Reuniting Families
We combat the root causes of family separation through initiatives that holistically support and strengthen families and communities to care for children. We work to prevent families from getting to the place where they have to put their children in an orphanage.
In Uganda, there were 1,000 children in 30 orphanages in 1992. That number increased to at least 55,000 children in over 900 orphanages in 2019.
Once children are already in orphanages, we work to get those children back into families. We coach and support orphanages through the process of moving from residential care to family-based care while ensuring the needs of each child are met.
The ideal place to raise a child is in a safe, permanent, and nurturing family. Over 80 years of research have shown that children thrive emotionally, physically, socially, and academically in families. Otem Collective seeks to strengthen families so that they can better care for their children.
Additionally, families do best when they’re most supported, so Otem Collective also works to strengthen the communities that surround them in partnership with local organizations. By strengthening both the community and family that surrounds a child, we can best meet the needs of that child and help them thrive. Above all, we want to see healthy children, families, and communities
We have a dual model to build strong families and communities, both locally and internationally. The goal is the same; it just looks a bit different depending on the context and the unique needs of each family and community.
Our approach at Otem Collective impacts everything we do as we strive to ensure children grow up in families. Here’s the approach that guides our work:
Our approach impacts everything we do as we work to ensure children grow up in families.
Child-centered: Our primary focus is on the child. We prioritize their rights, needs, and well-being in every decision we make. We ensure that our actions are guided by what is best for the child and that we do no harm.
Family-focused: Families are at the core of our work. We prioritize family-based care and creating environments where families can provide a nurturing home for their children.
Community-based: We recognize that communities play a vital role in supporting families. We tap into the strength, resources, and connections within the community to provide support and find solutions for families in need. We collaborate with local organizations that are already embedded in the community, working together to create lasting change.
Trauma-informed: We recognize and understand the role trauma plays in a person’s story. Our approach takes into account the experiences and challenges children and families have faced, and we ensure that our interventions are sensitive, supportive, and trauma-informed. We work on building trauma-informed communities and organizations that surround children and families.
Strengths-based: We don’t know everything, and we don’t have all the solutions. We focus on the inherent strengths that each individual, family, and community has. We recognize that local, grassroots organizations and networks in-country have strengths that we don’t, and we come alongside them to do this work on the ground.
Holistic: We look at the child as part of a larger system, which includes the family and community systems, and we look at the whole child (physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual). Children are not viewed in isolation but in connection with their parents or primary caregivers, extended family, and wider community.
Evidence-based: We utilize approaches and interventions that are supported by evidence and rooted in best practice. We’re constantly learning, and we continually review and incorporate the latest research and knowledge into our programs to ensure the highest standards of care and support.
Want to help challenge the status quo in caring for orphaned and vulnerable children?
Join us on this journey as we work to make sure every child has the opportunity to grow up in a family.