Summer 2023 Empower Magazine - Impact Report : simplebooklet.com

Executive Director s Letter Hello beautiful people This is the 2023 impact edition with the 2022 annual report insert at its center We are all about collaborations and teamwork at HCW As Editor in Chief and Publisher of Empower Magazine and CEO for HCW I get to choose the theme for this edition all on my own well suggest anyway This time I m writing the cover story about the documentary that we are producing this year about transforming orphan care It embodies the theme empowerment as transformation Two things really sum up the heart and will of Helping Children Worldwide In this issue we highlight both in stories about our approach to mission It s right there in our name helping children worldwide It couldn t be clearer or bigger And we are small relatively speaking I see it like that song you may be singing in Vacation Bible School this summer It s what HCW calls our core values of Radical Courage Faith and Trust We re open to redirection by the Almighty and whether adherents of the Christian faith or another we share a common value of belief with our partners and a willingness to act on it to advance the progress of good in the world We double down with the core ethos of radical collaboration and radical honesty We often fail as an aspect of trying but we try to fail upward As a know better do better organization with those values it s not surprising that when we make a major shift in practices we own our mistakes and publish our revised organizational philosophies People think decolonization is a rare practice in faith institutions but our founders always eschewed colonialism to operate from an ideal of localization That s not the empowerment shift I m talking about It s simultaneously more direct and more subtle We collaborate to build programs that won t need our interventions with organizations that will operate without us and 2 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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have the same approach with their own clients We are part of the empowerment chain reaction drawing others into collaborating with us to spark that chain reaction over and over again We want our partners to look fondly in the rear window as they head down the road without us Enough metaphors for one letter I think To learn how empowerment is impacting lives in growing numbers please turn to our Annual Report pullout 4 pages found in the center of the magazine on pages 23 to 26 I can tell you briefly however that the work highlighted in this edition impacted over 4 245 children s lives during 2022 Our partnerships in Sierra Leone taught us about sustainable and ethical mission We begin and end our collaborations with the notion that we are collaborating for the specific purpose of empowering others to succeed and take over We collaborate radically because we believe that 1 we are part of a greater collaboration 2 for every idea we share with collaborators we will gather three better ideas from them 3 our work is meant to be shared freely because that is the behavior we want to see grow in the world and 4 we are working to work ourselves out of a job Our goal is to empower others who will empower others who will empower others until every child has the help they need and the power to grow and achieve their dreams Dr Melody Curtiss Esq Executive Director CEO Strengthening and empowering families and communities We operate through partnerships with people and organizations interested in finding solutions to the fundamental causes of child poverty and morbidity CONTENTS Young people in mission PG 4 8 Partnerships Empower HCW PG 25 28 Medical Missions that empower PG 12 13 THE ROOT OF IT ALL Documentary made to Empower PG 14 19 HCW s Global South Office opens in Sierra Leone PG 30 Together for Global Health Partner Stories PG 32 39 Annual Report PG 21 24 Strong Families for Every Child Partner Stories PG 40 43 EDITORIAL PUBLISHER EDITOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dr Melody Curtiss Esq CONTENT RESEARCH Dr Laura Horvath Emmanuel M Nabieu Yasmine Vaughan DESIGN LAYOUT Nyakeh V Kamara PROOFREADING Linda Reinhard CONTRIBUTORS David T Musa Jim Grant Kasey Werner Saidu Sesay www helpingchildrenworldwide org 3

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We have to keep investing in our young people They are going to change the world Recently Laura Horvath and I have had young adults reach out to us via email to ask questions about the global health and child welfare work we do Each of them were doing school projects focused on Sierra Leone and wanted us to share our experiences to help supplement their research It would have been easy for them to do some basic googling and write a simple paper It also would have been easy for us to brush them off saying we were too busy to answer their questions But neither of us took that path HCW is committed to supporting young adults as they pursue knowledge in these areas and young people are increasingly getting involved in humanitarian work Millennials are cited as being the most charitable age group in the US today and Generation Z is highly motivated by a desire to help others and make a difference in the world A recent Forbes magazine article states Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping philanthropy and ushering in a new era of giving A report by payment app Zelle found that nearly 75 of Millennials provided financial support to family friends or nonprofits since the Covid 19 pandemic began the highest rate among any generation polled They Millennials and Gen Z are also aware of the challenges facing their generation such as climate change poverty and conflict A Case Foundation study of data and analysis created by a decade of study actions trends and behaviors have led to a general framework for understanding young 1980 2000 constituents Based on careful review of the data from the decade long project including data on the behaviors and preferences of more than 150 000 millennials Case has identified 10 traits characterizing young people s approaches to cause engagement 1 see all of their assets as equal 2 are everyday changemakers 3 believe in the power of activism 4 care about social issues rather than institutions 5 care about using their collective voice 6 care about supporting others and the greater good more than ineffective partisan politicking 7 engage through a range of sectors and industries 8 by employing innovative approaches 9 and through actions both big and small 10 are largely influenced by their peers The questions the students asked us were thought provoking and complex like How do you define poverty in Sierra Leone and how can someone measure it and How many women have access to health care but refuse services because of cultural beliefs or fear and To what extent do orphanages violate human rights toward children within them These and the other questions they asked excited us because it means that the passion we bring to empowering families and communities is being passed down through the generations There is still so much work to be done to protect children from endemic poverty disease and illiteracy as Jesus said The harvest is plenty but the workers are few However if we continue to foster this enthusiasm among younger generations to get involved in humanitarian work then the work we do will continue long after we are gone 4 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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We asked these young people some questions about why they reached out to us and you can see their responses below About them Luke Thiel is an Ohio native who will be attending the Ohio State University in the fall with a major in accounting This mission work allowed him to recognize the perspectives of others and communicate ideas with different people Luke said working with HCW was a great experience and I hope to work with them at my church in the future Natalie Turner is a sixteen year old sophomore from Herndon Virginia She has been involved in community service since a young age when she began packaging backpack meals for kids on the weekend During her sophomore year she served as a third grade teacher s assistant at a local title one school She is co head of her school s chapter of Girl Up an organization that works to expand girls skills rights and opportunities to lead She aspires to work in the medical field In her free time she enjoys playing tennis rock climbing playing guitar and going on hikes with her family Ella Heibert is an animal lover dancer student and daughter She was adopted from China when she was about a year old and lives with her parents and their two animals an older cat and her best friend a playful dog Growing up Ella had to overcome the mental and emotional impacts that orphanages leave on children As a result she is passionate to share her voice to help support other children struggling In the past year she became a recreational gymnastics coach and enjoys working with children In her free time she loves spending time with her family friends or cuddling with her dog Her hobbies include dancing paper quilling and other artistic pastimes www helpingchildrenworldwide org 5

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David Morgan and Luke Thiel Poverty in Sierra Leone Natalie Turner Maternal Health in Sierra Leone Ella Heibert Why did you become interested in this topic Luke also shared a bit about the impact his home church had in bringing the David and I became interested in this topic when we kept hearing of all the mission work that our church has and is doing in Sierra Leone We had a school project and thought that it would be a great idea to connect the two I became interested in the topic of maternal health in Sierra Leone because of my church s partnership with Helping Children Worldwide When I was younger my family and I were a part of the sponsor a child program and wrote letters to a child in Bo Sierra Leone Along with this I have been able to learn about the establishment and progression of Mercy Hospital over the years To conclude my sophomore history class I was assigned to write a research paper on a global issue that focused on human rights I was excited to be able to choose my own topic since I have always had a passion for the medical field I wanted to pick a topic related to health care I knew about Mercy Hospital but wanted to learn more about other health care resources throughout Sierra Leone While conducting some quick research I learned that Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world I was shocked to learn that for every 100 000 live births there were 1 360 maternal deaths in 2016 I became interested in this topic due to my personal experience with adoption Since I was very young age 5 and up I would constantly ask my mom questions about my history adoption orphanages etc I am a person who is very curious which started at a young age The older I got and the more I learned about adoption and myself the more interested I became in learning even more about it What did you learn from this topic that was really interesting or surprising to you One thing that we learned that was surprising was that although the goal seems difficult to accomplish an organization like the church can use its connections to greatly help us along the way There is no way that we could have done this alone I think I was surprised most by how many factors could affect a mother s ability to receive the care she needs The issue is more complex than one might think as there is not one simple solution While lack of resources is a major roadblock in maternal health there are other factors that affect maternal health including educational disparities financial instability location based health gaps and lack of gender equality I learned how the resources available to mothers can be heavily impacted by whether they live in the more urban or rural areas of Sierra Leone A mother in a more rural area most likely does not have a hospital or clinic close by and would have to travel miles while pregnant in order to receive the care she needs I think the most interesting thing that I learned about adoption is about how many children are placed into orphanages with a living guardian or parent While I also knew from a young age that the probability that I was part of this number was high I didn t realize how many parents had to give their child up in order to try to provide a better life and more opportunities for them I guess I never really connected the two from the statistics of children given up due to this and to the definition of orphan that this can mean a child who has lost one or both parents and not that they have no one to care for them at all 6 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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Why should students your age care about this topic David Morgan and Luke Thiel Poverty in Sierra Leone Natalie Turner Maternal Health in Sierra Leone Ella Heibert Students our age should care about this topic because it is important to be a globally aware student and learn about how small actions can have greater effects Students my age should care about this topic because losing a mother during childbirth is devastating to families and communities Maternal health is not an issue that may come to mind for people living in developed countries where pregnant women have access to doctors and affordable medicine However many women across the world including Sierra Leone do not have this access Women in Sierra Leone deserve to have the same care and should not be afraid during their pregnancy The average age of childbearing in Sierra Leone is fifteen similar to the age of my peers This is not an issue limited to adults as fifteen year old girls are at risk of dying during childbirth From 2013 to 2019 maternal mortality in Sierra Leone has dropped by 40 showing that it is feasible to drastically reduce the number of maternal deaths I think that students should care about this topic because it impacts millions of children worldwide in long term emotional mental and cognitive ways While I may be biased I wish that others knew more about the impact that orphanages have on children Knowing the physical and mental harm and challenges it has presented in my past and present life I wouldn t wish for anyone to have to deal with this The different cognitive and physical challenges that orphanages have on children are still hard for me to comprehend I wish that no other child would have to deal with these impacts especially when they don t necessarily have to occur Do you see this topic as something you might want to work in or learn more about in the future I think that we will definitely look back at this drive and be inspired to participate in future church missions and help others join various causes I would love to continue to learn more about maternal health I feel like I have only scratched the surface and want to learn more about maternal health across the world I am currently working with my history teacher to find ways to share what I have learned I hope to go on a mission trip to Sierra Leone one day Even though I am still young I am hopeful that I will have this opportunity to learn more about maternal health from experiences in Sierra Leone I definitely see this as a possibility for something that I would want to pursue in my future Helping prevent children from enduring the same challenges and pain that I am going through as an adoptee is something other children deserve If I can in any way contribute to helping other children in my same situation I would love to www helpingchildrenworldwide org 7

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What advice would you give your friends who want to get involved or learn more about humanitarian work What else would you like to share David Morgan and Luke Thiel Poverty in Sierra Leone Natalie Turner Maternal Health in Sierra Leone Ella Heibert We would tell our friends about how a small drive can impact a scale of people that you may not even imagine The advice I would give to my friends is to be involved in an area of humanitarian work that you are passionate about While my involvement originally began as a school assignment I found myself spending hours researching answers to my own questions because I wanted to learn more I am invested in this topic which is why I want to continue to find ways to help Second educate yourself Ask others who are knowledgeable about the subject questions watch videos attend informational sessions and read reputable articles I would just say that keeping an open mind and helping to be a voice for those who are unable to advocate for themselves is something many will value for years Helping Children Worldwide was a huge help in organizing the various supplies that we needed to collect and they helped us connect with others in order to promote our mission For people wanting to be involved in humanitarian work do not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation One person can make a difference If you are a student like David Luke Natalie and Ella there are many ways you can get involved in our work Organize a small fundraiser or medical supply drive like Luke and David Help out with a local HCW fundraiser like the annual Golf Tournament even if you can t volunteer on the day there are plenty of ways you could help out to get us ready For active young adults you can participate in our Virtual Fitness Challenge and build a team to get others involved Choose to make Sierra Leone or HCW a focus on a project for the school or in your church youth or small groups to help spread awareness of the issues and our work If you are over 18 consider signing up for a mission team This December we are specifically sending a young adult team to Sierra Leone These are just a few of the many resources available to help young people get involved in our work When young people get involved in humanitarian work they are not only helping others they are also learning and growing They are developing new skills gaining new perspectives and making a difference in the world If you are interested in making a difference in the world humanitarian work is a great way to do it 8 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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ShSohrtotret rtmerm WWintienrteBrrBearekak 12 1 22 62t6ot1o 01 30 3 SSSpuSeSSrmpiSmunermmga2iSmenO0lemBgao2s2RreOr0tlne4BBeose2Rrearrtrn4Beekeeiaarrnoekkrianokr MMIISSSSIIOONNTTRRIIPPSSaanndd December team graphicMsMakaekJaeoJDaioniDfinfAiefrfATeenerTaecnmeea c me OOPPPPOORRTTUUNNIITTIIEESS Se SeetehfomgsuteebehfomgstantuteWebekyadttantteroiWrkyanodatuateroivrrWrirncoaluesaatodvrpeWlrivrce llesareTlodrpewleovlee lhgreTljaraiweeroelledrhlcogjaraicythereuladrrlcoegangercythluonadhrgpegaangdeiealtonyldhmgpstoadNierateuylamsetno iNrwnteuaseen iLwdntesenLdLseAS WneLifsoASe W reenriifcsoerreeatanri csreata CCAALLLLISISNNTTGGUUADADELELLNLNCTCTOSOS L LLLEEGGEE Work on projects alongside Sierra LWeoonrkeaonn cporlolejegcetsstauldoenngtsside Sierra VLeisoitnceualntucraolllseigteessatnuddeenxptslore the lVainsditsccualptueraanl dsiftoeosdasnodfeSxieprlorareLethonee Ilnatnedrsaccat pweitahncdhiflodoredns aonfdSifearmrailiLeesone DInetveerlaocptmwaittherciahlisldtroesnuapnpdorftam thieliewsork wDheevenloyopumreattuerrnials to support the work when you return Attend an Interest Meetings SuAbtmteint dananAIpnptleicreatsitoMn e etings ScSaunbmthiteanQARpcpoldiceabteiolonw to register for anSinctaenrethstemQeRectiondgeabnedloviwewtothreegister for apapn liinctaetrioenstomn oeuertiwngebasnitdev iew the application on our website www helpingchildrenworldwide org 9

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HCW Presents The amazing staff at Helping Children Worldwide don t just sit quietly at their desks They re out in the world sharing their knowledge experience and expertise in a variety of ways Yasmine Yaz at CCIH conference on our radical work ethic Presenting at the CCIH Conference in Washington DC in the panel session Standing Together in Partnership The session was moderated by Dr Perry Jansen African Mission Healthcare And included Nkatha Njeru Kimathi ACHAP Secretariat and Dr Tonny Tumwesigye of Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau on how they partner with others to maximize impact in global health Yasmine s topic was Radical Honesty Radical courage and Radical Collaboration How Embracing these Principles can Expand your Impact Faith to Action Webinar Beyond Selfie Missions With Dr Hunter Farrell author of Freeing Congregational Mission A Practical Vision for Companionship Cultural Humility and Co Development Brian Fikkert author of When Helping Hurts and our own Emmanuel Nabieu author of My Long Journey Back Home Memories from an Orphan on a Quest to Find His Family and Help Other Children Find Their Way Back Home 10 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION BEYOND SELS IE MISSIONS HOW MISSIONS BECAME ALL ABOUT ME AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Faith to Action WEBINAR EXPERT VOICES OR HUNTER FARRELL DR BRIAN FIKKERT EMMANUEL NABIEU Recorded on June 8 2023 Learn more https www faithtoaction org missions

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Bridging Cultures Podcast Features newest HCW staff member Marwa Ahmadzai Escape from Afghanistan Georgetown University s Collaborative on Global Children s Issues Caring for Vulnerable Children What Does Answering God s Call Mean for Churches Families Orphanages and Other forms of Children s Care Emmanuel Nabieu joined Barbra Aber John Deinhart Phillip Goldman Kathleen Mahoney and Sister Niluka Perera in this webinar Christian Alliance for Orphans Evaluation of Promising Practices Research Challenge Grant Webinar and Booklet HCW was one of only four organizations in the world selected to identify a promising practice of the CRC be partnered with researcher Dr Sarah Elizabeth Neville of Boston College and have that CRC practice be evaluated to demonstrate that it does positively impact CRC families Think Orphan Podcast features Emmanuel Nabieu My Long Journey Back Home With Emmanuel Nabieu Nabs discusses his new book with host Brandon Stiver www helpingchildrenworldwide org 11

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At HCW we have worked to increase the value that our short term mission teams bring to our partners around the world We certainly want people who travel with us to have a meaningful experience eat great food and learn how to dance in church But our long term objective with our missions is to build meaningful partnerships between people and organizations in the United States with the goal of increasing the capacity of our colleagues in the Global South We believe that traveling with us is not a 2 week mission but a small part of a 22 year mission to strengthen and empower families and communities This is most visibly expressed in our medical mission teams Each July we have medical personnel from the Medical University of South Carolina and other providers from across the United States visit Mercy Hospital They usually spend a day or two seeing patients alongside the staff but the major project they focus on is training medical staff in Sierra Leone These trainings most often feature lower cadres of care providers such as nurses midwives and Community Health Workers CHWs but sometimes include doctors and medical residents and students CHWs and other similar levels of providers are trained to recognize common disease conditions but do not have the level of training of care providers in the United States when it comes to things like drug interactions and disease interactions comorbidities Chronic diseases are on the rise in the Global South but medical education there has not shifted to emphasize the impact that musculoskeletal injuries diabetes hypertension heart disease and other chronic conditions can have in a place with high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and typhoid So instead of treating a handful of patients in a clinic over the course of a week our medical missions teams have been training 20 30 providers who can impact hundreds and even thousands of patients each year The medical staff in Sierra Leone come away with the knowledge that they can use to better care for their patients and the volunteers come away with a deep satisfaction in teaching those eager to learn Both result in relationships allowing for US providers to consult and advise SL providers like a telemedicine visit This upcoming February we are embarking on an ambitious project to send a medical mission team to make an impact on maternal mortality in Sierra Leone Our goal is to put on a maternal health conference with sessions focused on pharmaceuticals malnutrition and antenatal care The magnificent part will be the pre conference a series of sessions focused on emergency obstetric care These sessions will be delivered in a train the trainer format aimed at not only teaching emergency procedures to midwives and nurses but also designed so the trainees can be trainers for nurses CHWs and midwives in their community By creating a cohort of master trainers we can do so much more for mothers and babies in Sierra Leone Are you a nurse midwife physician s assistant nurse practitioner pharmacist or doctor Consider taking two weeks to travel with us to equip and empower medical personnel around the world We could use providers who specialise in Radiology Obstetrics and Gynecology Surgery Pediatrics Pharmacy Pathology Internal Medicine Family Medicine Emergency Medicine Cardiology Orthopedics and Physical Therapy Nutrition If you or anyone you know is interested in joining our team in February March of 2023 to help as instructors at our maternal health conference please email Yasmine helpingchildrenworldwide org www helpingchildrenworldwide org 13

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We re making a documentary if you haven t heard THE ROOT OF IT ALL Working Title You may be curious as to why After all you got into this work with us because of the work we do in mission and many of you have stuck with us in partnership through years of change in how we serve that mission We have a small devoted crew at our headquarters office and we each wear many hats and do a lot of creative juggling to meet our pledge to help children worldwide despite our limited resources For those who are new to our story our mission is helping children worldwide and we do that by empowering families and communities Alfred Hitchcock said documentaries are story driven visual documentations of the real world and of their making he said i n feature films the director is God in documentary films God is the director Chris Ryan of Once Films is a producer of short feature films for nonprofits that will motivate people to donate and support the work they do Chris explains that all feature films are designed to inspire and conjure some type of emotional response That is probably what can lift a video shot with an iphone into the classification of short film Documentaries take that design and add an element of persuasion hopefully drawing on facts and personal perspectives as well as emotional appeal Paul Jenkins is an award winning international documentary film director whose films have been shown on the BBC ARTE PBS NHK and other major television networks plus at leading film festivals Also the founder of Brilliantio academy that teaches the art of documentary filmmaking Paul says a good documentary can shed light on important issues in a way that people cannot otherwise see by focusing on specific stories that matter and taking the time to understand them to find witnesses and to present what is happening or has happened in a compelling way Chris Ryan says the importance of the artform from the perspective of public policy is that w ith documentary film productions comes a sense of urgency to change the world around us to take action Sure emotions play a big part in that but documentarians aim to challenge your perspective and educate the masses We have the same motivation that most documentarians have when they decide they need to film a documentary an important problem to solve real world information to share with those who can help solve it special knowledge about the pitfalls and rewards involved recognition of how important change is for the future understanding that one must make an intimate connection to bring about significant behavior changes and a realization that the people who are trying to bring about change need to move the hearts and minds of more people than they would generally encounter in the course of their daily work in order to accomplish those goals www helpingchildrenworldwide org 15

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THE BIG IDEA Never doubt that a small group of dedicated individuals can change the world in fact it is the only thing that ever has Margaret Meade 1 Our sights are set on global impact The core of our mission has always been best practices in orphan response That was the impetus for expanding a feeding program for children impacted by civil war to a housing mentoring and scholarship program It was the basis for founding of the CRC in Sierra Leone and supporting children in families in Sierra Leone where a parent had died But we had visions of expanding our impact after that first program opened hence the designation Worldwide when we incorporated twenty years ago We are doers admittedly and we were founded by doers Using the same doer approach HCW tried several strategies to do more in the past with more or less success but abandoned them due to our own resource limitations 2 Honest self assessment A few years ago when our coffers and our spirits were low we got radically honest with ourselves about our role and reach as a small nonprofit The approach we had been taking to the mission was doing not empowering Some would say we were over doing and exerting over ownership That radically honest reflection forced us to accept that we won t ever have the financial means or labor force to do enough to achieve global scale with our own doing Nobody has that kind of power money or scale and those who try to acquire or wield it are not looked upon favorably by history Reflecting even more deeply and honestly we began to realize that it wasn t our role to do most of the things we wanted done not if we wanted to have a global impact 3 Change in our approach We can share what we have experienced and teach others our understanding of best practices and if we reflect honestly on our failures and success we can build trusting relationships that influence others to see the value of our experiences and understandings so they can begin to access our knowledge base to find best practices in the field that they can adapt in order to fit their experiences and understandings We can collaborate and share to enhance understanding and gather resources for the work they will be doing But then we must back off and stop our doing after that We must empower others to do so they can be the heroes of their own stories and they can bring about the change that is needed in the community they know and understand 4 Change in our methods We still do things but we do them differently and we begin every collaborative project we undertake in low resource countries with the idea that we are mutual partners traveling down the road together for a while but that our paths will part in the future because the partnership will no longer be necessary We re deliberately trying to make ourselves obsolete That means that we will ultimately transfer all of the knowledge and benefit of the knowledge into our partner s hands so they can do everything we did and do it just as well or better Our first step in creating a partnership is to initiate collaborative empowerment strategies that put us into a chain of helpers to bring about change Our last step is to remove ourselves from the chain To begin to operate fully from this perspective we joined worldwide networks of dedicated professionals with the same goal of empowerment As a faith based nonprofit we gravitated to faith based networks but we didn t limit our connections to those The first commonality we sought was in the field of orphan response and the intention to bring about transformations in communities and serve children separated from the care of their parents The second was in the field of child health and those with the intention to empower local health systems that impact child mortality and morbidity 16 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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5 Finding our place on the global stage As Helping Children Worldwide advanced onto that stage we discovered that there was a hunger in the field for information Changemakers craved the knowledge we had acquired through research practice relationship and time With respect to orphan response practitioners and their funders asked us to share our insights and obtain practical advice on what steps they should take to transition to family support models As our credentials were recognized and the expertise of our staff and the staff of our local partners were demonstrated in these circles more and more organizations solicited assistance in shifting their local leadership s actions and their government s or donor s thinking on taking the right first steps on initiating reform and pretty much begged us to teach them how it was done Because we and our local partners in Sierra Leone had gained this knowledge through a shared experience and HCW expressed our philosophy of continuous improvement what we call our know better do better value with radical honesty we found ourselves in a leadership position that outstripped our financial capacity to perform We also faced the enormous challenge of responding to all the needs that appeared in our field of vision on that higher ground No matter how large the responder or the resources they had at their disposal nobody was coming close to matching the complexity and enormity of the need HCW may not have all the answers but we aren t afraid to take the first step forward to ask the questions and that s the reputation we ve gained in the field Our honest self reflections our doer mentality and our humble view of ourselves as only one link in the chain of helpers means others trust our instincts ask our advice and join our collaborations We are right where we need to be in the chain 6 Collaboration as Empowerment Empowerment is collaboration at its core It is recognizing your collaborators strengths and giving them permission to bring those to the table to solve problems In order to get to a big enough solution we have to empower everyone to bring their strengths to the problem That is why we leaned into ours and instead of stepping away from the field and hoping somebody else with more staff money and influence would step up to fill the gap we empowered a funding partner who had supported our prior work in curriculum development First Fruit to join us in a new approach to scaling the work of reform from hundreds of institutions to tens of thousands We asked them to become part of a plan to reach across all 107 low to middle income countries struggling with the family separation crisis Our theory was that in the years since we had joined the networks plenty of NGOs in the field had stepped up to create training programming and tools we just needed to pool our expertise and influence map the resources available and make a plan to fill the gaps Many leaders in the field had academic knowledge but no practical experience others had decades of experience but lacked the foundational knowledge needed to support advancement others were working in silos of their own choosing or imposed by external forces We proposed to lean into our naturally collaborative nature and our silo busting gate crashing tendencies to bring together all the network participants we encountered aligning all the different networks engaged in the work and working together to design a toolkit of easy to use options for those who wanted to ignite the process of change www helpingchildrenworldwide org 17

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And what has all of that got to do with us making a documentary you ask HOW TEAM BIG IDEA BECAME TEAM ROOT OF IT ALL If we are going to empower everybody to bring their strengths to the table we first have to engage their interest convince them to respond and motivate them to act Like Chris and Paul say that is the role of the documentarian We can pull every expert together who is already engaged in the field and part of the networks and coalitions we ve joined and we can most likely convince the already convinced to join us in that collaboration We intend to do that But we already know from the work we ve been doing that they will need something from us to spark the conversation with the folks they need as supporters to get the permission they need to begin of the people who can make use of them We can and have meet with leaders who are fearful and resistant and try to convince them that it was unfounded fear and unnecessary resistance It hasn t been enough We needed a relatable comprehensive truthful simple and evocative way to wipe away barriers of attitude and fear and bring all hands to the table We needed a documentary that faces those fears head on and deals with them truthfully and realistically and demonstrates that the risks of not changing far outweighed the risks of change Two Sierra Leonean Social Workers George Kalunda and David Musa of the Child Reintegration Centre are key to the changes and the documentary Watch the Trailer The greatest barrier to change right now is attitude and perception that there isn t a good way to begin too many risks in trying and not enough reasons to take those risks It all comes down to fear and money Even if we convince everyone to contribute to the pooled resources and all the networks and coalitions to join the collaboration we envision we could fail If we can t get the support of the policymakers the governing and funding institutions and every decisionmaker that influences outcomes the resources won t get into the hands The documentary is the tool that the network participants will use to engage interest convince them that their response is essential and motivate them to respond personally thereby empowering others to collaborate and become part of the empowerment chain The challenge of a documentary production is capturing the factual information or perspective on truth with enough emotional content to drive the viewer to action or create that deeper connection and 18 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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understanding of the topic The documentary process involves research fact gathering finding the right messengers to tell the story interviewing them and asking them the right questions to build the narrative You may have the subject matter expertise to envision the value of a documentary but that s just the first step You have to assemble a team of qualified professionals to do the work and pull together the compelling voices visuals and narrative if you want to produce a quality film that people will watch It s truly a collaborative process and takes a full team in planning producing scripting and filming That means it s not cheap or easy to do it right The advantage we have is the amazing community of professionals in our collaborations and the faith that guides us to make those connections in the first place We could not have reached this point or tackled this project without the intervention of God s plan for every soul involved in the project It is a story of how the Lord puts the right person in your path at the exact right moment to accomplish Kingdom work That s the rest of the story The story of how we were empowered by people of faith to make a movie How we saw that a documentary could empower others who are trying to end the chronic and rising crisis of orphanhood and family separation We came to that understanding because we benefited from a series of amazing acts of empowerment in the chain of helpers It began when we joined the chain created a policy conference for deep conversations about the problems and changes we wanted to see in the world invited friends we had met along the way who were working in the field and asked them to consider helping one another That was our very first Rising Tides conference and we opened it by screening an award winning documentary Lost Kites by film director Samuel Rich It is a series of heartfelt stories of three children living separated from their parents one on the streets one in an orphanage and one in foster care We were so moved by the film that we tried to connect to the director and persuade him to join us and talk about his work but he wasn t available However the script writer and author of the making of book First Sand Then Sea did join us and spoke at the conference We are still giving away copies of her amazing book if you would like one Time passed and the network of Christian Alliance for Orphans had introduced us to 1MILLIONHOME another coalition and we partnered with them in our work to change orphan response in Africa Our HCW CRC partnership signed on as the 1MH national accelerator for change in Sierra Leone and transition coach David Musa relies on the foundational work they freely share in many of the trainings he does with orphanage directors and child welfare organizations 1MILLIONHOME wanted to document the work of the CRC case managers in reintegrating children before they became involved with 1MH and include CRC successes in a video they were filming for their online courses They also wanted to produce a short video about the moving story of our favorite Care Leader Emmanual Nabieu from HCW 1MH sent us Leigh Sarti and Nathan Garcia of Broomstick Engine and filmmaker Samuel Rich to do that work Talk about your mysterious ways That is how Sam became part of the HCW family documenting our work and our partner s successes in Sierra Leone and why he agreed to sign on to direct a new very likely award winning documentary The Root of It All Sam brought with him another incredible filmmaker Marianna M kiniemi of StoryFrame I don t know how we could be doing this without these talented filmmakers Well Truely we couldn t We would be shamelessly neglectful of our friends at First Fruit if we didn t talk about their role in the empowerment chain None of this would be possible without them First Fruit had considered a film project in the past and they had underwritten several curriculum development projects for the HCW team We met them because of our friendship with 1MH and they had come to trust our insights our skill and our results We had come to trust their generosity and their focus on empowerment as a core value We offered to empower them to be part of this project and they decided the time was right to follow that impulse and underwrite our efforts Now the chain of empowerment is in your hands as our supporters founders and donors and you are the collaborators who empower us to collaborate and empower others We hope you will continue to support collaborations and find yourself empowered to be part of some of the most important movements in history in the process www helpingchildrenworldwide org 19

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Sierra Leone Nigeria Liberia Mozambique Uganda Haiti Kenya United States Japan India Napal Phillapines Indonesia Bangladesh Losotho Ethiopia South Sudan South Africa Madagascar Kenya Mali Grenada Mozambique Mexico Zimbabwe Chili Cambodia Guatamala Sierra Leone Zambia United States Sierra Leone Mozambique DRC Zimbabwe Kenya Liberia Angola Where in the world we re found Together for global health Regional Accelerator West Africa orphanage transformation UMC Strong Family Campaign In simplest terms what was the Known impact of investments in 2022 13729 Patients Served Numbers of patients served at Mercy Hospital does not include the 33 medical institutions in the TGH network 545 families Served Families served by CRC case managers does not include the TCM client programs in Sierra Leone Mozambique Nigeria Kenya or Liberia 4245 Children Helped CRC and Mercy direct client impacts Excludes tens of thousands impacted by programs in the Together for Global Health and Transition Coaching and Mentoring Regional Accelerator networks for which we did not collect data ANNUAL REPORT Insert www helpingchildrenworldwide org 23 This pull out section of Empower Magazine is available as a stand alone publication 3

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We invest in strategies partnerships and relationships Investments during 2022 For more details on our budget and investments please see our audited financial statements and IRS 990 nonprofit tax return filings both available online at http www helpingchildrenworldwide org financials html In 2021 we overhauled the HCW mission statement to clarify our messaging about the purpose that drives our work In 2022 we built scaffolding off the five anchors that pin our mission We invested a great deal of staff attention in constructing the on ramps we would need for the work we would be doing in 2023 through 2025 We created or bolstered core partnerships we believed would be foundational to that work We set our sights on the horizon and allowed ourselves to dream big and act boldly We figured no organization with a name like ours should try to get away with less We made targeted connections with partners and potential partners during mission trips events church outreach activities and professional networks We initiated a denomination wide collaboration to engage UMC churches in family strengthening and empowerment stretegies and we joined with educators and NGOs to share our workshops on initiating and managing the changes we wanted to see manifest We expanded the global health network and child welfare network managed by our international headquarter s staff We started a podcast to share insights from the vital voices in the field At the end of the year our staff and board gathered to consider what additional realignments we would need to implement in our program and development activities in 2023 You can read about many of those decisions in the impact edition of our Empower Magazine This insert is published along with the stories of impact from our decision to own the empowerment model in every aspect of the work we do You can find all of these stories on line at http www helpingchildrenworldwide org I invite you to learn more about our impacts by subscribing to our blog our podcast and following the unfolding story of the making of a documentary the Root of It All Helping Children Worldwide is a 501 c 3 organization Our work to transform the lives of vulnerable children and their families would be impossible without the faithful commitment and generous support of donors All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law We are committed to directing these funds to make the greatest impact possible in the communities we serve An independent accounting firm conducts an annual audit on the reporting of Helping Children Worldwide s financial resources A NOTE ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF GBGM ADVANCE FUNDS Some donations are provided by United Methodist Churches and congregants to the Advance Funds administered by the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church GBGM as requested and managed by HCW for distribution to Mercy Hospital and the Child Reintegration Centre Because we set these up to be sent directly to the bank accounts of the institutions in Sierra Leone they do not come to HCW While we can and do provide oversight on the use and receipt of these funds we do not report these as contributions to HCW We do capture the impact of these donations on the programs we support in various reports we share with donors Donations that are solicited by HCW that are designated for a specific purpose by the donor when received and accepted by HCW are utilized for the designated purpose We are proud of our core values and reputation for radical honesty radical courage and radical collaboration We are grateful for the recognition of partners and oversight agencies that we strive to conduct ourselves with competency integrity and transact business with a high degree of transparency and ethics If we have left any of your questions unanswered we invite you to reach out and contact us via phone to our international headquarters in Virginia 703 793 9521 or email to support helping childrenworldwide org REGIONAL AMBASSADOR https www fundraisingregistration com 24 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION 1ANNUAL REPORT 2022 This pull out section of Empower Magazine is available as a stand alone publication

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Our Friends Have an Idea We Want to Share Join the Movement Empower Nonprofits Unleash their Power to Solve Big Problems Durting August of 2023 we had hoped to screen Uncharitable in the DC area We learned of this film in the Spring of 2023 We watched the TED Talk and read the book and it excited our imaginations Then through our connections to the producers of this amazing documentary we had a unique opportunity to have a private preview Uncharitable features innovation from leaders in the field of social enterprise and presents a new approach to unleash the power of nonprofits entrusted with curing the ills of the world Dan Pallotta proposes a necessary mindshift that would allow NGOs to finally fill the service gap between business and government The problems presented in the film aren t new to us We struggle with them daily to fulfill our mission with a hand tied behind our back It was refreshing to hear someone present a path to solving them We couldn t stop talking about it and dreaming how it might change our work We don t want you to miss out on this revolutionary proposal Please watch our website for information on local screenings and join the discussion in your own community Go See For Yourself Join HCW at a local screening event www helpingchildrenworldwide org 25

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LONG TERM PARTNERS INCREASE THEIR IMPACTS RECENT STORIES FROM THE HCW BLOG Helping Children Worldwide empowers local leaders to provide programming to stregthen and empower families and communities These local leaders tell us what is most needed in the intersection between our mission and their work Subscribe to our blog to read more stories CRC MENTORING EMPOWERING OTHERS Family tracing is the process of locating families with the goal of reuniting children and placing them back in their families of origin Once a family is traced an assessment is done in the home and in the community to determine if it will be a safe and healthy environment for the child Then the work can begin of preparing the child for reintegration into the family Family tracing is an important part of the CRC s work as many children are separated from their parents and living on the street or in institutions The CRC has gained a lot of expertise in family tracing and now is able to teach other organizations how to do this dropped out of school and are living on the street The social workers from Maria Charity They were operating an orphanage with 15 children Foundation learned a lot but also requested more in residence After attending the TCM s Rising Tides training and montorship to significantly improve and CSI training they recognized that thorough its family tracing and placement decisions They tracing and assessment is essential in making a family recognized skillful tracing and assesments are the reunification plan They requested follow up training first step in ensuring that children can be safely on family tracing and in July 2023 the TCM staff and permanently reunited with their loved ones went with Maria Charity Foundation staff to mentor and receive the care and support they need them as they attempted their first comprehensive tracing campaign for 2 children s families CRC leadership said of their work in mentoring other child service agencies that CRC is proud The TCM Department worked with the Maria to partner with the Maria Charity Foundation In July Helping Children Worldwide provided training and support for the casemanagers at the CRC putting in place new mechanisms for managing their reintegration work In turn the Transition Coaching and Mentoring TCM department of the CRC partnered with the Maria Charity Foundation to help with family tracing a skill CRC has well in hand The Maria Charity Charity Foundation to identify families before assessing placement decisions Moving from one village to the next a lot of data was collected on the family of the child In some cases the exact location of the child s family was not known but a lot of contacts were made to community stakeholders for more information on the location of the family This experience is demonstrative of and other organizations to help children in need We believe that family tracing is an essential part of providing care and support to orphaned and abandoned children We are committed to working with other organizations to ensure that all children have the opportunity to be reunited with their families Foundation is dedicated to helping children who have the complexities of tracing separated families MERCY UMC HOSPITAL IDENTIFYING PLUGGING SERVICE GAPS Mercy UMC Hospital medical personnel identified equipment and training they needed at their facility in order to meet significant medical needs for services that are not available in Bo and in some cases were not available in the entire country of Sierra Leone This exercise was the key component of an ambitious fundraising and donor campaign spearheaded by Floris UMC Congregation Virginia Bethel UMC Congregation South Carolina and Medical University of South Carolina Church of the Lakes Ohio along with assistance of multiple Together for Global Health partners in shipping clearing and transporting the equipment and supplies Mercy UMC Hospital is able to support health services in their community that have been unavailable or unreachable This is the essence of local determination and engagement in a partnership focused on strengthening and empowerment 26 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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PARTNERSHIPS StQtochnbopRaiuleosonrwrscegteoassd dte FAMILY EMPOWERMENT ADVOCACY Do you envision a world where orphaned and vulnerable children and youth are flourishing in a better and brighter future It all starts by strengthening families and of hundreds of advocates that have joined helping them stay intact Join our joyful forces with the Child Reintegration Centre community of Family Empowerment Advocacy on this journey of reuniting orphaned and and Partnership It s good to know that what abandoned children with families Together truly separates children from their families we will help millions of the most vulnerable are not those intangible needs like LOVE and families become stable and self sufficient by CONNECTION The number one factor that providing them with mentoring skills training tears families apart and forces children to parent education case management and the streets or institutions in most developing support for education and health care regions like Sierra Leone is Extreme POVERTY the lack of access to those tangible needs From all of us here at Helping Children Food education clothing and healthcare Worldwide we want to give a big shout out to all our amazing family empowerment By creating opportunities for vulnerable advocates You are restoring dignity and children and youth to become skilled healthy responsibility to vulnerable families while and connected community members through providing them with a pathway to success family strengthening and capacity building With your advocacy and partnership support we are providing long term solutions to you are helping create a future where children overcome extreme poverty and achieve self thrive and enjoy true success in harmony with sufficiency their families and where vulnerable families can thrive with DIGNITY rather than staying Empowering families is the best way to repair STUCK and SEPARATED and DEPENDENT those that are broken and to help them remain intact Visit www helpingchildrenworldwide org today and be part of the joyful community www helpingchildrenworldwide org 27

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MERCY HOSPITAL Do you envision a world where even the poorest populations can access and afford quality medical care services Mercy UMC Hospital in Bo Sierra Leone is a local partner of Helping Children Worldwide Mercy is making quality healthcare accessible and affordable to the most vulnerable populations in Sierra Leone Mercy Hospital provides quality care to over 13 000 patients a year Mercy s focus on reducing high infant child and maternal deaths in Bo District Sierra Leone has helped Sierra Leone make strides in shaping the healthcare landscape there for safe childbirths and healthy children HCW s mission is aligned Mercy s to improve outcomes for children in extreme poverty Your partnership with HCW is a boost for Mercy Hospital s efforts to reach impoverished communities and vulnerable patients with quality care services maternity malnutrition Malaria treatment HIV AIDS testing and treatment life saving surgeries and more Visit www helpingchildrenworldwide org today to see how you can get involved We love their motto Mercy Saves Lives 28 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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VILLAGE PARTNERSHIP Looking to scale up your impact and empower an entire community An entire village can build a pathway out of poverty with your help How cool would that be Well the opportunity is here Join Helping Children Worldwide s Village Partnership Initiative This allows you to embark on a short term investment program by forming a committed partnership with an impoverished community that encourages local control and ownership of the issues they face With a focus on strengthening families and communities join the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital on a transformational intervention that begins and ends with community ownership giving children and families the tools to invest in their own community to overcome the obstacles of extreme poverty illiteracy and endemic disease A big thank you to the churches and individuals who believed in this initiative from the beginning launching the program in three villages With our combined efforts local partners joined with village leaders to make infrastructure improvements in the rural communities and expanded services to the villages surrounding the city of Bo with family strengthening programs medical care micro finance training sanitation clean water sources school development and enterprise projects for sustainability Visit www helpingchildrenworldwide org today and see how you can be one of our village strengthening champions www helpingchildrenworldwide org 29

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CHURCH PARTNERSHIP Become a Partner church or supporting congregation of Helping Children Worldwide Today First of all we are giving a big shout out and heartfelt gratitude to all our amazing partner churches and supporting congregations across the states Virginia Texas South Carolina Massachusetts Ohio New York Philadelphia Kansas Missouri and Minnesota Thousands of lives are being transformed every day because of your faithful partnership and support Becoming a partner church or supporting congregation is a fruitful journey If you are a pastor a mission and outreach leader or an active church member who wants their church to have incredible opportunities to experience great joy and excitement about its ministry we invite you to come along with us on the journey of care You can come along on a mission trip or create a family empowerment advocacy or a medical mission support campaign that lasts a season or the lifetime of your congregation This is our gift to you an opportunity to to bring your church members shared joy in the short term and a certainty of transformational change to their lives as they connect to the mission Our mission partners tell us that they joined this work to help the children only to discover that God used the children to transform their lives Mission creates deep relationships within partner churches and between other pastors mission outreach directors partner church representatives and congregations who engage in mission together Pastors share how congregations become more loving generous and excited about how God works among them You join a team of churches when your congregation teams up with Helping Children Worldwide to help create a healthier and happier future for vulnerable children families and impoverished communities Become a partner church or supporting congregation of HCW today at www helpingchildrenworldwide org 30 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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MY LONG JOURNEY BACK HOME When last did you read an absorbing inspiring and deeply moving life story of hope and change Do you know who or what empowered Emmanual Nabieu Helping Children Worldwide s own Emmanuel Nabs Nabieu s Memoir on Amazon It s titled My Long Journey Back Home Memories from an Orphan on a Quest to Find His Family and to Help Other Children Find Their Way Back Home Nabs memoir is a transformational journey marked by the stories of trauma survival resiliency in action and humanity at its core Read how he overcame bitterness severe traumatic events and almost soul crushing life challenges and still found joy in ensuring that orphaned children and youth have the best opportunity to thrive in safe nourishing and loving families Note A portion of all book sales go to Helping Children Worldwide to support the work of helping more vulnerable children live in safe strong and nurturing families Nabs is a global child advocate and care leader for orphaned and vulnerable children and their families The civil war in Sierra Leone brutally disrupted his childhood After being ripped away from his loving family he survived life on the streets and was eventually enrolled in an orphanage where he spent 10 years of his childhood and teenage years Nabs eventually went on to become the director of that orphanage and with meaningful collaboration he successfully lead its transition to a family care program Using his lived experience to ensure all children grow up in strong loving and permanent families Nabs is a recognized voice in the movement to shift how we care for orphans from institutional to family settings Grab your copy of My Long Journey Back Home today on Amazon www helpingchildrenworldwide org 31

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HCW s Global South Office opened and registered in Sierra Leone Did you know that Helping Children Worldwide has officially opened a Global South Office in Freetown Sierra Leone Yap it s great news As of February 2023 HCW is officially registered to operate as a separate entity nationally in Sierra Leone and internationally Helping Children Worldwide a 501c3 nonprofit was opened in 2003 to meaningfully partner with the Sierra Leone United Methodist Church to support the vibrant ministries of the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital HCW has operated in Sierra Leone under the UMC for the past 20 years and there is no doubt that we are still committed to building and maintaining this strong healthy partnership However as the organization continues to fully fit into its worldwide name it is important for it to be fully registered nationally and internationally as a separate entity Therefore we are happy to announce that HCW is now registered with the Government of Sierra Leone as an International NGO and hence gaining higher legal status while meeting all required service level agreements with the necessary line ministries the Sierra Leone Association of Non Governmental Organizations SLANGO the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development MoPED and the Ministry of Gender and Children s Affairs We currently share office space with one of our local partners Child and Family Preservation Services CFPS in Wellington Freetown WRITTEN BY EMMANUEL M NABIEU Director for Mission Advancement Partnership Helping Children Worldwide 32 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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YOUR IMPACT AT A GLANCE Wondering What Impact You Are Making in cross cultural partnership To all our amazing partners we want to thank you for your faithful partnership and generosity over the years There is no doubt that your partnership with Helping Children Worldwide and our international partners the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital is creating a legacy of real value a legacy that endures and replicates You are changing situations for the better every day We are thrilled to have you alongside us as champions of change Because of partners and supporters like you The Child Reintegration Centre CRC is now serving nearly 2000 vulnerable children in over 450 families Your partnership is enriching the lives of additional 1 300 children with strong family support services as the CRC extends its work to 80 organizations in Sierra Leone and three other countries Mercy Hospital now treats over 13 000 patients a year regardless of their ability to pay 8 000 vulnerable people are now receiving medical outreach services in impoverished communities including THOUSANDs of children 200 malnourished babies are benefiting from nutrition packages every year Over 190 babies are delivered at Mercy Hospital each year 45 impoverished villages now benefit from outreach mobile clinic services Our Together for Global Health coalition continues to gather resources and share its best practices for improving health resources for children and families in 23 countries on three continents www helpingchildrenworldwide org 33

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Progress for Pregnant Women Helping Children Worldwide s Progress over the Last 20 Years in Reducing Maternal Mortality and Our Future Since the early days of HCW we have been working to save the lives of pregnant women Although our commitment has centered on children we have always maintained a focus on maternal mortality because the death of a mother has a profound impact on the life of a child Children whose mothers die in childbirth have a higher risk of dying before the age of five and are vulnerable to child marriage malnutrition and decreased access to education opportunities In Sierra Leone the situation for maternal mortality is dire In 2015 Sierra Leone had the highest maternal mortality in the world with a woman having a 1 in 17 risk of dying It is with great joy that I can tell you a different story today Over the last 20 years through the work of clinics and hospitals like Mercy Hospital maternal mortality in Sierra Leone has dropped 74 Sierra Leone now has a lower rate of maternal mortality than the West Africa region as a whole What used to be the deadliest place in the world to give birth is no longer even in the top ten of countries with the highest mortality ratio Through our support of Mercy Hospital we and our generous donors have been a part of the tremendous progress Sierra Leone has made in ensuring newborns have a chance to meet their mothers 34 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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However we are not done yet Though Sierra Leone has made remarkable progress in reducing the maternal mortality ratio there is still much to do Our work is oriented by the Sustainable Development Goals which aim for a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100 000 births the current ratio in Sierra Leone is still six times higher than this Women in Sierra Leone still have a 1 in 52 chance of dying compared to 1 in 2700 in the US merged with the Compassionate Birth Network a similar network comprised of organizations dedicated to evidencebased and compassionate efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality Through our collective network we are able to support one another and therefore advance care for pregnant women around the world Looking towards a future where no woman dies while bringing a life into the world we will continue to support the efforts of Mercy Hospital to provide quality maternal care to women in the Bo region Furthermore HCW has found new ways to expand our vision to help children worldwide by supporting organizations around the world that are advancing child welfare and global health Together for Global Health our global coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting sustainable health care and wellness in lowresource communities has many organizations that share our focus on maternal mortality In 2022 our TGH network The good news is most of the causes of maternal death are preventable and we are not in this fight alone Below are two members of our network one from the former Compassionate Birth Network and one from the original TGH network They will share the work they are doing in their respective contexts including ways they reduce maternal mortality and challenges they face to meet the SDG goal Organization Country In Country Partner Maternal Mortality Helping Children Worldwide Sierra Leone Mercy Hospital 17th Highest in the World 3 Methods of Reducing Maternal Mortality Funding to Mercy Hospital for Prenatal clinics both at the facility and on outrewach Supports OR and surgeon on call 24 7 for emergencies like C Sections Linkages to other organizations who do MCH work 3 Challenges 3 Ways to address challenges Maintaining a sufficient supply of blood in the facility to provide transfusions to women who hemorrhage Increase blood donation by the community Education of healthcare workers to recognize problems Providing opportunities for healthcare workers to access training and retraining Increasing access to healthcare for women who live in rural areas Mercy ambulance to transport patients and Mercy outreach to treat them at home www helpingchildrenworldwide org 35

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Organization profile WRITTEN BY JIM GRANT Executive Director Global Birthing Home Foundation Maison de Naissance MN is a maternal and infant health center in rural Torbeck Haiti which is funded and operated by Global Birthing Home Foundation GBHF a US 501 c 3 nonprofit based in Leawood KS MN was a member of the Compassionate Birth Network from 2016 to 2022 and is now a part of the Together for Global Health Network Maison de Naissance Home of Birth in French has been in operation since October 2004 and provides pre and postnatal care deliveries family planning reproductive health care STD testing and treatment including HIV AIDS and HPV well baby care and community health outreach services It has been open 24 x 7 since its inception and its mission is to significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in rural Haitian communities where every mother and every infant regardless of skin color country of origin religion economic or social status has access to high quality and culturally relevant healthcare the foundation of healthy empowered communities MN operates in a region where up to 90 of the population is below the accepted poverty line World Bank 2016 and where there is no other access to comprehensive professional health care services After starting in 2004 in a zone of service with a population of 12 000 within 2 years The prenatal care rate for pregnant women in our area increased from 51 to 99 Births supervised by a skilled birth attendant increased from 13 to 91 The maternal mortality rate was reduced to zero for mothers delivering in our clinic counting since day one of operations and still after over 8 000 deliveries Running total through January 2023 Since that time our zone of service has expanded to include a region with a population of 76 000 and many patients come from well outside of this zone to access the high quality respectful care at MN Our success is based on the dedication of our donors and our 100 Haitian staff at MN and on the partnerships we have built through networks such as TGH These partnerships help us identify potential funders and providers of in kind medical supplies as well as navigate government bureaucracies which can be very intimidating in developing countries All of our issues are manageable with the power of the networks we belong to As the Haitian people like to say Ansom nou kapab Together we can Many women who do not live within easy walking distance of MN come for prenatal and postnatal care but choose to deliver at home with a traditional birth attendant due to the risks of travel while in active labor 36 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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Organization Country In Country Partner Maternal Mortality Global Birthing Home Foundation Haiti Maison de Naissance 25th Highest in the World 3 Methods of Reducing Maternal Mortality 24 7 care by skilled compassionate healthcare workers Quality medical care in a welcoming and culturally appropriate environment Provision of services at little to no cost 3 Challenges 3 Ways to address challenges Poor to non existent infrastructure throughout its zone of service Making connections throughout Haiti to transport supplies and coordinate activities Frequent natural disasters without aid from major international NGOs due to the remote location and low population density civil unrest which disrupts commerce Training local staff on disaster and crisis management A national inflation rate of 35 and a food inflation rate of 53 Generous donations of money medical supplies and equipment through donor base and TGH Network Organization profile WRITTEN BY KASEY WERNER Director of Marketing and Communications Cherish Uganda Cherish Uganda opened in 2007 with a commitment to create a hope and future for children living with HIV AIDS Over the years the programs have evolved many times to meet the needs of the community In 2015 Cherish Health Center opened as our response to the need for a quality health clinic in our community where most couldn t afford transportation to the city hospitals Cherish Uganda serves the community through 3 programs Cherish Life Skills an educational program Cherish Health Center and the Family Strengthening Program We are excited to announce a long awaited opening of a labor and delivery unit in the coming months at Cherish Health Center In the absence of intervention the rate of transmission of HIV from a mother living with HIV to her child during pregnancy labor delivery or breastfeeding ranges from 15 to 45 However if mothers are aware of their HIV infection and treated along with their infants the chances of the infant getting HIV are less than 2 According to WHO With our mission in mind we knew that prenatal care and education were vital in preventing the spread of HIV We have been offering family planning services prenatal care www helpingchildrenworldwide org 37

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postpartum care and educational classes for mothers and mothers to be at Cherish Health Center since the health center s early days Over time we have been affirmed that caring for a child starts the moment the mom is pregnant We are grateful for partners like Vitamin Angels who have granted us with prenatal vitamins for thousands of women We are excited about a new relationship forming with an organization called Talitha Koum in Waco Texas that is educating us on neurodevelopment and the Neurosequential Model If we empower mom we empower baby and vice versa In addition everything we do is built on a foundation of discipleship and how this is such a great opportunity both physically and spiritually to walk with moms from conception to immunization and beyond If we can invest in the mom and baby we are promoting a safer environment for both parties By simply offering ultrasound services which will be the first of its kind on our peninsula in Uganda we will be able to prepare for safer pregnancies and deliveries We will create partner agreements with moms to ensure that we go beyond just a labor and delivery ward We want to help moms learn the tools to have low trauma pregnancies and to empower their children from a young age to selfregulate This can eventually empower healthy learners to break the cycle of poverty which is an investment in women generationally Last year we saw 234 mothers for family planning prenatal and postnatal care We hope that the coming expansion of services will lead to an even greater increase in the number of women we are able to serve Organization Country Maternal Mortality Cherish Uganda Uganda 29th Highest in the World 3 Methods of Reducing Maternal Mortality Funding to Cherish Health Center to have sufficient equipment and staffing at CHC upon labor and delivery opening Education Family Planning Services Developing care plans from conception to age 5 for mom and baby 3 Challenges 3 Ways to address challenges Women can give birth at any hour of the day and emergencies can happen at any time Cherish will be extending our hours to be open 24 7 once the labor delivery unit opens We will need to expand our staff and make sure we have quality equipment for all possible emergency scenarios Entebbe is a rural fishing community with many women lacking education on family planning We provide classes and resources for family planning prenatal care and parenting to help empower and educate women so that they can avoid some risk If women are empowered through family planning services educated on their bodies and options with contraceptives they can factor in their health age timing and financial situation when planning a pregnancy Even with Labor and Delivery ward being opened there will still be women who need C section Forming partnership with local hospital to refer patients while we raise the funds for an OR Cherish Ambulance will allow for the transport of women in need of c sections or specialty services 38 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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Haiti At HCW we have expanded our work of helping children and families by participating in networks with organizations around the world working in global health and child welfare Through these networks we have been communicating with our network partners in Haiti and are receiving terrible reports of military police and gang violence and human rights violations The United Nations has said more civilians were killed in Haiti than in Ukraine in the first four months of 2023 Recent earthquakes and devastating flooding have only exacerbated these issues Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and remains a frequent topic in US news for its natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks There are numerous news articles about the situation in Haiti but one we want to highlight is from Stabroek News titled Haiti is Being Led to a Genocide As Jim Grant the Executive Director of Maison De Naissance puts it This report provides a look from those living through it day to day We hate to see the effect that inflation ineffective or non existent supply chains and violence have on ordinary people because we see the toll it takes in Sierra Leone Because of natural disasters there are numerous people suffering from outbreaks of cholera and typhoid in Haiti Meanwhile the cost of medicine continues to increase because of inflation Clinics and organizations have to take on a greater burden of the cost otherwise their patients could not afford treatment Our partners worry about the cost to continue operating as needs overwhelm their capacity The partners in our networks remain committed to their work of providing life altering care but they have not been spared from the violence The possibility of gang violence makes transportation for staff and patients to clinics operating in Haiti dangerous limiting their ability to give care and receive it Linda McGurn a board member of the Good Shepherd Foundation says It breaks our hearts and we worry for the safety of our staff and patients daily A staff member at Midwives for Haiti was kidnapped a few months ago Although she has been safely returned Executive Director for Midwives for Haiti Jane Drichta reports the event was devastating on every level We pray often for our partners in Haiti who continue to do humanitarian work despite unimaginable circumstances They deal with catastrophe after catastrophe and yet remain committed to their causes If you are moved by the stories shared in this article we encourage you to pray and support the partners we have in Haiti Empowerment is all about providing people with the tools to do what they need We want to empower you to help in any way we can to be a conduit not a barrier You can reach out through the HCW managed coalition Together For Global Health to inquire about what support you could provide Go to our website to learn more If you click on the link to the TGH website through helpingchildrenworldwide org it will open in a separate window There are pages on the TGH website for each of the partners in Haiti If you are moved to donate please understand that TGH is a Helping Children Worldwide program and all donations to TGH go through Helping Children Worldwide to ensure that they are directed to your intended purpose Conversely you can find more about our coalition partners on their individual pages We ask for prayers for our partners in mission in Haiti Hispa ola Health Partners Maison de Naisance Midwives for Haiti Helping Haitian Angels The Good Shepherd Foundation MamaBaby Haiti 40 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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Strengthening Families in Freetown My name is Saidu Sesay I was born on the 9th of September 1988 in the western part of Sierra Leone As a boy I attended the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress secondary school where I completed my high school and applied to the government technical institute where I completed a three year course on civil engineering building and construction I now work as a social worker and case manager at the Child and Family Preservation Services CFPS Agency formerly known as the Child Prosperity Centre in Freetown Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym reading books and playing basketball It helps me feel relaxed and focused and boosts my energy when I engage in any working activities It also improves my health Prior to becoming a social worker at CFPS I believed that an orphanage home was the best model of care for children that had lost their parents street children missing children and abandoned children because of the facility they provide in these institutions like access to education security and food To be honest it has become a typical way to help African children A lot of people fall for it but it is a way of reducing the responsibility of the family And there is a lot of missed information arising from the directors of many institutions wherein they have enrolled children that have a parent still or other relatives who are willing and ready to take care of the children that have lost their loved ones In that regards because of poverty few families will reject such offer of taking their child to live in an orphanage home in Sierra Leone But why should they have to if we can give them support so their child can be with them 42 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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When the CFPS reintegrates a child into a family we take time to focus on the family after placement We monitor whether they are still working under the aim and objectives of the program Ongoing case management of these cases is vitally important to make sure the children stay in the home and the family has the support they need In some cases despite working relentlessly to get the child reintegrated into their family and community and especially with cases in the provinces where monitoring is difficult families struggle to support recently reintegrated children They can end up in the street again When that happens the CFPS team starts all over to help the family reunify again We keep trying to make sure that the child goes and stays home because when family strengthening works well the child is happier and willing to go back to his or her family and stay This is the work we do helping them build the right kind of attachment relationship between the child the family and the community When they have formed that bond and that trust they are finally mentally ready for the transition to happen We take each child and family case by case Each family is unique While we want to move as quickly as possible we are not in a rush to release a child to a family or a family from the supportive program until all necessary assessment has been done and these assessments indicate that they will be able to tackle issues in their daily lives without our support While they re supported by CFPS periodic visits and the services we render gives them comfort and hope that they are not alone in the process of welcoming their child back into the family It is good to see families move from dependence on CFPS to independence and our team puts more effort in the areas that need more attention for each family so that they can get strong The staff at CFPS use this approach because we know that most children should not end up in an orphanage In most orphanage placements the family has no support system no channel for care or financial means for school It is a hopeless family that puts their child in an orphanage Other times a child just gets lost trying to get home The child is taken to the nearest Family Support Unit child protective services branch of the police The police do not attempt family tracing but rather make referrals to orphan homes and do no follow up checks or supervision after placement Meanwile the family is frantically searching for their child Eventually time passes and they give up A lot of these kids are living in orphanage homes without proper legal paperwork Because of this the CFPS does a lot of sensitization with the police stations and the community to help people to understand the danger of sending their children to orphanages and the benefits for children for families to raise their own child Sometimes when we reunify a child who has been missing for a month or more from their family it is like a miracle has occurred I personally have seen how it gives the whole family total relief to see their loved one again If a child has landed in an orphanage and the institution is the sort where no proper paperwork is done it is unlikely that such a reunion will happen It is the end of communication between that child and his or her family All the institution is focused on is how this child will be adopted or how they will find a sponsor for that child to bring money into the orphanage The CFPS thought it wise to set a specific time frame for each case or family we serve so we have the capacity to help other families benefit from the program but also to help the families to take responsibility and add their own efforts to whatever services they are receiving With each case we work as a team with the beneficiary www helpingchildrenworldwide org 43

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to know we are there to help them get back to independence and self sustainability The more they apply themselves the faster they graduate and become independent With this approach families work hard to match the expectation of the institution CFPS believes in family ties so making family contribution an important element gives them confidence to fully participate and add their own ideas about how they can thrive Another important piece is their human rights are fully respected as well as their views This is a critical factor of healing from whatever difficult situation they may find themselves in Being a part of the design of their own growth plan gives them a sense of belonging and self confidence because they know they are a valued part of the team CFPS believes involving families and proper coordination in their own development is a better way of getting them on their own feet One of the CFPS families that has benefitted from the program and they are on their feet is the Kamara name changed family Mrs Kamara a 49 year old single mother of three children was so depressed and vulnerable due to the condition of her children All of the three boys have significant cognitive delay issues in our country they are often called fool fool and the community people were making fun of them which put their mother in a state of worriedness The boys were often seen just roaming around without going to school without proper clothes or enough food One day one of the boys was referred to CFPS as a missing child We did his family tracing and found his mother We also took the child to the hospital and later enrolled him in school While working with the family we learned that one of his siblings also had a serious medical condition so he too was placed into medical care CFPS put the entire family in our Family Food Security program where we sell food items to vulnerable families at lesser cost so they can save money We provided school items and the mother was trained how to do business and was given a micro loan to start up her own business We had a sensitization program at the school so that the boys would no longer be mocked Now she is able to look after the boys completely on her own According to her the hope she has for the future is to continue to take care of her children using the skills she has gained She offers advice for the new families that are just coming into the program she wants them to be self confident and for them to know that they are not alone in their struggle but with the help of the CFPS staff they will surely make it 44 EMPOWER MAGAZINE 2023 IMPACT EDITION

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Child Reintegration Centre strengthens and empowers WRITTEN BY Case Management Team of the CRC The Ndoinjei family is a large and happy family with five children and two Caregivers Matthew and Isata Ndoinjei who are both petty traders earning money selling items in the market The family grew in 2018 when the couple s biological children Maria Hawa and Doris were joined by two foster children Kadie and Jitta Pessima who did not have biological family they could return to when the Child Reintegration Centre transitioned to familybased care Foster care in Sierra Leone is different than in the US in Sierra Leone foster care works more like domestic adoption and Kadie and Jitta are full members of the family Maria and Doris are both enrolled in their first year of senior secondary school and Hawa has recently taken the gate keeping exam that is the entryway to junior secondary Jitta and Kadie are currently CRC Promise Scholars in university studying Accounting and Finance CRC Case Management Team This family was enrolled into CRC program when Kadie and Jitta lost their biological parents in 2017 whilst they were in preschool Once the girls were reintegrated into the Ndoinjei family the CRC turned its attention to strengthening the entire family so that they could be empowered to care well for all of the children in their family Over the years that they ve been enrolled in the CRC program the children have received educational support and the family receivesd medical support at Mercy Hospital Matthew and Isata have benefitted from participating in the Attachment Theory Workshop training which helped them to heal the trauma of separation suffered by Jitta and Kadie and gave them tools to strengthen the bonds of attachment not just with their foster daughters but with all of their children Psycho social counseling and monthly stipends from CRC helped the family to overcome the burden of taking on additional children to foster and nurture as their own Matthew shared the impact the training has had on him from the AT workshop I attended at CRC I no longer see the twins as foster children but as my own children They also regard me as their father and my wife as their mother The five girls are all sisters They love each other and help each other with their studies he continued Because the family struggles financially the CRC helped them to open a bank account where the monthly support stipend was deposited The account not only helps the family withstand the financial shock of adding two daughters to their household it was foundational for building financial security behaviors Matthew says we were able to save money from that stipend which is helping to provide transportation to college and school for all the kids With guidance of the CRC the family is now also continuing to put in monies in the account on their own As the family continues to grow stronger the CRC will gradually reduce the supports it provides so that ultimately the family begins to recognize that they are empowered and strong enough to stand on their own www helpingchildrenworldwide org 45

Summer 2023 Empower Magazine - Impact Report

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