Knights of Columbus’ Post

Read the Save The Children West and Central Africa Annual Report 2023 to know more about our work across the region!

Save the Children – #London – #UK Around the world, too many children start life at a disadvantage simply because of who they are and where they come from. Millions of children are dying from preventable causes, face poverty, violence, disease and hunger. They are caught up in war zones and disasters they did nothing to create. And they are denied an education and other basic rights owed to them. All children deserve better. We champion the rights and interests of children worldwide, putting the most vulnerable children first. With 25,000 dedicated staff across 118 countries, we respond to major emergencies, deliver innovative development programmes, and ensure children's voices are heard through our campaigning to build a better future for and with children. https://lnkd.in/eMeG2Vu8 #NGO #SAvetheChildren

"Why did I choose to help set up Butterfly Foundation for Peace? To give hope to people who have literally lost hope…” The time I spent in Malawi last year was life changing for multiple reasons. Every day, I was inspired by the amazing people I was lucky enough to meet, all of whom were working tirelessly to help those impacted by disasters and poverty in whatever way they could. None were more dedicated to their vital work than Andrew and David, co-founders and directors of The Butterfly Foundation for Peace, an organisation supporting street children in Blantyre through a unique, child-focused programme that aims not just to make a material difference in the children's life, but to support their emotional and social growth in order to set them up for a successful adulthood. Please do read about the incredible work of The Butterfly Foundation, and support them if you can. Andrew, a former street-child himself, has built a haven for children living on the streets in his small corner of Blantyre. Getting the chance to visit was an incredibly moving and powerful experience. As David, co-founder and CEO, explained to me: “We want to help give these kids the skills to feel like they are valued in the world. Rebuild social connections with their families and with each other. Make them feel confident they can achieve what they want to. So many of the street kids you see develop drug problems or get into crime because they think that’s all they have. Andrew is evidence that that is not the case. It just takes the right support. We need to figure out what the right support looks like.” And figuring that out requires trying something different and new. Something that The Butterfly Foundation for Peace is doing every day. https://lnkd.in/e9juqDd6

As January marks Poverty Awareness Month, we join the conversation on the persistent challenges faced by many across America. LINC stands united in the commitment to end poverty, fostering equity and opportunity. Nearly 2 out of 3 children affected by systemic poverty struggle to read at grade level, setting the stage for a challenging future. As advocates for children's literacy, we understand that the ability to read is the key to unlocking better opportunities in health, education, and the economy. LINC is committed to disrupting intergenerational illiteracy across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. We create literacy-rich environments and train parents to become literacy ambassadors, fostering a culture of reading at the neighborhood level. When a community reads, children succeed! Learn more about LINC: lincnyc.org

Our Story 💛 "We wanted to give them hope" - Mark & Caroline Cook, founders of Hope and Homes for Children They saw the problem: Around the world, at least 5.4 million children are currently separated from their families. They’re shut away inside orphanages, even though 80% are not orphans. They proposed a solution: We need to get these children back to family. We have a clear roadmap guiding the way home, and a century's worth of research proving children belong in families, not orphanages. What you can do NOW to help: Join our global movement and call on world leaders to act now to urgently get these separated children back to family. Sign our petition today via the link. Let's get these children #BACKTOFAMILY https://lnkd.in/eQEdhiG4

### Celebrating International Kinship Care Week As we recognize #InternationalKinshipCareWeek, it's crucial to highlight the vital role of kinship care in Africa, particularly in Kenya. Globally, approximately 13 million children are living in kinship care, offering them stability and support. In Kenya, recent data indicates that around 250,000 children are cared for by their relatives, with a significant portion being raised by #grandparents. These caregivers often face immense challenges, primarily financial. The Kenyan government introduced a #cashtransfer program in 2004, providing a monthly stipend of KSh 2,000 for kinship caregivers—an amount that remains below the poverty line given the current rising cost of living. With ongoing #CareReform efforts, there’s a growing possibilities to increasing the number of children in kinship care. We urge the Kenyan government and its development partners to review and enhance the cash transfer system, ensuring that all #kinshipcaregivers receive adequate support. Research shows that direct unconditional cash transfers, like those implemented by #GiveDirectly, can lead to significant improvements in the lives of recipients. As we also commemorate the #InternationalDayToEradicatePoverty, let's advocate for increased resources for kinship caregivers to help alleviate poverty and strengthen family ties. Together, we can create a brighter future for Kenya's #childrenwithoutparental!

Giving to mission work in Payatas, a impoverished community in the Philippines, can make a real difference in the lives of the people there. Your support can help provide an education to those who are struggling to excel. Supporting mission work shows compassion for the less fortunate and helps lift people out of poverty and despair. It's an opportunity to make a positive impact and be a blessing to those in great need.http://https://lnkd.in/g3-4YbUx

Certainty over funding, ending child poverty, addressing the disadvantage gap and ending selection are among the priorities raised by #school leaders and policy experts following the release of #election manifestos. Discover how a panel of experts from across the sector reacted to party manifestos: https://hubs.la/Q02Cg88T0

Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation here in Canada. For those who may not be familiar with one of the darkest events in our history (as well as in the US), the Canadian government worked with various Christian religious groups under the 1876 Act to Promote the Gradual Assimilation of the Indian Tribes of Canada. It's exactly what it sounds like. Kids were taken away from their families to be taken to a boarding school to unlearn their heritage, history, and culture. They were malnourished and essentially starved, they were forced to live in cramped quarters which allowed illnesses such as Tuberculosis to thrive, they weren't allowed to see their parents or family ever again, and their parents/family were never informed of their child's death as a policy. This doesn't even include the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse they endured. Sadly, the estimate of children who died as a result of Residential Schools is over 6,000 though there could be way more. And one of the scariest things is that these schools existed until 1996 - not even 30 years ago. That's "just" the Residential School system, and there is still an extremely long way to go with Truth and Reconciliation as there are people who deny that the Residential Schools were evil. Outside of the Residential School system, there was the Sixties Scoop in both Canada and the US where children were taken from their communities and placed under adoption with non-Indigenous, middle-class families as another way to assimilate them. In 2022, almost 54% of children in foster care in Canada are Indigenous because of poverty and discrimination. Canada passed a motion in 2022 acknowledging it committed genocide in the case of the Residential Schools, but the reparations are nowhere near what they should be considering the amount of Reservations that are still under long-term boil water advisories (over 30). Enough is enough. We should ALL be angry and sad that this is a part of our history and that the abhorrent treatment of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and other Indigenous peoples across Canada continues to this day. Here are some resources where you can read about this history and make a donation to help Residential School Survivors: https://downiewenjack.ca/ (Downie Wenjack Fund) https://www.irsss.ca/ (Indian Residential School Survivors Society) Miigwech🧡 🧡 🧡 #EveryChildMatters #TruthAndReconciliation #NationalDayForTruthAndReconciliation

Our Annual Report 2023