Building a community that supports orphanages in Nigeria is tough.
My Reflection Notes (M-R-N) is a monthly blog series by Oreoluwa Aremo, where she shares her experiences as a community builder navigating the subtle art of living & nurturing communities.
Background
2020 brought a level of clarity to some people, and that included me. For me, it was the year I took a bold step and created a community that focused on supporting Nigeria's orphanages with monetary donations and pledges.
Orphanages in Nigeria, like in many other countries, provide a safe and nurturing environment for children who have lost their parents or are unable to live with their families. However, these institutions are often underfunded and struggle to meet the children's basic needs in their care.
One of the first steps I took was to raise awareness about the issue. People may need to be made aware of the challenges faced by these institutions and the impact that their support can have on the lives of the children in their care. This was done through social media campaigns and community events.
Once awareness has been raised, the next step is to mobilise the community to take action. I did this by organising a Q&A session on Instagram and encouraging individuals to join the community. My good friend, Thonia, was kind enough to host the event, and we got interesting questions from the audience.
Emerald Cornerstone Community Logo
About Emerald Cornerstone Community (ECC)
Emerald Cornerstone Community is a community of individuals who are zealous about supporting orphanages in Nigeria with monetary donations and pledges.
Our process is simple. We pick an orphanage (vetted by the volunteering team) to support every month by directly sending monetary donations to their bank accounts. In addition, we send emails on the 1st and 15th of every month to share details about the orphanage. Finally, individual tickets were issued for every donation.
It is also essential for us to establish a relationship with the orphanages themselves. This enables effective communication and coordination of efforts and allows community members to contact them and learn firsthand about their support's impact.
Read the community welcome email here.
Read the call to donate email sample here.
Challenges
One major challenge I experienced during this process was vetting orphanages nationwide while working full-time. There are various articles on orphanage scams and the harm it has caused orphans worldwide.
Luckily for us, the first orphanages we supported were those I physically visited and had an idea of their structure. However, we eventually had to get a volunteer to do this for us, and she did it well. Thank you so much, Chidinma!
Now, we have a database of verified and legally registered orphanages in Nigeria. However, it is important to note that we are still building this database.
Looking Ahead
While ECC isn’t as active as I would love it to be, I enjoyed bringing this to life, and it opened my mind to various ways of supporting a cause. I still donate to Nigeria's orphanages and look forward to being more active with the community.
By raising awareness, mobilising the community to take action, and establishing a relationship with the orphanages, we can make a real difference in the lives of these children. It is also essential to work with the government and other non-profit organisations to create a sustainable support system for orphanages in Nigeria.
Together we can ensure that every child in Nigeria has the chance to thrive.
Till next time,
Ọrẹolúwa
