In this brief segment, CNBC Africa’s Arnold Kwizera speaks with the CEO of Hope and Homes for Children, Mark Waddington, about the harmful impacts of orphanages on children, families, and communities, and the need to move to family-based care. Waddington describes how orphanages have been closed or transformed to offer outreach services in communities, such as daycare centers for children.
"Rwanda has become a national flagship for the whole of Africa in leading the way on deinstitutionalizing its child care system to the point at which now we've just piloted the closure of the first orphanage for children with disabilities," says Waddington. "And we've been able to do that primarily by supporting families to take those disabled children back into their care. And for those families who can't do that or are not able to do that, we've been able to recruit and train specialist foster families."
When asked about countries' obstacles in closing down orphanages, Waddington responded that, in addition to the vested interests (including money) in keeping orphanages running, another obstacle to deinstitutionalization is that "people cannot imagine alternatives." Part of the solution to this issue, he continues, is data and "ensuring that we have the evidence base" to prove that children are better off in families.
He also refers to the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Resolution on the Rights of the Child, focused on children without parental care, in December 2019 which recognized the harm that orphanages cause and "commits all UN members countries, 193 nations, to progressively eliminating orphanages. That gives us a really muscular mandate."
Another opportunity for advocating for change, says Waddington, is the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in June 2020 in Rwanda and ensuring that child care reform is a priority on the agenda. He also calls for adapting reforms to local context and redirecting resources that are currently being funneled into orphanages toward supporting families.