Some of the children who have recently entered the Homes and have yet to be sponsored
At the end of 2021 YWAM Mercy welcomed 15 new children to our three community-based Children’s Homes after they were found to be in unsafe situations by local leaders and other residents. Fortunately, we had space in the Homes because other children had already graduated and gone on to lead independent lives or returned to their families after situations improved and it was safe for them to do so.
Like children all over the world, children in Vietnam have been negatively affected by the COVID pandemic which required staying at home for long periods of time and kept them from attending school in-person where they could receive care and often nourishment. School provides an opportunity for children to be away from a difficult home situation and for adults outside the home to assess how the children are doing and to hopefully intervene if they are unsafe or being abused.
The situations with this group of 15 children show an even deeper need for intervention and care outside the home than we have seen in previous years. In some cases the level and type of abuse they have endured is simply heartbreaking and went on much longer because of the lockdowns. We are thankful for the concern and attention of neighbors and local leaders who identified these children-in-difficult-circumstances and recommended them for placement in the Homes.
We are now seeking donors who would like to sponsor these children so YWAM Mercy can continue to care for them until they are adults and have received the education they need to be self-sufficient contributing members of their community like so many Children’s Homes members who have gone before them.
In 2021, YWAM Mercy signed new agreements with the three villages that host our community-based Children’s Homes to care for the children for another three years. YWAM Mercy is committed to caring for children through the Homes as long as the communities see a need and as long as there are not other more effective options to be sure the children are safe, nourished and educated.