The Children of Responsibility
Severe poverty can impede children’s ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. It can also contribute to extremely poor mental and physical health. Risks are greatest for children who experience poverty when they are young and/or experience deep and persistent poverty. Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being.
Education, along with high-quality early care and learning experiences for children can make a difference. Investment in the poorest and most vulnerable children is very critical.
The Children of Tijuana, Mexico
“Defeating all odds, the average student from our kindergarten graduates …. working one full year above grade level.” David Lynch, school founder
Our main emphasis is our preschool/kindergarten. For the teenagers and young adults, we have a computer lab where we teach both computer literacy and English conversation. Meet some of our children >>
Our Summer Camp program provides a wide variety of classes and changes every year according to the volunteer teachers who come to share their talents with children ranging in age from three to sixteen. Field trips sometimes provide the only exposure to life beyond the garbage dumps. Learn more about our camps >>
The Children of Matagalpa, Nicaragua
The children who live on the borders of the Matagalpa, Nicaragua, garbage dump have mothers, brothers, sisters and extended family. A few have dads at home. They scavenge for food, clothing, shoes, household goods, building materials, as well as recyclable goods such as cans, plastic, and glass. Everyone in a family goes to work with mom and dad and anyone that is able to scavenge, does so. Working together, a family may earn $1.50 per day.
Our main emphasis is focusing on the needs of the working child. Therefore, our kindergarten has classes from 7:30 to 11:00. Our afternoon elementary school has children ranging in age from six to sixteen. They are tested and placed at a level that meets their abilities. Most of these children either never went to school or dropped out because they had to work to support their families. Meet some of our children >>
The Children of Mafubira, Uganda
Responsibility learned of the Mafubira Child Outreach Center Orphanage in May 2021. On the front page of its website, it stated that its funding had gone dry, and the 45 kids were starving. They were chewing on sugarcane and drinking hot water.
After a thorough investigation and receiving proof its legal nonprofit status, Responsibility took over the financial expenses of the orphanage. How could we not?
They lost their only two sources of income for 2 reasons: The founder/director owned an art studio where he sold his original artwork and beaded necklaces made by the women who lived at the orphanage. The business closed due to covid. The art studio was supporting 50% of the orphanage’s expenses. The other source of the income came from one person from Idaho. He had to stop sending his $500 per month because of his medical bills for his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
It is costing us $1000 per month to feed, shelter, and provide medicine for the children who are hiv positive. There are 45 orphans and 5 widows who care for them.
Magoola Denis, the founder/director, who was orphaned at the age of 8. (His parents were murdered.) For years he lived in the streets with 2 other orphans singing for food and money. Eventually, all three were taken in by an orphanage.
As an adult, he decided to “pay back” what “by the grace of God” (quoting Magoola) was given to him.
He created an orphanage. Meet some of our children >>