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Vital voices in the fields of global health, global child welfare reform and family separation, and those intent on conducting ethical missions in low resource communities and developing nations. Join our hosts as they engage in conversations with diverse guests from across the globe, sharing optimistic views, experiences, and suggestions for better and best practices as they discuss these difficult topics.
50 Episodes
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Send us a text When Jen Conrad first sponsored a child in Sierra Leone, she never imagined it would lead to adoption proceedings, heartbreaking visa denials, and eventually creating a groundbreaking program that's changing lives across the country. Her story reveals the hidden aftermath of institutional care that few people consider: what happens when orphaned children become adults? After traveling to Sierra Leone multiple times and forming deep bonds with two siblings, Jen and her husband ...
Send us a text Dr. Abdullahi Jawobah takes us deep into the critically overlooked world of maternal mental health, where his groundbreaking research reveals a staggering statistic: approximately 50% of pregnant and lactating mothers in Sierra Leone experience psychological distress. This silent epidemic has far-reaching consequences not only for mothers but for their unborn children, as Dr. Jawobah explains how stress hormones cross the placenta to affect gene expression in developing f...
Send us a text Sixteen-year-old Musu Sangu faced a devastating diagnosis in Sierra Leone—a life-threatening heart condition requiring specialized surgery unavailable anywhere in her country. With her heart functioning at just 20% capacity and given only a 40% chance of survival, Musu's future looked grim. But what followed was an extraordinary demonstration of global compassion that would save her life. The journey began at Mercy Hospital in Sierra Leone, where Dr. Aruna Stevens identified M...
Send us a text Welcome to a transformative episode that dives deep into saving lives through improved maternal health in Sierra Leone. We share inspiring stories from a recent training conference in Kenema, focusing on the critical role midwives play in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. You'll hear from Matron Mary Augusta Fuller, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, who shares insights on the vital need for comprehensive training programs for midwives, addressing both essential n...
Send us a text Join us for a deeply inspiring episode that follows the miraculous journey of baby Joseph, born against all odds in a rural clinic in Sierra Leone. This episode highlights the intense realities faced by healthcare workers like midwife Hawa Zoker, caught in a life-or-death situation while managing multiple deliveries. Tune in to hear about the pivotal moment when help arrived in the form of Canadian nurses, who brought both medical expertise and critical supplies that ultimately...
Send us a text The episode shares Ishmael's inspiring journey from pain to healing through the compassionate care provided by Mercy UMC Hospital. Listeners learn how community support and dedicated healthcare professionals can create incredible transformations in children's lives. • Ishmael's broken body and his mother's desperate journey for help • Dr. Morie Vandi’s commitment to serving underserved communities • Mercy's outreach program and how important it is in providing medical care t...
Send us a text Welcome to the first episode of Season of the Optimistic Voices podcast of Helping Children Worldwide. This is a REBROADCAST of Episode 1, Season 3, because we are once again heading to West Africa on this collaborative mission to save the lives of mothers and infants - and going upstream in our mission to prevent unnecessary orphanhoods from occurring. We help children worldwide by strengthening and Empowering Families and communities. This podcast is for people interested in...
Send us a text Curious about how sustainable development models can transform entire communities? Our latest episode promises to unravel this by sitting down with Melody Curtis, the inspiring Executive Director of Helping Children Worldwide. Discover how her organization transitioned from temporary relief to an empowerment approach, fostering resilient communities and strong families. Melody shares uplifting success stories of families gaining independence, and our program strategist Laura em...
Send us a text Explore the power of transformation and empowerment in this special retrospective episode of Optimistic Voices. Join Dr. Laura Horvath, Emmanuel Nabeu, and Yasmin Vaughn as we promise to uncover the compelling journey of Helping Children Worldwide (HCW) through 2024, celebrating remarkable milestones and visionary shifts in global leadership. We reflect on standout episodes that shed light on crucial topics like maternal and child health improvements in Sierra Leone, transition...
Send us a text Join us on a transformative journey as we explore the profound shift from orphanage care to family-based support in Sierra Leone and beyond. Featuring insights from George Kulanda, the case management supervisor at the Child Reintegration Center, and David Titus Musa, a senior consultant at the Center, this episode promises a deep dive into the complexities and triumphs of reintegrating children into family environments. From engaging with orphanage leaders to collaborating wit...
Send us a text Ever wonder what it truly means to be a part of the Peace Corps, especially in a country with such a rich history like Sierra Leone? Our guests, Nat Kofi Abu-Bonsrah, a current volunteer, and Michael Lee, a returned volunteer and president of Friends of Sierra Leone, share their inspiring journeys. Nat provides a unique perspective on his role in sustainable development, while Michael reveals the continued commitment of Friends of Sierra Leone to foster positive change and coll...
Send us a text What happens when five remarkable young adults transition from the regimented life of an orphanage to the uncharted reality of post-orphanage life? Join us on Optimistic Voices as we welcome these inspirational individuals who grew up at the Child Rescue Center Orphanage in Sierra Leone and now stand as influential care leaders. From navigating transportation challenges and irregular meal times to adapting to a lack of protection and electricity, their stories are a testament t...
Send us a text What if your church could transform lives across the globe while strengthening your local community? Discover how two Virginia pastors, Reverend Gina Anderson-Cloud and Reverend Jason Duley, have achieved this through enduring partnerships with NonProfits such as She Believes in Me, CornerStone, Backpack Buddies, and Helping Children Worldwide. Hosted by Emmanuel Nabieu, this episode of the Optimistic Voices Podcast takes you behind the scenes of church/nonprofit collaborations...
Send us a text Why do African social workers believe that it is essential that local governments, foreign donors, and parents understand that children living in orphanages should be returned to family homes? Join us as we explore the profound journey and epic revelations of two social workers devoting their careers to making this change across the continent of Africa, starting with orphanages in their own country. David Musa and Rosamund Palmer from the Child Reintegration Center (CRC) ...
Send us a text Discover the unforeseen ripple effects of child sponsorship programs with Dr. Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong as we dissect the challenges and triumphs in philanthropy's evolving landscape. As we navigate this complex terrain, our guests reveal how well-intentioned aid can sometimes miss the mark, inadvertently creating dependencies that hobble the very communities they intend to uplift. With a watchmaker's precision, we analyze the intricacies of international...
Send us a text Part One: Discover the transformative power of reimagined humanitarian aid in our latest episode of Optimistic Voices. Join me, Dr. Melody Curtis, along with experts Dr. Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong, as we share our journey from traditional child sponsorship models to a new paradigm that champions community empowerment. We're peeling back the curtain to reveal the ethical dilemmas and strategic decisions that are reshaping the way we support vulnerable chil...
Send us a text When Barbara Sprout accompanied her daughter Kim to Sierra Leone on a mission trip with their church, little did she know it would mark the beginning of an incredible journey, not just for Kimberly, but also for her and her husband Rick, filled with deep connections and life-altering experiences. Rick joined a volunteer crew at the church to pack a container filled with hospital equipment in 2007 to ship overseas to Mercy Hospital in Africa, then traveled years later, hum...
Send us a text Step into the heart of Sierra Leone with us on Optimistic Voices, where Carrie Jo Cain from CHAMPS imparts her wisdom on neonatal mortality and the life-saving power of evidence-based training. Through our conversation, we celebrate a major leap in maternal and child health, with 80 trainees now armed with the expertise to tackle challenges like bleeding after birth and birth asphyxia. Witness the embodiment of hope as these professionals, with Carrie Jo's guidance, forge a pat...
Send us a text When Americans and others living in the global north (aka Westerners) think about trafficking, they tend to have an image of a child being kidnapped by a bad guy, and then sexually exploited. While that is certainly a trafficking issue, there are all kinds of child trafficking. You may not have heard of orphanage trafficking before today, but it is real and real life horror story happening all around the world, every single day. It is a genuinely horrific idea to c...
Send us a text Host Dr. Laura Horvath is joined by Short Term Mission Leader for the Teachers' Learning Collaborative, Sharon Gardner from Grapevine, Texas Sharon is the project lead teacher. She has traveled six time to participate in Short Term Mission in Sierra Leone, every year since 2016 with the exception of HCW's Covid restricted travel period. Sharon is also a 2018 recipient of the Grapevine-Colleyville Foundation Star Teaching Award Grant and the US team lead autho...
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