Our Philosophy
Orphan Support Africa knows that the hope for Africa lies in its people, and that our role is only to assist through partnership with communities that they may achieve their own solutions.
OSA’s philosophy is only to act as a facilitator and not to direct or dictate to the communities and organizations with whom we work. We firmly believe that local organizations have the necessary skills already within their communities to create ownership, self reliancy and sustainability. The missing link is the lack of resources. In keeping with this philosophy, communities themselves set their own priorities and allocate local resources towards initiatives that will best lead to the improvement of the lives of children, families and the community at large.
At OSA, we believe that local challenges require local solutions; what works in one community may not work in another. Likewise, not every solution will have equal success, thus risk taking on the part of local organizations must be made safer. The result is that each community based organisation (CBO) is unique. CBOs work from within their own set of collective ideas to address and find solutions to overcome the effects of HIV/AIDS and poverty. From this exchange of ideas and diversity comes the rich opportunity for grassroots leaders to share their ideas -and risks- with other local leaders, who face similar obstacles and problems in their efforts to care for the vulnerable children of their respective communities.
LETTER FROM A FOUNDING MEMBER
Orphan Support Africa is a new organization with deep roots. It's five founders have a combined history of over one hundred and fifty years of commitment to sub-Saharan Africa and have already established community based orphan care programs in Malawi and Tanzania which have become recognized as best practice models.
The lessons that have accompanied this experience are many, but can be boiled down to a simple unifying principal: Orphan Support Africa is in the business of saying goodbye. Each time Orphan Support Africa commits to help a community, it does so with the firm understanding that our role is nurture, not to direct. We present community leaders the opportunity for three years of support and resources that will allow them to develop to the point of self-sufficiency. At the end of that period it is mutually understood that communities will have evolved the leadership skills and commitment that will allow them to continue on their own.
In keeping with this goal, communities themselves set their own priorities and allocate resources to innovations they feel will best lead to the improvement of the lives of their children. As we have learned from our prior experience, local challenges require local solutions; what works in one community may not work in another. Likewise, not every solution selected will have equal success, thus risk taking must be made safe. The result is that each CBO is unique, working from its own set of ideas to meet its own GOALS. From this diversity will come the rich opportunity for grassroots leaders to share their ideas and their risks with other leaders striving to care for the vulnerable children of their communities.
Our combined experience gives us the humility to know that we do not have the answers. Africa is littered with the skeletons of projects that began with good intentions. Orphan Support Africa knows that the hope for Africa lies in its people and that our role is to assist communities to achieve their own solutions. With this accomplished, it is then time for us to proudly move on.
-Kevin Denny, founding member
