BY ANNA COX “Something was missing in our work, but we found it with Viva.” I have recently returned from Viva’s annual Latin America network meetings held in Mexico – and what a privilege it was to be there. This was my first international visit since I started working for Viva one and a half […]
Month: November 2017
The etiquette of holidays and hugs
BY HANNAH BARR The Girl Scouts of America caused quite the media storm this week when they posted the article ‘Reminder: She Doesn’t Owe Anyone a Hug. Not Even at the Holidays.’ The article, designed to illustrate the importance of teaching young girls about consent, has caused a debate between what constitutes awareness of consent and […]
Families reformed
BY CLARA HODGE Clara Hodge reports on the impact of the family reintegration programme in Uganda during the last two years and shares the story of a boy helped out of rubbish bins to get back home again. No child should have to grow up alone. Together Viva and our partner network CRANE are working […]
In pursuit of justice
BY RACHAEL MA In October, Viva’s Network Co-ordinators from across Asia gathered in Hong Kong for a week of team meetings and also attended the Justice Conference Asia. Rachael Ma reflects on the valuable time spent together. A Typhoon 8 warning wasn’t quite the welcome we had planned for! We give thanks though that, despite […]
Changing times in Purral
BY MOLLY BEEGOO Over the last decade, crime rates have plummeted in Purral, an area of Costa Rica’s capital city, San José. As Molly Beegoo writes, one key reason for this change has been an increase in churches collaborating together and reaching out to those in need. South America is infamous for its high crime rates, […]
Fearfully and wonderfully made
BY HANNAH BARR Anti-Bullying Week (13-17 November) is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance – a group of charities, education trusts, county councils and other organisations committed to seeing an end to bullying and supporting those who have been bullied. This year’s theme for the week is ‘All Different, All Equal.’ Coinciding with Anti-Bullying Week, the […]
Paraguay’s fresh approach to foster care
BY ANDREW DUBOCK “Who knows what level of influence our children might have in the future? When a child grows up in a safe and loving family this not only impacts that one child but also a whole generation.” As we talk in her backyard, Veronica tells me with great conviction about her role as […]
Four questions to ask before reaching out to families
Resource cuts in the UK mean there are fewer statutory support services for families going through difficulties. Teachers struggle to know where to signpost families for help, when, for example, they see children turning up to school not having had breakfast. In response, our Oxford-based network, Doorsteps, is piloting H2O (Here to Help Oxford), a […]
Creating a thriving family culture
OPINION: MARK AND LISA SCANDRETTE “You know it’s bad,” a friend said, “when I reach for my phone before I kiss my wife good morning – or when I’m staring at the device in my hand while my kids munch their cereal at the breakfast table.” So many of us live lives of hurry, worry […]
A fresh start after fighting
BY JUSTINE DEMMER Following economic struggle and violent conflict, families in Myanmar are strained to breaking point. Justine Demmer visited the country to see how our new partner network cares for children and reunites families. To a visitor like me, Myanmar has an untouched feel to it; there are no indications of international trends found […]