Think Global, Do Justice

In episode 217, we have a special on the ground episode to share how one organization's journey and commitment to reunifying families has inspired others. Trust for Africa's work in Lesotho has gone beyond their own organization and now supports other organizations to transition to family-based care. Naomi Schalm, Mafusi Semethe, Mbele Horoto, and Bokang Lipholo all join us in this conversation to celebrate the movement underway in Africa's "Kingdom of the Sky."

Podcast Sponsor

JOURNEYHOME is offering online courses and practical resources for reforming models of care throughout the world. Created by seasoned frontline practitioners, the instructors in our community share field-tested and solution-based content to safely and effectively get kids home.

Resources and Links from the show

Trust for Africa

On the Ground in Lesotho- The Power of Family Reunification

Show Notes

• The challenges for children in residential care (4:45)
• Ramping up family tracing efforts (5:48)
• The hard work of individualized care plans (6:55)
• Importance of follow-up after placement (7:40)
• One 12 year old's journey home (10:20)
• Another story of family separation and reunification (12:40)
• Are we including children in their restoration? (15:20)
• Mafusi asks what can we do differently? (18:15)
• The start of training other orphanages and childcare workers (19:20)
• Making plans to reunify children (20:30)
• Family strengthening programs (23:00)
• The importance of following up with families (26:00)
• Emotional and psychological challenges for children in care and building resilience (28:15)
• Resolving misunderstandings (30:00)
• Mbele on children aging out of the orphanage (39:00)
• On influencing the country and bringing change (41:30)
• Concerns about transitioning (42:10)
• Director of an orphanage, Bokang, shares about kids aging out (45:30)
• Addressing more than material needs (46:40)
• Children visiting families during holidays (48:40)
• A vision to help more children with a different model (49:30)

Visit thinkorphan.com for additional resources and stories.

In episode 216, we hear from US care reform leader, Sarah Winograd from Together for Families. Sarah speaks passionately about the complexities in child welfare and foster care as a system, how poverty contributes to family separation, and the problematic ways we've seen and judged birth families. She asks the hard questions- if most children aren't coming into foster care because of abuse, what resources and systems are we investing in to keep those families together? What are we doing to intervene and stabilize families in order to prevent separation and keep children in families? Can the church do better?

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 215, we have the privilege of sitting down with Jenn Hook to glean from her experiences in the foster care system and hear about her newly released book, Thriving Families. Jenn is the Founder and Executive Director of Replanted. She's also the author of Replanted: Faith Based Support for Adoptive and Foster Families.

Attachment and Trauma Focused Therapy Course by Deborah Gray - Link

Use the Promo Code "ATFT99" at checkout to take advantage of this limited time deal

Full show notes and links can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 214, we've got filmmaker and justice advocate Jeff Rogers on the show. Jeff talks with us about his work over the years that has highlighted and advocated for children outside of parental care and communities that have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Jeff shares with us about the new feature documentary Beyond the Island which tells the story of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea and highlights the work of advocates and the triumph of overcomers. Through the conversation, we learn more about the role that filmmaking plays in enacting community change and advocating for vulnerable children.

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 213, Brandon and Phil reflect on 2022 and look forward to 2023 for the podcast and orphan care ministries. This is our annual show to share the state of Think Orphan and what exciting things are coming down the pipe for the podcast. We want to hear from you while we do it all!

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 212, we've got a panel of executive directors that oversaw the transition of their orphanage to family based care. We'll be asking them the hard questions of how they worked with their board of directors and their donor bases to take the journey with them. Brandon will be interviewing past Think Orphan guests and orphan care leaders, Brent Phillips of Cherish Uganda, Ashlee Heiligman of Global Child Advocates and Spencer Reeves of Child Hope International. This panel took place live in Atlanta, Georgia at the Christian Alliance for Orphans Annual Summit.

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 211, we're talking with foster care alum, entrepreneur and advocate Justin Black about the new book he co-wrote with his wife Alexis called Re-Defining Normal. Justin shares with us his experience spending some of his childhood and adolescence in care and the importance of supporting foster youth as they exit care. It's a great conversation to think through family, community and what it means to help young people heal and establish their own family successes.

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 210, we're talking with Adrien Lewis and Jake Barreth of the Global Orphan Project to learn about their ministry and dive into the Care Portal platform. We get into conversations on youth that are aging out of care, hear about the crisis in Haiti and learn how Care Portal is changing communities throughout the US and Canada. All that, plus Brandon and Phil subject our listeners to pointless sports banter (and it's not even Phil's other podcast!)

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 209, we've got our buddy Craig Greenfield back on the show to catch us up on the Alongsiders movement and tell us about his new book Subversive Mission. We talk with Craig about the five fold ministry framework that he adapted from Ephesians and get our questions answered about ethical cross-cultural missions. If you are doing missions work overseas, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com

In episode 208, we're in conversation with author and preeminent attachment expert Deborah Gray. Deborah shares from her decades of experience serving children and families through therapy and sets baseline understandings on trauma and attachment. In addition to the stack of books that Deborah has written, she also shares about the Attachment-Trauma Focused Therapy post-graduate course that is now available for the first time ever in an online format. All that, plus we've got our favorite Brit, movie director and podcast editor, Samuel Rich, filling in for Phil this week.

Link to Attachment-Trauma Focused Therapy online course

Full show notes can be found at thinkorphan.com