Richmond Group Helps Children in Indonesia, Philippines

Generous donors have been giving and caring for children in Indonesia and the Philippines for more than 50 years. Because of that generosity, significant strides have been made in the lives of the children.

In the past two week an earthquake in Indonesia and a typhoon in the Philippines struck, potentially wiping out the significant development gains that these countries have made. Natural disasters create terrible situations that put already vulnerable children in grave danger.

For that reason ChildFund International, headquartered in Richmond, quickly responded in an effort to help these children return to their normal routines as quickly as possible. We are on the ground helping to meet children's basic needs, and provide the needed support to strengthen their ability to cope and remain resilient in the face of traumatic events.

Our response will lead to a better outcome for the children and keep them from falling off the developmental pathway. We are working in these countries to develop healthy and secure infants. In the wake of these disasters, though, infants and children may have lost or been separated from their mothers, or lost their home. Simply put, their universe is turned upside down, and they quickly become at-risk.

ChildFund quickly works to minimize the chaos. We provide the basic necessities, such as food, water, and medicines. And we work to find shelter and reunite families so that children don't lose their nurturing environment.

We know that if schools are destroyed -- and in Indonesia more than 80 percent of the local structures, including schools, were destroyed -- it's possible for children to lose years at school, compromising their later chances for secondary education or employment.

When ChildFund organizes its rapid response, one of the things we quickly do is provide alternative basic education in a structured environment. Children are able to resume a schedule and focus on something other than the loss around them. This not only keeps them learning, but also maintains their self confidence and sense of hope.

The same holds true for youth who need focused and directed activities. With our assistance, youth can assume leadership roles to help their communities respond in the aftermath of a natural disaster, adding something positive to an otherwise negative life experience, where it's easy for them to begin roaming the streets of their damaged communities and find themselves in trouble.

We respond to emergencies to provide more than the basics of survival. We have always worked with deprived, excluded, and vulnerable children. Living in poverty, it's possible for them to slip off the pathway to positive growth.

Emergencies, however, have the potential to rapidly drop children from that pathway, significantly increasing their vulnerability. So ChildFund intervenes to keep them strong, resilient, and on-track. We are committed to bringing positive outcomes and lasting change -- even in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Anne Lynam Goddard is president and CEO of ChildFund International, which has its headquarters in Richmond. She may be reached at . To learn more about ChildFund's efforts or support children, please visit http://www.childfund.org/emergency_updates.