29. Helping Organizations Transition to Better Care with Brent Phillips

Jan 29

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher

Overview

Once you see how institutionalizing children can be harmful to their development, how do you continue to be involved with the care of orphans and vulnerable children? Brent Phillips, CEO and Programs Manager at Cherish Uganda, shares how this organization has evolved over the years to best center families within their care strategy. Brent speaks candidly and truthfully about the unique challenges of this transition, and how the posture of programming organizations is critical to the success of marginalized communities.

“We’ve closed all the orphanages in Europe. We’ve closed all the orphanages in America. Why? Because it doesn’t work. So why do we think ‘oh, it will work over there’?”
- Brent Phillips

“There’s a lot more that happens in a family beyond protection, clothing and food. How would we actually put back in place what God originally designed?”
-Brent Phillips

“If we’re going to be true to ourselves and if we’re going to be honest to this culture, this is what we need to do. And I hope that anyone can see that it is possible to evolve. If we’re not evolving our model, if we’re not constantly growing, then we’re being irresponsible to the resources we have.”
- Lauren Pinkston

Episode Highlights

2:31 - Introduction to Brent

3:08 - Brent’s work with Cherish Uganda

6:57 - Pushback to the switch to family based care

10:56 - Donors reactions to organization’s narratives about orphan care

16:07 - Story behind the short film from Cherish Uganda

23:17 - Pastoring donors and inviting them into the story

25:06 - How Cherish Uganda differentiates themselves from other organizations in Uganda

30:46 - Encouragement to make the shift to pivoting approach to orphanages

Links

⁠⁠⁠⁠Kindred Exchange⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Become a monthly donor to support this show and our mission

Emmaus House - Learn more about their work with orphaned youth in Haiti