War & its consequences

War destroys communities and families and often disrupts the development of the social and economic fabric of nations. The effects of war include long-term physical and psychological harm to children and adults, as well as reduction in material and human capital. Death as a result of wars is simply the “tip of the iceberg”.

Effects of war also include mass destruction of cities and have long lasting effects on a country’s economy. Armed conflict has important indirect negative consequences on infrastructure, public health provision, and social order. These indirect consequences are often overlooked and unappreciated.

The effects of war are widely spread and can be long-term or short-term. Soldiers experience war differently than civilians, although either suffers in times of war, and women and children suffer unspeakable atrocities in particular. In the past decade, up to two million of those killed in armed conflicts were children. The widespread trauma caused by these atrocities and suffering of the civilian population is another legacy of these conflicts, the following creates extensive emotional and psychological stress. Present-day internal wars generally take a larger toll on civilians than state wars. This is due to the increasing trend where combatants have made targeting civilians a strategic objective. A state conflict is an armed conflict that occurs with the use of armed force between two parties, of which one is the government of a state. “The three problems posed by intra‐state conflict are the willingness of UN members, particularly the strongest member, to intervene; the structural ability of the UN to respond; and whether the traditional principles of peacekeeping should be applied to intra‐state conflict”. Effects of war also include mass destruction of cities and have long lasting effects on a country’s economy. Armed conflict has important indirect negative consequences on infrastructure, public health provision, and social order. These indirect consequences are often overlooked and unappreciated.

Banchi Children Center and Orphans Home Organization (BCCCOH)

Banchi children care center and Orphans Home (BCCCOH) is a Community-Based Organization (CBO) which was established on the 1st January 2022 to help, assist and support suffering orphans and other vulnerable children. The organization is situated in Gondarcity, in Amhara regional state.

 

Causes of Children’s Enrolment in Child Care Centers

There is discussion of poverty, access to education, disability, natural disasters, war and others as possible ͞push͟ factors. There was limited literature available especially one that was specific to Ethiopia. Therefore, secondary data has been extracted from NGO reports that describe the global situation, and academic literature highlighting the risk of enrolling children in CCCs. There was no literature available relevant to capacity building and ageing out of children in CCCS.

 

Poverty

Generally, poverty is recognized, as one of the major causes of children’s admittance in child care institutions. Parents, living in dire situations and being unable to feed, educate or clothe their child properly will have little choice but to put their child to an institution – public or private. Reportedly, material poverty is another cause of abandoning children at the time of birth (Better Care Network, 2009). Although, lack of care givers is a major factor contributing in the enrolment of children in CCCs, poverty remains the prominent reason (Bilson and Cox, 2007). In parts of Asia, poverty combined with the inability to provide educational supplies, transport and clothing, coupled with parental illness is forcing families to place a child in CCCs and orphanages (UNICEF, 2010). Moreover, studies have shown that in almost 90% of the cases, poverty and homelessness are deciding factors in children’s placements in CCCs/orphanages(University of Nottingham, 2012).

Access to Education

Another reason for the enrolment of children appears to be to gain access to education. For instance, in Sri Lanka, 20% of the children under institutional care in the North East Province were said to be there to access education (Save the Children, 2010).

Disability

Children with disabilities are also likely to be enrolled in CCCs or orphanages (Faith to Action, 2014). When families fail to access right support services or if inclusive education is missing in the local area that also becomes of the causes to put children in CCCs. Negative and derogatory social attitudes towards disabilities also play a role in enrolling children in the Centers. In some countries parents are encouraged to place babies with disabilities in institutions (UNICEF, 2013) whereas in others children with disabilities are considered unlucky or cursed.

Child Trafficking & Exploitation

In some of the developing countries, poor parents are offered money to give up their children. Corrupt institutions and unethical and illicit adoption agencies profit from the children by collecting donations for their orphanages or through child trafficking (Csaky, 2009).
Families with limited access to education for their children in rural areas are often targeted. Convincing families that their child will receive a better education and will have better future in a boarding school, they succeed in securing children for their Centers. Under this guise, the recruiters often collect several children from a village and then depart with the children to a big city (Doore cited in The Conversation, 2015), where they make profit through several means.

Child Abuse, Neglect & Violence

There are children who simply cannot live with their parents due to child abuse and/or neglect. Moreover, violence within the family may place those affected children at a higher risk of being placed in an orphanage than their peers. In certain cases, almost half of the children found in CCCs are reported of going through the trauma of physical or psychological violence, including sexual violence. These children, in-fact, need family-based alternative care which is protective and is carefully monitored.

Street Children

Haphazard urbanization, rising unemployment in rural areas, excessive poverty, family disintegration and large family size are some of the chief causes that increase the number of street children. Street children ending up in CCCs – directly or indirectly – also multiplying the strength of children in the orphanages and CCCs. Street children either find their way to a child care Centers themselves or referred there by a friend, relative or through child welfare services, possible ‘push͛factors that may place the children institutions ranging from poverty to child trafficking. In addition to the reported reasons, many other factors such as unregistered marriages, babies born out of wedlock, insecurity due to war on terror, displacement, homeless street children and other family disputes and squabbles also lead to the enrolment of children in CCCs.