ABOUT ACT EMPOWERED
ACT was officially registered on 31.12.18 and brought to life in the beginning of 2020 by students in Norway. This was right before the Covid outbreak but despite this, they managed to fundraise ca 100 000NOK by hosting a Christmas market in Norway with the help of Bjørg Thorhallsdottir, a humanitarian by heart, and Sjøholmen. In other words, ACT is possible due to volunteers, sponsors and donations. This is why we are able to run the first Development home in the world with a 100% donation policy!
ACT is not an institution but attempts to build homes to keep families and children together. To start with, the pilot project in Jigjiga will be 20 years of research to see if this development home is a successful way of building a stronger community, housing and supporting one family at a time. One where children grow up in a safe household provided basic necessities such as; education, medical assistance, and mental health support all while living with a guardian(s) or a parent if they have one alive. The intent behind this project is to keep families; parents with children or siblings together. Eventually create well-functioning, healthier, and driven adults that give back to their communities. Just like the case of Jasmin, the local manager of ACT. Amoow Makerow, the founders mother, supported Jasmin and her mother throughout her life. Jasmin initiated the establishment of ACT, found the the ten children and their mother, and has now become ACT's local manager as well as spokeswoman for the ten children in Jigjiga.
Our aim is to learn from the failures of orphanages and the research done on the topic and avoid history repeating itself. Orphanages are in the literature known to cause children mental health problems due to neglect, emotional damage, and social behavior issues. For instance, Science Direct published an article looking at the linkage between children that grow up in institutions and adult crime rates, finding a positive linkage. Still, this field is understudied. This is why our Development Home focuses on only ten orphans tailoring their upbringing to their needs by making each child an individual development program.
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
What is an individual development program?
This program is made with the help of people who grew up orphans, in an orphanage, adopted, or who worked with the respective group. We wanted to understand what an orphan, a child in need of support or guardianship actually needs instead of making an approach based on our own visions, but rather through the lived experiences of a qualified people. Hence, a method based on a literal grassroot level as the project belongs to the children and not the sponsors or founders.
Every decision being made on behalf of the children is done by the children and their guardians/parent as well as the people who grew up in similar circumstances who, for ACT, bring valuable insight to the project. The aim is to create a program tailored to each child's potential, capacity, learning, mental health and hobby. Follow up their emotional growth closely using art therapy as tool to communicate, explore and express. This will be achieved by a professional team and the small local network the children grew up with.
Who runs ACT in Jigjiga?
Amoow Makerow, board member and mentor, provided guardianship and support for numerous children during her work in East-Africa. Her main focus was to cover basic needs, give emotional support, as well as provide quality education and a place to stay; paying their rent. ACT's local manager is today run by one of the children Makerow adopted, Jasmin. She has a degree in Pharmacy and is currently finishing her last year with a BA degree in nursing. Jasmin is assisted by another young student Makerow sponsors similar to Jasmin. Ideally, ACT wishes that the ten children being assisted through this pilot project will one day end up like Jasmin and continue the cycle of giving back to their community.