Making a Difference ●Building Dreams ● Creating Impact ● Saving Lives
No products in the cart.
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved.
“Orphans are children who depend on their strength and ability to learn and succeed without the support of their mothers and fathers. They are the ones who have lost one or both parents to age, sickness, or violence or simply by just abandoning them.”
– Dr. John Palmer (Chairman of the Mary K. Yap Foundation)
Sadly, there is an increasing number of orphans. These orphaned children who live without proper care and guidance can result in suffering and the ultimate tragedy of death; the children that survive often do so in ways that demean and criminalize themselves and bring suffering to others. We cannot just imagine how a child without proper care is being used in different personal and greedy matters, such as child labor bosses, terrorists, rebel armies with child soldiers, child traffickers, and even less than good-willed relatives who want a personal slave.
The result is heartbreaking as some orphan children will die of starvation and issues related to malnutrition, die from preventable diseases, die at the hands of others, spend much of their life in jail, and some will harm others and negatively impact the world.
As we commemorate International Orphan Day, we want to share a message that orphan children do not deserve to live a life of abandonment and neglect, especially a child who is so young, innocent, and pure. They deserve to be treated with love, care, and proper guidance as these orphaned children are the strongest people in the world by overcoming their history and facing the future with smiles. They are children who still have a bright future despite having no immediate family besides them upon growing up and ending up being homeless.
“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”
– Cardinal Gaspard Mermillod (1824-1892)
Every May, America celebrates and honors mothers on this special day by thanking them for all the love and sacrifices they’ve made. But sadly, this is not the case for children in every town and country in the world who have lost, been taken from, abandoned by, or sent away from their mothers.
An orphan may suffer long-term emotional problems due to their failure to resolve their sense of loss for their mother. The effects of trauma can include symptoms of depression, being more anxious and withdrawn, having more problems in school, and diminished academic performance than non-bereaved children. Some also have difficulty building relationships and have trust issues as they lack maternal support while beginning their life journey. Abandoned orphans will always be left with the question of if their mothers truly loved them. These orphans feel incomplete without their mothers.
Celebrating Mother’s Day is not the same for everyone; for some orphans, it will remind them of their feelings when they lost their mother. Mothers generally support us through all our victories and hardships as we build our lives. Therefore, some orphans will feel envious of the children who can spend time with and be cared for by their mothers. Living and growing up without a mother to lean on, especially on the most challenging days, is not easy.
Many orphans also live in poverty and cope with mental and emotional problems at an early age, in addition to the burden of losing their mother. Even though some still have their fathers and are considered “single orphans, ” the loss of the love and care that mothers bring is irreplaceable.
These orphans are vulnerable but hopefully will remain strong and determined to continue living and pursuing their dreams. Although these unprivileged children have no mother to celebrate Mother’s Day, they should still be surrounded by unconditional love from those who appreciate and care for them. Let this be an encouragement for us to be there for the underprivileged ones, the orphans, as we celebrate this Mother’s Day.
No other Hollywood celebrity has captured the hearts and affections like Marilyn Monroe has done for decades. Her stardom and popularity continued to glow even after she died in 1962.
In 1999, the American Film Institute listed 100 Years …. 100 Stars. Monroe ranked as the sixth greatest female screen legend. Yet, her story is no other than before her. Marilyn was an orphan. Her mother, Gladys Baker, had paranoid schizophrenia throughout her life. She was mentally unstable and financially unable to care for her daughter, so she placed Norma Jeane Mortenson (Marilyn Monroe’s birth name) with foster parents, whom she lived with until she was 7.
There are scores of Hollywood films, one after another, starring Marilyn that brought fame and attention to the screen. Among all her releases, the most famous film was “Some Like it Hot,” in which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Award category in 1960. The film co-star Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and George Raft. The comedy story was about two male musicians who witnessed a mob hit that led them to flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Despite the many unfortunate events in Marilyn Monroe’s life ever since she was a little girl, from having an unable mother to marrying a couple of times to different men in her life, Monroe lived a beautiful life before her death on August 5, 1962. However, she didn’t let these unfortunate moments in her life stop her. Instead, she made it possible to be famous and well-known in her craft and delivered each film excellently.
“Keep smiling because life is a beautiful thing, and there’s so much to smile about,” said Monroe.
Our board continues to provide hope and love to all underserved children in Myanmar, especially during this worldwide pandemic. Our goal remains to reach out to vulnerable children and integrate them well into their communities so that they can thrive, like how Marilyn Monroe was able to do when she was adopted into a foster care system at a young age.