World War Orphans Day: “Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them.” -Leigh Anne Tuohy
The plight of a child who lost a parent can’t be confined to a single day but when war becomes familiar, the suffering of the oppressed takes a backseat. The world which lives in a protective bubble away from the noises of bombs and guns does need a reminder that the Earth is not a safe haven for many. According to UNICEF, nearly a quarter of the world’s children live in conflict or disaster-stricken countries.
20th April, World Orphans Day is declared by Worldwide Organisation for Charity (WOC) Previously known as World Orphan Centre (WOC).
Table of Contents
History
The World Day of War Orphans was proposed and started by the French organisation SOS Enfants en Detresses. The primary concern of this organisation is to protect children from all forms of abuse and mistreatment.
Timeline
A.D. 400, The First Orphanage: The Romans established their first orphanages, providing up to eighteen years of support for all widows and orphans of soldiers killed in battle.
1741 saw the founding of The Foundling Hospital, the first orphanage-serving charitable organisation.
1800s –Foster care gained popularity as an alternative to orphan asylums and almshouses, largely due to Charles Loring Brace’s influence.
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1900s ,The Orphan Spread: Between one million and thirteen million orphans are thought to have been left behind in Europe alone as a result of the Second World War, according to estimates.
Purpose
The prime purpose of World Orphans Day is to raise awareness and provide a platform for orphans and underprivileged children-related activities worldwide. This is an open invitation to individuals, government, social & charitable, and volunteer organizations to observe the day on the local, national, regional, and international levels. By 2035, we will address all the rights and problems of Orphans and Underprivileged children worldwide and we are doing effective work to raise the voice of establishing their rights.
Significance
There were over 140 million orphans worldwide, according to unicef.org, with 52 million in Africa, 10 million in the Caribbean and Latin America, 61 million in Asia, and 7.3 million in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. There were over 140 million orphans worldwide, according to unicef.org, with 61 million in Asia, 52 million in Africa, 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Millions of children have become orphaned, according to the evidence; the vast majority of orphans live with a remaining parent, grandparent, or any other family member. All orphans are above the age of five years in 95 percent of cases. In affluent countries, the number of orphans is quite low. However, in areas where there have been wars or major diseases, their numbers are far higher.
Why is it celebrated?
According to UNICEF, the total number of orphans grew between 1990 and 2001. However, since the year of 2001, the estimated number of orphans has been steadily decreasing, at a pace of barely 0.7 percent each year. Because children are frequently neglected, World Day of War Orphans is commemorated every year to recognise these children and to remind us of our responsibility to work hard to reduce the shadow of warfare so that no one is left orphaned in this world.
Violations against children in times of war
The United Nations Security Council has identified and condemned six grave violations against children in times of war: Killing and maiming of children; recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups; attacks on schools or hospitals; rape or other grave sexual violence; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access for children.
Organisations Working
Delhi Council for Child Welfare
Established in 1978, Palna is Delhi Council for Child Welfare’s most well-known program for abandoned, homeless and destitute children. Sponsor medical expenses of these children by donating to this NGO for children.
The organization started its work to provide care to the displaced, lost or abandoned children in the riots surrounding the Partition of India. It is an NGO that now provides services to the underprivileged children of Delhi and the neighboring regions to promote their health, development, and economic and social well being.
The most well-known programme of DCCW is Palna, a home for abandoned, homeless and destitute children. At Palna, infants arrive in a precarious state of health and the best possible medical care is given to them. It is a home to those children whose parents relinquished them or surrendered to them by the Police.
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Snehalaya
Snehalaya means ‘Home of Love’, and was founded to provide support for women, children and LGBT communities, who have been affected by HIV and AIDS, trafficking, sexual violence, and poverty. In India, 93 women are raped every day. It is estimated that 135,000 children are trafficked every year.
Over 120,000 women a year will suffer domestic violence. 2.1 million people are living with HIV, and an estimated 130,000 people die of AIDS each year. At Snehalaya they believe that grassroots outreach and education are the keys to drastically reducing these figures. Its mission is to provide rescue, rights and rehabilitative services to the communities in most need and to offer a safe exit point to women and their children trapped in the crippling cycle of poverty and abuse.
Thus they aspire to develop the awareness and capabilities of individuals who have been deprived of their fundamental rights as a result of the inequalities that exist in our society. They provide services to over 15,000 beneficiaries and are a strong and passionate family, united in the belief that no one should stand alone.
Make A Difference (MAD)
MAD works with children in orphanages and shelter homes across India. The number of youth going to universities in the partner shelter homes is 78%. This is a youth-driven, non-profit organization working to ensure equitable outcomes for children in orphanages and street shelters.
MAD reaches out to over 3,460 children in 67 shelters across 23 cities in India, through a highly efficient 3,822 strong volunteer network. Volunteers commit a year and spend between 2 and 10 hours every week mentoring, teaching and interacting with children to ensure that they get the support and care they need during childhood.
They aim to ensure that even the most vulnerable children in shelters can realize equitable outcomes and that they can live a life free from exploitation, with a capability of managing emotional and financial life crises.
Conclusion
Providing a “better tomorrow” for helpless and underprivileged orphans across the world is the aim of the innovative and heartwarming “World Orphan Day 2026.” Organized by the renowned World Orphan Centre (WOC), not the Worldwide Organization for Charity (WOC), this day motivates citizens to help the orphaned children suffering from poverty and maltreatment.
On the morning of April 20, numerous participants, volunteers, speakers, and orphans gathered cordially at Anika Community Centre, Chittagong, to join in the promotion of this glorious and inspiring message. In a nutshell, World Orphan Day can be described as a day for charity and a beginning of a better job for society.
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