What We Do
5 Pillars to Thrive
How we help kids and families is based on our 5 Pillars to Thrive Model. It is implemented in all our programs to ensure a holistic approach to child welfare and family preservation through community empowerment with one end goal:
Share the love of our Father in Heaven, through actions of self-sustaining projects supporting widows, orphans, and underserved children.
Pillar 1- Basic Needs
This is the foundational Pillar in our 5 Pillars to Thrive model. In the words of one of our project coordinators in Uganda regarding his students: “It’s hard to focus on school or a job when you haven’t eaten in 2 days, and all you can think about is how hungry you are.” God calls us to feed the hungry, provide shelter to those without, and to serve others. We believe in offering a hand UP to those in need, because when someone is in a constant state of survival, they cannot thrive. By offering food, shelter, and basic needs support through sustainable programs that tie in with education and empowerment, we can then support children and families with the other 4 Pillars to Thrive.
Pillar 2 - Education
With education at the forefront of every BLOOM program and special project, we aim to ensure that each child and parent is equipped with the knowledge they need for future opportunities and personal growth. This in turn fosters a stronger community and society through employment, economic impact, self-dependence, equality, adherence to laws, and self-esteem. Children are educated through mentorship programs and teaching new skills, and at-risk widows are educated through our training programs and Christian mentoring, life-coaching for self improvement.
Pillar 3 - Discipleship
By mentoring children and parents to grow in their faith, maturity and wisdom, our goal is to help them find their own identity in Christ, and build their faith on a strong foundation so that they can one day lead others towards Christ. Many caregivers (extended family) of the orphans and under-served children we work with are non-Christians. By watching the children thrive, and hearing the children share their knowledge of Jesus in school, many non-Christian caregivers are coming to Christ simply by seeing God’s work in their community and in their children. With Jesus at the center of the family unit, we hope families will stay united and will begin to reach out and support others in their communities as well.
Pillar 4 - Self Esteem
Perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of a holistic approach to child welfare is addressing self-esteem. When a child has low self-esteem, it can lead to higher risk of abuse, neglect, suicide, depression, poor school performance, and problems with personal relationships. Orphans and vulnerable children are considered socially the lowest members of society, are treated as such, and have suffered traumas that lead to adverse health effects both mentally and physically. One element of addressing these traumas is to help children realize their value and build their self-esteem. On the flip side to that, children with higher self-esteem were more likely to finish school, less likely to engage in high risk behaviors, and generally have better overall health. Without self-esteem, children are unlikely to thrive or reach their fullest potential.
Pillar 5 - Life Skills
Whether through income generation opportunities or education, we partner with local pastors, skilled project managers, and community leaders in each country so that the model is implemented according to each community’s culture and specific needs. This ensures a wider and deeper impact while respecting and empowering our partners as those most knowledgeable about their communities’ needs. With our newest project in Ghana, Living Water Harvest Farms is near completion of acquiring land, improving it, and building a large egg-laying house (for 500 hens), which will lead to cash crops and training opportunities for teens and widows in the area to learn a much-needed job skill and become employable in a popular sector needing employees. This is a self-sustaining program BLOOM started under our new wing "BLOOM- GHANA", which will also offer Christian community events with a prayer and revival tent site. Those learning on the farm will hear about the Living Water as they water the crops, and collect eggs for market.
