Support for our Foster Moms
Bolingo Village has had our eye on ensuring each kiddo has access to the spiritual and emotional care that they need and deserve since we opened. To that end, we have a pastoral team and a trauma counselor.
Orphan Sunday
Yesterday marked the 20th observance of Orphan Sunday, a day where churches across the globe come together to benefit the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we strive to defend the cause of the fatherless.
Caring for the Whole Child
Our goal with Bolingo Village has always been to care for the whole child. We're not just trying to house and feed the greatest number of children. That wouldn't be enough. We're trying to ensure that each child is happy. That we're helping them heal from their past traumas. That they're getting extra attention in areas that they need. Caring for the whole child means digging deeper than just a statistic because every child is so much more than that.
Meet Our Foster Moms
It’s no secret that we LOVE our foster moms. They’re part of what makes Bolingo Village work. They nurture and care for the kids like their own, help keep the village functioning properly, and liven the place up while doing it! So, we thought it would be fun to pay homage to these beautiful women who do so much. Enjoy!
Why we don’t accept teenagers at Bolingo Village.
By this point, you may have noticed that all of our children are younger; most of our kids are under ten years old. That's because Blingo Village tries to welcome new children that six years old or younger.
We do this for a couple of reasons:
To encourage family bonding.
To assist in overcoming trauma.
To reduce the likelihood of sexual abuse between our kids.
Have you ever noticed?
Have you ever noticed that we don't generally use the terms, orphans or widows? Likely no, you haven't. It's a small detail that is easy to miss. Now, however, you're not going to be able to unsee it. Now, you'll notice that we often say 'orphaned child' or 'widowed woman.' Mostly, you'll see that we say 'kiddos' or 'foster moms' instead, and there are several reasons why.
The Bolingo Kids: A few of their favorite things!
There’s nothing better than seeing the Bolingo kids do some of their favorite things. Since we can’t all be in Congo, we’ve brought Bolingo to you!
Update: Temporary Placements at Bolingo
Bolingo Village wasn’t intended to accept temporary placements. Still, last year, we made an exception for three siblings for three main reasons.
A Foster Mom’s Love.
I will never forget the moment I realized how fiercely our Bolingo Village foster moms love their kiddos...
There Are Many Broken Children…
Once our kiddos come to us, they have it pretty good - that’s the point of Bolingo. It’s easy to forget that every single child in Bolingo has a story. They all have trauma and a heartbreaking life experience.
The Vision for Bolingo Village Pt 2
Bolingo Village was never meant to just meet the basic needs of the children who call it home. It was never meant to just meet the standard of survival. Our vision has always been to surpass the basics by providing them with a true childhood experience filled with guidance, care, and love.
Building a Village: Phase 2
From the beginning, when it was just an idea to the current reality of giving children a better life every day. We are making significant progress and taking steps to ensure that Bolingo can serve many generations of children to come.
The Vision for Bolingo Village Pt 1
Bolingo Village has been a dream of ours for years - we have worked tirelessly to make it a reality, and we’re so grateful that kids are growing up in a community of love and support. We have already implemented a large portion of our vision - but we’re not done yet.
5 Reasons You Should Care About DR Congo
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the Democratic Republic of Congo? For some, it might be extreme poverty or disease. For others, it may be the violence-stricken turmoil in the east. While these are all, unfortunately, accurate depictions of DRC, we feel that it’s time that people learn a little bit more about the country we love so dearly.
GOF in the Field: Trip Update
As always, the best part of the trip was seeing the kids play, laugh, and thrive. We currently have 19 children living between 3 homes, and we are happy to report that they are all A-OK!
Temporary Placements at Bolingo?
This forever home never planned on accepting temporary placements. We intended to only open our doors to children who would be a part of Bolingo Village forever. However, last week, we were contacted by social services and asked to accept a temporary placement of three siblings.
Congo Trip Update
After a 10-day trip in DR Congo we’re back and happy to report that everything is peachy keen, and we’re excited about our next steps in Bolingo Village. We hope that you were able to follow along on social media, but if not, here are 5 things you may have missed…
Bolingo Village Grand Opening!
We opened Bolingo Village in March and we're so excited to share some pictures with you!
The entire GOF team recently spent a little over two weeks in DRC preparing for and celebrating the Bolingo Village opening. It was so exciting to see years of planning and hard work coming together.
Foster Care vs. Orphanage Care in DRC: The importance of family
Our foster moms will be the rule makers and enforcers, the boo-boo kissers, the co-pilots on imagination fueled trips on space ships, and - most importantly - each child’s advocate.