Videos produced by Faith to Action are short, inspirational videos focused on highlighting how churches, faith-based organizations, and individuals are supporting the work of indigenous churches, ministries, and community initiatives serving children and families.

Videos produced by external organizations and groups are additional videos that align with Faith to Action resources and guiding principles, including our Journeys of Faith Study Series.

Helping Children Worldwide: Short-Term Mission Trips that Support Families

Laura Horvath, Director of ​Program Development ​and Community Engagement at Helping Children Worldwide,  shares how they transitioned their short-term missions program from focusing on children to working with members of the community they serve in Sierra Leone.

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Wendy McMahan: Children Grow Best in Families

Wendy McMahan, Director of Church Engagement for Food for the Hungry, shares a personal anecdote from her own family, illustrating the importance of family care.

Stephen Ucembe: Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit IX

Stephen Ucembe, Kenya Society of Care Leavers, shares his personal experience growing up as an orphan in institutional care at the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ Summit IX on May 2, 2013.

TED Talk, Georgette Mulheir: The Tragedy of Orphanages, 2012

Georgette Mulheir describes the tragedy of orphanages and urges us to end our reliance on them, by finding alternate ways of supporting children in need.

HelpKids Centre, Sri Lanka

HelpKids Centre is a community-based organization that strengthens local families living in severe poverty. In partnership with ACCI, it functions as a community center, providing early childhood education, daycare support, counseling for parents, and medical assistance, supports women in accessing vocational training, and coordinates women’s and children’s clubs. To learn more about HelpKids, read our story, watch our webinar and podcast featuring their family-strengthening strategies.

 A World Without Orphans

This documentary highlights discussions by people on the front lines of orphan care. It is meant to encourage the church to dialogue about its role in the pursuit of a world without orphans.

World Without Orphans Animation

This video highlights the role of the Church in caring for orphans and vulnerable children. The video explores both the historical role of the Church and our how this continues to be central to what it means to be the Church today, actively engaged in caring for vulnerable children and supporting family-based care.

The Orphan Myth: Keeping Families Together

This special PBS documentary episode of “To the Contrary” explores the evidence-based movement away from orphanages and towards family reunification. Host Bonnie Erbé travels to Ethiopia to explore why parents give up their children. She reports on the research showing how orphanages jeopardize children’s psychological and mental well-being.

Children Belong in Families

In this video, Mick Pease, founder of Substitute Families for Abandoned Children (SFAC), shares stories of children expressing their own desire for family.

Transforming Care From Institutions to Families

This video from Care for Children illustrates the model of transforming institutions for children, the importance of transitioning to family-based care, the roles former residential care staff can play in transition, and the positive impact this transforming care can have on families and communities.

How Volunteering Abroad in Orphanages is Harmful to Children

This video highlights the harm that international volunteering can have on children. Volunteering can encourage families living in poverty to send their children to live in orphanages when over 60 years of research shows the harm institutional care can have a child’s wellbeing. International volunteering can also perpetuate a repeated pattern of abandonment for children after volunteers form attachments and leave. Children thrive best in families. Addressing poverty and educational access is vital, but orphanages are not part of the solution. Well-intentioned volunteers can harm vulnerable children and it is important to educate yourself on the issues to ensure volunteers have a positive impact.

Journeys of Faith Study Series Videos

Faith to Action’s Journeys of Faith Study Series includes a variety of videos that highlight the importance of family care, family-strengthening, and healthy partnerships in caring for orphans and vulnerable children. Most of the six sessions of the study series incorporate a video, which are accompanied by video notes and discussion questions to engage participates in meaningful ways.

We All Need Families at the End of the Day- Maureen

This video, presented by Better Care Network and UNICEF, tells the story of Maureen, this video tells the story of a young girl named Maureen and her two siblings, who were placed in a children’s home in Kenya when their mother died. In the video, Maureen expresses her desire to reunite with her grandparents and asks “why do I live in a children’s home?” The video also features interviews with experts, including those who have lived in children’s homes, explaining some of the negative impacts of institutionalization.

VisionFund Presents: Genevieve’s Story

This video, presented by VisionFund (the financial empowerment arm of World Vision), tells the story of how a small loan changed the life of a young girl named Genevieve. It highlights the key role that families and communities play in ensuring the wellbeing of vulnerable children, and why it’s so important that we strengthen their capacity to do so.

Connecting the Dots: A Child Protection Model from Malawi

This video, presented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), shows how CRS in Malawi led a consortium of 12 partners to implement CRS-IMPACT, a program that trains volunteers to actively protect children in their communities. In four years, the program strengthened families by training over 7,700 volunteers and reached over 40,000 children and adults with child protection services.

Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions: Haiti

This video, presented by The Chalmers Center, helps illustrate the complexities of short-term missions and the importance of coming alongside community-based initiatives in partnership to strengthen and empower community leadership and support the assets of communities.

Volunteering With Children: Dangers of Doing Good

This video, presented by Volunteer Correct, explores the impact short-term volunteers can have on children and promotes further reflection on how to support the protection of children and the role of caregivers. Faith to Action recommends the clip between 5:20 and 8:25 minutes.

From Stuck to Thriving: Graduation With Food for the Hungry

This video, presented by Food for the Hungry, celebrates the achievements and conclusion of a nine-year collaboration among Food for the Hungry, Capilano Christian Community Church (CapChurch), and the community of Bufukhula in Uganda. Told through interviews with CapChurch members and members of the Bufukhula community, this is a story about how a healthy partnership enabled the churches and families of this community to achieve great things in agriculture, education, savings groups, and more. Now the community is paying it forward by using what they’ve learned to help a neighboring village break the cycle of poverty and strengthen families. As you watch the video, the key thing to consider is how all these achievements improve the lives of children—without resorting to institutional care.

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