Kendra Malcolm
Art Director | Illustrator
ChildSafe: Support families, not orphanages.
Many orphanages in developing countries make money through charitable donations, tourism, and volunteerism; but in order to stay profitable orphanages need kids. Therefore, many of these orphanages convince parents that their children will be better off at an orphanage. As a result, over 70% of children in Cambodian orphanages have at least one living parent. Unfortunately, many of these children struggle later in life because they were robbed of their right to grow up with their families and in their own communities where they belonged.
ChildSafe wants to help end this destructive cycle by discouraging orphanage donations and encouraging donors to invest in families and communities in need. Through print ads, an animated video and a website we highlighted the potential harm caused by orphanage donations. We also provided information to help donors make a more educated decision when it comes to helping children in developing countries; to support families, not orphanages.
Website : Support families, not orphanages
Our interactive website housed the animated video and highlighted supporting facts and information about orphanages. It featured real life stories about growing up in an orphanage and provided people with a list of resources to help them choose where to donate money to children in need.
This project presented us with a complicated problem. How do we let people know that their well-intended orphanage donations could be doing more harm than good?
Local campaign : "Orphanages are tearing families apart."
This ad ran in Cambodia and targets families in need and their loved ones. The headline reads "Orphanages are tearing families apart" and the supporting copy asks parents not to send their children to an orphanage and to call the ChildSafe hotline if they need additional support.
We also wrote and tested two radio spots that focused on the hardships many children experience upon leaving an orphanage.
