In addition to our work in-country, we seek to build partnerships across borders to help advance our mission to match vulnerable children with loving families.

Department of Social Welfare

The Ghanaian Ministry for Youth, Education and Manpower’s Department of Social Welfare (DSW) has stewardship over the abandoned and orphaned children of Ghana and is responsible for monitoring the operation and registration of children’s homes throughout the country through the implementation of the Child Care Reform Initiative (CRI). The DSW is our primary governmental partner as we work to advance the wellbeing of Ghana’s orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) population. We believe that this close relationship is key to KaeMe's success. Helena Obeng-Asamoah, director of the Child Rights and Protection division, is helping to foster the country-wide implementation of KaeMe.

beagooddoctor.org

The student labor force supporting KaeMe’s administrative operations is incubated in this umbrella organization, which supports a number of projects overseen by Dr. Michael McCullough and Dr. Jennifer Miller. As part of their relationship with www.beagooddoctor.org, KaeMe also gets 10:1 financial leverage when hiring stanford students who are on financial aid. In addition to maximizing our resources, this also ensures that low-income students are afforded the opportunity to enjoy a meaningful work experience, grow into leadership roles and make the most of their time in school – even as they work to better the lives of orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world.

Hague-Accredited Adoption Services

The 1996 Hague Convention is an international treaty designed to protect children from abuse, neglect and exploitation. Among its provisions, the Convention outlines a specific protocol for adoption. We partner with U.S. adoption services accredited per the Hague Convention’s standards, allowing them to access the profiles of those children deemed eligible for adoption.

Children's Homes and Orphanages

In Ghana alone there are 160 orphanages housing anywhere from 3 to 80+ children—and only 3 are officially registered with the DSW. Though well-intentioned, many of these homes face major resource challenges. Furthermore, many studies have found that institutionalized care is highly detrimental to child development and growth – even under the best of circumstances. Although many of these institutions are not fit to function as orphanages or children’s homes, they do have the resources to continue aiding children as schools, daycare centers, etc. The DSW hopes to repurpose those homes that do not meet the CRI standards into new types of institutions so that the existing resources and staff can continue to care for the best interest of the children.

Charities, Clinics and Schools

KaeMe’s volunteer force in Ghana, composed of students from the top American universities, also works with other Ghanaian institutions. For example, we seek out partnerships with clinics and hospitals, where our volunteers (many of whom have received special training in U.S. emergency rooms) can aid doctors and nurses as they seek to provide medical care. We also work with schools, educational programs, and other non-profit or development projects.