Orphanage vs FBC
We ask you continue to pray for:
- A bountiful harvest- 3 month supply of essential needs (food, clothing, housing and medical)
- The ability to meet the bedding and housing requirements for NGO status. (Note: structurally we are re-aligning as FBC (Family Based Care) vs orphanage. See explanation below)
- Education and skills training. They "yearn" to go to school, but to send the children to the local school however costs $5200 per term, so for now they must continue to be home schooled. Pray for basic supplies (paper, pens, books, etc) as well as curriculum and people to adequately teach.
Structure: Orphanage vs FBC
February 6, 2026
To: James and Team
From: maama
We have spent a year working toward an Orphanage NGO designation, and it’s become more and more evident that the "stalling" we have/are experiencing with the NGO/Orphanage requirements is a symptom of a misalignment between the legal label of orphanage and your (and Team’s) heart / actions James.
A year ago I expressed to you that the main thing is that the children are cared for. I have repeatedly encouraged you to look into optional care – orphanages, foster care, adopting – as you had nor have a source of income to provide for them. You resisted sending any of the children to external care facilities, expressing you wanted to work toward becoming an official orphanage. Now that you are addressing the profiles and how the child came under your care it’s obvious that the main issue is a misalignment of objectives. An orphanage’s goal is to find new homes for children as soon as possible. You have resisted doing that. You don’t want to find homes (the role of an orphanage); you want the home to be their family. Hence, when you talk with the CBO Officer next week, my recommendation is you discuss shifting the focus of MCH from an orphanage to Family-Based Care (FBC).
The Fundamental Conflict defined
When you apply for "Orphanage" status James, by definition you are telling the government and donors that you are a transient facility, an “institution”, as an orphanage’s objective is to find a home for the child. Hence children will and should come and go. What the profiles have highlighted is WHY your resistance, it’s not your heart James, nor is it your team/ brother/sisters. What you’re practicing and wanting is more “Permanent Kinship”. i.e. de-institutionalizing, not institutionalizing.
Here’s a summary chart of the differences:
Feature | Traditional Orphanage (Current Path) | Family-Based Care |
Primary Objective | To be a "holding station" until a child is adopted or resettled. | To be a "forever home" where the children grow up as siblings. |
Legal Barrier | Requires high-standard infrastructure (raised beds, commercial space) before you can even apply. | Often registered as a Community-Based Organization (CBO) with residential standards. |
The "Exit Strategy" | The child eventually leaves the institution. | The child matures within the family and becomes part of its future. |
Financial Focus | High overhead (staff, licenses, specific building codes). | Direct care (food, beds, education for a specific household). |
Benefit - FBC more attractive to donors
We went into this trying to inoculate the challenge in Uganda of the "orphanage business" ; it’s under severe scrutiny because of substantial fraud and scamming. Donors have become increasingly guarded and wary of Ugandan orphanage stories and institutionalization. As I understand (check this out with your CBO Officer) the Family Based Care / Kinship Care model (de-institutionalizing) is actually becoming more attractive to modern donors because:
- It’s Personal: Instead of "child #14," it is "James’ niece Lillian."
- It’s Sustainable: Rather than building a "ministry center," you are building a family estate where the older children eventually help support the younger ones through agricultural or vocational training.
- It’s Biblical Stewardship: It follows the principle of 1 Timothy 5:8—families taking care of their own first. Your mission becomes an act of love - setting aside self-life to honor God’s design for family.
- Instead of “immediate relief” for orphans (the goal of an orphanage), the FBC model is focused on providing “generational stability” for the family , the Momo lineage. Hence, as we have looked deeper into the unique story of your family - specifically the legacy of your father’s polygamy and the biological ties of the children – I see a need to shift our language and structure. Meaning: With all due respect to your father, while polygamy is present in biblical history, it was never God’s design. James, you and your team / siblings are currently managing the "aftermath" of a polygamous structure your father created with his 5 wives that is contrary to the biblical mandate of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). So, a big part of the MCH story as an FBC is “Redemption, Not Continuation.” MCH is not simply "continuing your father’s work"; you’re redeeming it James. By choosing to care for your siblings in a Christ-centered, monogamous-focused environment, you are ending a cycle of brokenness. 1 Timothy 5:8 states that "if anyone does not provide for his relatives... he has denied the faith." This shift will move our mission from "General Charity" to "Biblical Responsibility"; helping you James fulfill your duty as the firstborn son to keep his family intact.
CBO MEETING and Getting Aid and Funding as an FBC
Discuss ALL avenues for fund raising and funding you and team can pursue with the CBO Officer. Since MCH is already incorporated, you have a legal foundation.
Examples to look into of how you/Julius/team gets aid without the "Orphanage" NGO status:
- The CBO Loophole: Take the MCH incorporation papers to the Local District Headquarters and register as a Community-Based Organization (CBO). This is much easier to obtain than an NGO license and is suppose to allow you to receive local government support for food and medicine.
- Targeted Grants for "Deinstitutionalization": Organizations like Hope and Homes for Children and Lumos provide funding specifically to people like you/MCH who are preventing children from going into institutions by keeping them in families. Ask the CBO Officer for other resources.
- Medical & Food Assistance: Contact / Visit the District Community Development Officer (CDO).
- The Request: "We are a family-based kinship home caring for vulnerable children. We need to be added to the list for government-subsidized medical care and food relief."
- The School Fee Solution - Unless God intervenes, $15k/year to educate the children is not going to happen anytime soon. In addition to home schooling, as an FBC, you/team should also re-examine Community Schooling or Universal Primary Education (UPE). I know we discussed the obstacles for UPE schooling last year, but you’ll have to refresh my memory. Are not government-funded significantly cheaper then private schools at $600/year?. It may not be ideal, but the goal is to get the kids in school now, even if it isn't the "top-tier" school.
Review and discuss with the team.
Lastly James, it’s always good to constantly “review-revise-adjust” your actions. Example, we discussed completing the profiles last summer didn’t we? Can you see now why it’s important to be “timely” in getting tasks completed? (i.e. Instead of February, we’d have been addressing this last August! 
) Likewise, as Exec Dir and Board Chairman you want to train your team on this lesson – inspire them regarding the importance of following through in completing their role and tasks in a timely manner. This is why I continue to encourage you to build in accountability and efficiency by having weekly staff meetings where each “department head” will share progress reports. I recommended Board meetings monthly this first year, then back that off to quarterly. It’s important you “inspect what you expect” to help everyone be moving forward toward the unified goal/vision. Yes, life will always be full of things that will derail us, but we do our best to press on and complete the race God has set before us.
Love to all,
maama
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE DISTRICT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER (CBO)
To: The District Community Development Officer (CDO) [Insert District Name], Uganda
Date: [February 6, 2026]
RE: NOTICE OF INTENT TO OPERATE AS A FAMILY-BASED KINSHIP CARE UNIT (CBO)
Dear [Sir/Madam – OR THEIR NAME – MR XXX - IF YOU KNOW IT],
I am writing to formally introduce Momo Children’s Home, a registered corporation (Registration No. [Insert Number]) dedicated to the care and protection of vulnerable children within our community.
While our initial vision was the establishment of a traditional orphanage, we have recognized that the children currently under our care - many of whom are biological siblings or have been raised together for years - benefit most from a Family-Based Care (FBC) model. Our primary objective is to maintain this "Family Unit" to prevent the institutionalization and separation of these siblings.
Currently, we are caring for [Insert Number] children. As the head of this kinship unit, I am requesting your office’s guidance and support in the following areas:
- Registration as a CBO: We wish to register at the district level as a Community-Based Organization focused on kinship care and family preservation.
- Food and Medical Assistance: We request to be included in any district-level programs for food relief and to be linked with local Health Center III/IV facilities for subsidized medical care for these vulnerable children.
- Education Support: We seek assistance in transitioning our children into Universal Primary/Secondary Education (UPE/USE) programs to ensure their right to education is upheld.
We are committed to the safety and well-being of these children and look forward to working under the supervision of your office to ensure we meet all residential safety standards.
Sincerely,
James [Last Name]
Director/Guardian, Momo Children’s Home
[Phone Number]
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