She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. …Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
—Proverbs 31:26-27, 30-31
Proverbs 31 is most noteworthy for its beautiful depiction of a wife of noble character. I love coming back to this passage every so often and grounding my heart again in the things God sees in and desires for me as a wife. I also believe these are virtues He desires for all of His daughters to learn and grow in and are so evident in our mamas at One Vision.
Who are the Mamas of One Vision?
The mamas at One Vision are the primary caregivers of our kids, and they each watch over a smaller group–these are called family groups. Family groups were started out of a deep desire to create connection, attachment, and security within the larger One Vision family. This is well researched and intentional in creating healthy relationships and consistency with children who have experienced trauma. Each caregiver has a family group that she watches over–providing daily physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
There are four family group units within each building and they are separated by boys and girls. Each family group chose their own family group name, sharing with the others why they chose that name. The One Vision staff and caregivers have received training and education and continue to grow in their knowledge in caring for and loving children well.
What are their main roles as caregivers?
The caregivers help with all aspects to meet the children’s needs. This includes setting up routines and structures within their day to help them settle in for the night. The mamas of the younger kids get them up in the morning, help them get dressed, and bring them to breakfast, lunch, and supper. They help the children get ready for school and any other needs that they have, with a focus on helping them learn independence.
With the older children, the focus of the mamas’ care shifts from helping learn independence to helping them grow in their independence. Many times, this looks like shepherding our older children in wisdom and making good choices as they mature. They help the children learn to do daily tasks, grow in life skills, and understand the importance of caring for their own things in their spaces and around the orphanage.
With the continued rioting and unrest in Haiti and now the additional concern of COVID-19, our caregivers are not in any kind of routine that is normal for them, but we are working on creating a new structure within this time. To reduce the amount of people coming and going from the orphanage, we have sent some staff home to be with their families. Our staff works on a rotation–generally working a certain number of days before going to be with their families and then returning again.