Episode 202: The Orphan Myth with Lindsay Hadley

Have you ever been involved in some kind of charitable work or cause that afterward you realized maybe didn't do as much or the kind of good as you intended? I definitely have on a couple of occasions, and one super eye-opening moment for me happened on the beach in the North Shore of Oahu a couple of years ago where I met Lindsay Hadley and she broke down for me the basics of what she calls The Orphan Myth. In today's episode, Lindsay goes into depth about the many myths around orphans and how many of us have intended to help, but actually perpetuated a problem unknowingly around the world of separating children from their homes by way of funding many orphanages. Lindsay shares how this happens, why it happens, and what we can do instead to create better long-term solutions for children who need families and loving care to grow up around.

 

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Time Stamps:

[01:06] – Lindsay Hadley dedicates her time to the social entrepreneurship space and the Orphan Myth.

[03:41] – Lindsay says she always felt her vocation would lead her to be an inspiration around the world.

[06:00] – Lindsay recalls why meeting Deborra-Lee Furness impacted the way she helps vulnerable children.

[08:37] – How can charities collectively boost a campaign?

[11:05] – Lindsay shares that 80% of all children in orphanages are not orphans and have at least one living parent.

[13:43] – Where is the real root of the concern? What’s a better solution?

[16:38] – Vulnerable children need dependable consistent care.

[18:27] – What if solutions are geared more towards empowering the entire family? PART 1

[21:23] – What if solutions are geared more towards empowering the entire family? PART 2

[24:57] – Most solutions are well-intended, but nothing replaces having a supportive environment, like a family or community.

[27:46] – Lindsay urges everyone to ask thoughtful questions about the impact of the solutions they support.

[29:35] – There are vulnerable children in your community you can help.

[31:22] – The biggest change we can start with is becoming aware of the impact of our intentions.

[33:29] – Corrine mentions the ripple effect of intentional empowerment when business models focus on building lasting systems.

[35:09] – Lindsay talks about society sometimes nitpicking charity and humanitarian work on social media.

[37:43] – No one has all the answers, but we can get to a solution together.

[39:07] – “One of the greatest indications of self love is how you treat others.”

[42:08] – Let’s be willing to ask ourselves “How can we do this better?”

[45:05] – Lindsay talks about loving yourself to help spread more love.

[26:47] – Thank you Lindsay, and thank you for listening!

 

Supporting Resources:

Lindsay’s IG @lindsayshadley

The Orphan Myth website

Lindsay’s Ted Talk “Shocking Truths about Orphans”

 

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