FAQ's

What does your name mean?

When Tremendous Hearts traveled to Cape Town in 2007, many of the adults we interviewed mentioned that volunteers had to “have a heart for children.” Sister Yolanda from Holy Cross said that “you must have a tremendous heart for children.” It is hard work. The people in South Africa who have taken up the cause are making huge sacrifices, relying on great inner strength, and doing whatever they can to help the children in their care. We are seeking volunteers who have the same passion, will, and most importantly, a tremendous and open heart for children.

What are “vulnerable children,” and why is Tremendous Hearts concerned about them?

According to South African law vulnerable children are defined as: children who are neglected, destitute and abandoned. Children with terminally ill parents, those born to single mothers, those with unemployed caretakers, children who are abused or ill-treated by caretakers, or disabled children are all considered vulnerable.

There are many situations that might contribute to a child being deemed “vulnerable.” One of the effects of poverty on families is a high incidence of alcoholism and drug abuse among adults that can lead to high rates of neglect.  In addition, there is a high rate of sexual and physical abuse of children. Very often, vulnerable children in the South African context are those who have been removed from the kinship home for abuse or neglect or whose parent (most often the mother) has AIDS and is so sick as to not be able to care for her child. Most of the children's homes that Tremendous Hearts visited had a large population of vulnerable children in addition to orphans.

How many of the children in the homes are HIV+ or have AIDS?

South Africa's Constitution provides very strong protection and rights for children, including the right to privacy about health. Many children's homes have policies against discussing HIV and AIDS status with anyone other than medical staff. In addition, it is against the law for a child to be tested without the family's consent and, since lack of family is often the reason for a child to be placed in a home, there are often children whose status is unknown. Accordingly, it is very hard to know exactly how many children have AIDS or are HIV+ in any given home. It is reasonable, however, to assume that given the seriousness of South Africa's AIDS epidemic, that every home will have children who are HIV+ or who have AIDS.

I've heard that orphanages are bad for children. Why does Tremendous Hearts want to support them?

Tremendous Hearts agrees with global experts on residential care that the best option for orphaned and vulnerable children is to place them in kinship care if possible. Community-based care would be the next preferred option. However, the harsh reality is that in countries where poverty is extreme, and where the number of orphans and vulnerable children is high, there remains an enormous need for children's homes and other residential care facilities. Countries like South Africa do not currently have the capacity to provide ideal care situations to most of those requiring it. The numbers are just too large.

In this reality, the key is to ensure that residential care facilities are the very best they can be and, when feasible, to be able to focus on outplacement, while simultaneously providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their care. “Outplacement” includes all of the activities involved in determining if there is a safe and appropriate kinship or community-based care option available for a particular child, or seeking a suitable fostering or adoptive situation if the former are not possible.

It is Tremendous Hearts' observation that many residential care facilities lack the organizational maturity and critical resources to do more than keep their children fed and clothed. The children pay the price for these deficits by languishing in residential care facilities longer than is necessary. Tremendous Hearts wants to provide the missing professional skills and resources to these organizations free-of-charge to help them mature and be able to focus on reuniting children with extended family, and locating foster or adoptive situations whenever possible, thus minimizing the length of children's stay in residential care.

Why should we support Tremendous Hearts and not the children directly?

We encourage those who can to do both. There is no disputing that all of the residential care facilities and other OVC-supporting organizations need financial support of all kinds. When donors give directly to the children, such gifts often meet immediate needs (clothing, beds, toothbrushes, medicine, etc). While these are critical to the care of the children, there is also an enormous requirement for more sustainable gifts, specifically, a transfer of skills and knowledge that can occur with long-term volunteers. These organizations need support for capacity-building so that the care and services they provide truly meet all of the children's needs. By supporting Tremendous Hearts, you will assist OVC-serving organizations access volunteer labor and expertise that will help them mature organizationally without having to increase their fundraising burden.

Why South Africa?  Isn't it a wealthy country?

South Africa is place of many contrasts and complexities.  It is one of the most industrialized countries on the African continent but it is also one of the most unequal societies in the world with a huge portion of the country's wealth held by a small minority.  68% of South African children live in poverty.  Further, 76% of African children live in poverty, while only 2.8% of white children do.  

In addition, at nearly 6 million, South Africa has the most AIDS infections of any country in the world and the government's response to the epidemic has been very slow and ineffectual.  HIV/AIDs has cut a swath through South Africa taking out a large section of its most productive “middle generation” leaving millions of orphans and vulnerable children and their grandparents to cope alone.  Nearly 1,000 people die of AIDS everyday in South Africa.  By 2015, experts expect that one in three South Africa children will be orphaned.

Tremendous Hearts chose South Africa because of these special circumstances and because South Africa is often ignored due to the misperceptions about its wealth and ability to cope with the HIV/AIDS crisis.  We also chose South Africa because of the resilience of the South African people and their capacity for hope even in the face of such big challenges.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Tremendous Hearts, Inc. is a Massachusetts Non-profit Corporation and a tax-exempt organization under Chapter 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.   Please consult your tax professional for advice.

Who are the children in the photographs on your website?

Tremendous Hearts respects deeply the rights of the orphans and vulnerable children we have met on our visits to South Africa. To identify a child as vulnerable or orphaned or HIV+ would violate their right to privacy and potentially expose them to abuse. While we have been allowed to film and to take photographs on our site visits, that permission does extend to posting those images in a public domain like a website. The photos on our site are model-released stock photos of children from Southern Africa or ones we've taken in which individual children cannot be identified. We are able to share photos taken at our service sites and a short film made in 2007 in more restricted settings such as our presentations to interested groups. Please contact us if you would like us to present to your group.

Is Tremendous Hearts a religious organization?

Tremendous Hearts welcomes volunteers and provides its services to people of all faith traditions.  Tremendous Hearts' founding and work is the expression of Marilyn Votaw's Christian faith and her call to the mission field. A number of churches in the U.S. support Tremendous Hearts and our volunteers.  In addition, faith-based non-profit organizations play an important and substantive role in the social and cultural development of South Africa as they do in most developing countries.  Accordingly, many of our South African service partners are faith-based organizations.  

What skills are required most In South Africa?

While the formal system of Apartheid ended in 1994, there is still a residual economic and educational “apartheid” amongst the poor, who in South Africa are typically of black or coloured racial groups.  This is largely a result of the inferior or interrupted education people of color received during Apartheid.  Many children's homes and other OVC-supporting organizations were founded by courageous South Africans who have a heart for OVC's in their community but may not have had much formal education or business experience.  One day they take in 2 or 3 children who were living on the street and shortly they are running a home of 50-100 children in some cases, while also managing staff and a facility.  

While the skills needed vary greatly by organization, there are a few skill sets that are always in short supply.  They include physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological or pastoral counseling, accounting, fundraising, organizational development specialists, nurses, public health workers, clinical social workers, physicians, early childhood educators, teachers and those with skills in the building trades (carpenter, plumber etc.). 

How do I apply to volunteer in South Africa?

Please refer to the FAQs and documents on the Our Volunteers page.

How do I apply to volunteer in the U.S.?

Tremendous Hearts is always in need of volunteers, primarily in the Boston, MA area, willing to assist with events and administrative projects.  If you'd like to volunteer, please e-mail your resume to info@tremendoushearts.org.

How can my church or temple get involved?

There are many ways in which worhsiping communities can participate in Tremendous Hearts.  Please contact us at info@tremendoushearts.org for more information.