Orphans from North Korea
When North Korean refugee women cross the border into China and get sold, that isn’t the end of their story. There are consequences of the mass sale of North Korean women. The UNHCR estimates that there are between 20,000 to 30,000 children who are born into these forced marriages, according to their report (UN Doc A/HRC/25/63 at para 44).
Crossing Borders supported children whose North Korean mothers have been sent back to North Korea or have abandoned them. We previously had the following programs to support North Korean orphans: holistic support or family support.
Through holistic support, we operated homes, which cared for all facets of our children’s lives including food, housing, medical care, and education.
Through family support, we worked with families of these children who were able to take care of them but needed help with expenses such as school and medical costs.
The goal of Orphan Care was to provide a means for these children to become self-sufficient adults. Crossing Borders helped them accomplish this through scholarships, job training and partnering with local businesses.
We also sent teams to the region to support these children through counseling, career seminars and relationship building.
Crossing Borders was able to witness the Orphan Care program bear fruit. In 2017 we saw the first child in this program graduate trade school and become a fully self-sufficient adult.
But we didn’t see this program as a means of providing vocational training or education. It’s much more. Our goal was to help these orphaned North Korean children deal with the pain in their hearts, to show them the hope of Jesus and to teach them to be people of character and to be an asset to their local churches and communities.
HELP North Korean ORPHANS
As of 2022, most of the children that had received our care in China have grown up and are now adult age. This program will be retired in the near future and remaining funds migrated to our general fund, which goes towards the most pressing needs in both China and South Korea.
By making a general donation, your generous gift will provide help for the most vulnerable, including refugees, families, children and orphaned children as they enter our network. A monthly contribution can pay for food, shelter, education, transportation and medical needs of North Koreans under our care in China and South Korea.
