Over many years of working with children in the most troubled situations on earth, we have become acutely aware that for many, the reality is that most live in a virtual prison of disadvantage made up of many separate building blocks - poor health provision, malnutrition, poverty, lack of education, disease, trauma, violence and stigma. The best strategies to date have failed them so Project HOPE UK has accepted the challenge to turn those prison walls into a path to a healthy future for tens of thousands of children - THE THOUGHTFUL PATH: MUNSIEVILLE.

Launched in June 2010, The Thoughtful Path: Munsieville is a radical new ten-year initiative to mobilise an entire community in transforming the way all children are supported, especially orphans and vulnerable children.

Ditching the traditional “charity” approach, where vital services are provided for the community, within The Thoughtful Path all services are provided by the community, with Project HOPE UK bringing together an international network of support so that the service providers are mentored and trained to the highest standards.

Multi-level services are clustered around seven core, locally-managed “Hubs”, coordinated by a local Management Board and scrutinised by an “Upper House” of children who will be closely involved in every aspect of service planning and delivery.

“Hubs” cover Early Childhood Development, After School Care, Teen Development, Youth Sports, Child Rights and Protection, Community Strengthening and Community-based Organisation Development - each charged with specific responsibilities towards giving children a seamless support structure, from birth to early adulthood.

And as the Hubs become established, The Thoughtful Path: Munsieville centre will be built by the community to give all children a dedicated place to turn to in good times and bad, 24 hours a day, 365 days in the year.

Project HOPE UK Executive Director Paul Brooks, who has led the development of this concept said, "This programme is a far cry from traditional charity; it is more to do with social entrepreneurship. It is all about this brilliant community taking responsibility, releasing its wisdom and energy and creating a truly sustainable community for the sake of its most vulnerable citizens. All charities have a heart, but we believe that we needs to use our brains too, to break the destructive cycle of African poverty and disease".

To find out how you can partner with us in this long-term community programme, go to our Thoughtful Path Web site.