Research Extends Idweli’s Promise

The singular vision of a tiny Tanzanian village became reality. Instinct might tell us that Idweli’s model for taking care of orphaned and vulnerable children could, and should, be replicated across the African continent. But at the Lundy Foundation, we don’t rely solely on instinct.

With generous support from the Rockefeller Foundation and several corporate and individual donors, we completed a comprehensive 18-month, scientifically based evaluation, assessing the center’s impact on the Idweli community. Our overarching goal was to develop an effective research model for evaluating the well-being of orphaned and vulnerable children impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

We believe our research provides data that can support others seeking to enhance the well-being of Africa’s children.

Our pilot evaluation project focused on assessing the center’s impact on the psychosocial, physical and socioeconomic well-being of its residents compared to the other children — both orphaned and parented — living in the village.

Former President Bill Clinton endorsed the Lundy Foundation’s research in a letter:

“Too often in the fight against this pandemic, well-meaning organizations have invested in individual projects without any way to gauge their success,” he wrote. “The Lundy Foundation’s research will give those groups empirical evidence of what services work best for children and how they can be administered most efficiently.”

See a video of Former President Bill Clinton’s endorsement of the Lundy Foundation’s research.