Pearl S. Buck International Partners with Child Houses to Help Orphans in Syria

Pearl S. Buck International has partnered with the non-profit organization Child Houses to help provide diapers and formula to orphaned children in Syria.

Pearl S. Buck International, located in Hilltown, Bucks County, was founded over 60 years ago by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, humanitarian, and advocate Pearl S. Buck. Today, the organization continues Ms. Buck’s legacy through educational tours of her former home, the Pearl S. Buck House National Historic Landmark Museum; through providing cross-cultural programming locally; and through international humanitarian aid to children, families, and communities across Asia and in Africa. The close alignment of Pearl S. Buck International’s international humanitarian aid work and mission with that of Child Houses led to the formation of this life-changing partnership.

Founded in 2019, Child Houses is a community-based organization that supports children who have been orphaned or separated from their families by war in places like Syria. Its mission is to ensure that these children don’t grow up alone or confined to institutions, but within loving families where they can heal and thrive. Since its founding, Child Houses has reunited thousands of children with their families, placed over 100 newborns into foster homes, and is helping lead the national shift in Syria from raising children in orphanages to raising them in families.

Across Syria, years of war have left families in deep poverty and distress. Many parents—struggling with trauma, displacement, and the inability to meet their children’s basic needs—face the unimaginable decision to give them up. As a result, the number of abandoned and unaccompanied children continues to rise, especially among newborns.

To meet this urgent need, Child Houses operates a transitional shelter for infants and young children who have been abandoned, are unaccompanied, or have been separated from their families. At the shelter, children receive immediate care, including proper nutrition, medical support, and a nurturing environment, while social workers work to reunite them with extended family or find a loving foster home.

Each month, the shelter hosts 10 to 15 children, most of them babies. Some arrive just hours after birth, in fragile, life-threatening condition. They typically remain in the shelter for at least three months—until they are healthy, stable, and ready for long-term family care. During this critical period, baby formula, diapers, and medical essentials are crucial to ensuring their survival and wellbeing.

Donor support provides many of these same essential items to children in need served by Pearl S. Buck International. This new partnership with Child Houses will allow Pearl S. Buck International’s donor base to expand their generous support to this vulnerable population in another part of the world. For as little as $30, the children served by Child Houses can receive the essential supplies they need and be cared for with dignity and compassion.

“Partnering with Pearl S. Buck International means so much to us. Their heart for children, their belief in the power of family, and their commitment to global connection deeply reflect what we stand for at Child Houses,” said Audrey Bingaman, Child Houses’ Fundraising Manager.  “In a world where so many children are born into crisis, it’s a gift to stand beside a partner who shares our hope— that every child, no matter where they’re born, deserves to be safe, loved, and part of a family.”

“When Pearl Buck founded our organization over 60 years ago, she spoke about children being ‘living war casualties’ during conflicts,” explained Stephanie Saveriano, Pearl S. Buck International’s Director of International Programs. “This sentiment is especially true for the orphaned babies in Syria. We at Pearl S. Buck International are extremely happy to be able to help these babies receive these basic necessities through this partnership with Child Houses.”

“The more children in the world we are able to help, the prouder we feel Pearl herself would be,” added Cheryl Castro, Pearl S. Buck International President and CEO. “I am pleased with the dedication of our international programs director in building partnerships such as this one to expand our humanitarian support to more countries and more people in need.”

To make a donation to support the children served by Child Houses, please visit https://pearlsbuck.org/bbwp_gifts/diapers-and-formula-for-orphans-30/

For more information on Pearl S. Buck International, go to https://pearlsbuck.org/.

For more information on Child Houses, go to https://www.childhouses.org/.

~

Pearl S. Buck International^® provides opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures, builds better lives for children around the globe and promotes the legacy of our founder by preserving and interpreting her National Historic Landmark Home.

– END –