About Us
Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) was founded by Jim Luce in 1999 as a response to the global crisis facing orphaned children. Inspired by his own adopted son Mathew and encouraged by his child psychologist mother, Jim first established a network of locally incorporated homes to house and educate orphaned children though traditional ‘full-care.’ The primary aim was Raising Global Citizens.
Mission
The mission of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) is to help orphaned or abandoned children grow into solid citizens of the world through a sound structure that is simultaneously Interfaith, because there are many paths up the mountain; Interracial, because there is but one race – the human race; International, because our neighbors are our family; Intergenerational, because there is much to learn from our elders; and Internet-Connected, because the world today is at our fingertips.
Family Care Model
UNICEF estimates that the number of orphaned children worldwide is about 163 million, largely due to the AIDS pandemic, natural disasters, low world health standards, immense poverty, and food shortages. In Haiti, where the majority of residents live in extreme poverty, there are approximately 300,000 orphaned children. In a nation particularly vulnerable to conflict, that number is growing every day.
Movement
When Jim Luce founded Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) in 1999, he had no idea it would grow into an international movement. A Google search today reveals tens of thousands of mentions of “Orphans International” on the Internet. In 1999 there was none. Like Alcoholics Anonymous, the idea caught fire. Today, there are over 100 “Orphans International” organizations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas – but only one Orphans International Worldwide.
Leadership
Honorary Advisors The Global Advisors to Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) have included luminaries such as H.E. Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco, former U.S. Congressman the Hon. Benjamin A. Gilman, and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary.
Board of Directors The Corporate Board of Directors is comprised of Jim Luce, President, John Lee, Vice President, and Adi Ashutosh Habbu, J.D., M.B.A., Secretary-Treasurer.
