The Amachi program of Big Brothers Big Sisters serve children of incarcerated parents with a mentor. These children most at risk are in some cases invisible to much of the adult and social service population. It is affiliated with the Amachi Institute.
The reality for this special group is
that 70% of children with an incarcerated parent
are more likely to go to prison than to graduate from high school.
People of Faith mentoring Children of Promise
Taken from the Nigerian Ibo term meaning, “who knows what God has brought us through this child…”, Amachi is a program where volunteer role models mentor children of incarcerated parents. A new program for Tennessee in 2004, Amachi is made possible by a Health and Human Services grant obtained by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Big Brothers Big Sisters screens and matches volunteers from partnering faith-based or other organizations with children of incarcerated parents who have been identified and enrolled by their custodial parent or guardian. A staggering statistic is that without intervention, children of prisoners are 70% more likely to one day find themselves incarcerated. Many middle Tennessee area church congregations have joined together to form an Amachi partnership and provide volunteer support and information for their members. For more information on getting your congregation or other group involved, please contact Big Brothers Big Sisters by clicking here.
As an Amachi Big Brother or Big Sister,
your friendship can change the odds for a child...
and bring special moments and memories into your own life.
amachi kids' club
Kids Club is an expressive arts program that will provide art, drama, dance, film, writing, music, crafts, and other expressive activities for children in the Amachi program. The children will be encouraged to help shape what they want the club to be.
These activities and others will offer the children guidance and allow them to interact with each other in a productive and positive environment. Most importantly, it is their club! A place where the children belong, feel welcome, supported, and every input is heard.
Past activities have included kite making, Valentine’s Bingo, and making gingerbread houses. The children’s Bigs are welcome to come and watch the children’s performances and special events, as well as participating and getting involved!
We hope to help children increase their self-confidence, self-esteem, ability to express feelings, trust levels, sense of the future, and communication skills through this program. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at Pruitt Library Auditorium in the Napier community of Downtown Nashville.
How can volunteers become involved?
If you have an idea for a special project for the Kid’s Club activity,
please contact Big Brothers Big Sister staff members Sara Glascock at (615) 329-9191 ext. 226
or Chiquita Fields at ext.202.
Location: Pruitt Library Auditorium
117 Charles E Davis Blvd, Nashville, TN 37210-2745
Upcoming Project, Fall ’07: Photovoice
This Fall some of the older members of the Kid’s Club will be invited to participate in a special project in conjunction with Vanderbilt University and professional photographers from the Nashville area. Photovoice is an intervention that aims to assist marginalized groups uncover, document, and articulate their lives, experiences, and how they are impacted by existing social, economic, political, and cultural phenomena. Participants have the opportunity to gain skills in expression through photography, dialogue, and writing.
The participants will be provided with skills in photography, go and take photos, and then come back together and discuss their work. As this process is followed, the group forms a key question or topic that their photography and interpretation focuses on. As they begin to articulate the topic or question through images and interpretation, additional “actions” are derived to effect social change, such as meeting with city council to change a policy that affects their lives or educating the broader community. Ultimately, the process and the outcomes of Photovoice projects aim to empower the participants and advance social justice.
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