An orphanage is an institution that is responsible for providing shelter to orphans : that is, children who have suffered the loss of their parents. The term has its etymological root in orphănus , a late Latin word.
Also called orphanage or orphanage , the orphanage usually houses minors whose parents died. The establishment, however, can also protect children who were abandoned by their parents or those who were separated from them by a court decision .
Currently, beyond the differences and particularities of each case, it is usually preferred that orphans be adopted by new families and spend as little time as possible in an orphanage. Another resource is for them to be raised in foster homes before final adoption.
Despite this trend, orphanages continue to have great importance. They can be maintained by the State or have private financing, especially when they are managed by religious congregations .
“The Orphanage” , on the other hand, is the title of a Spanish film that was released in 2007 . Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and with Belén Rueda as the protagonist, its story begins with a woman's intention to reopen the orphanage in which she grew up, now converted into a specialized center for minors suffering from disabilities.
The image of the orphanage appears in a large number of stories, particularly within the horror and drama genres, since the mere idea of not having a family generates negative feelings and to this is added the fear that the staff in charge of the children want to hurt them .
As unfortunate as it may seem, the horrors we see in many films set in orphanages sometimes fall short of what hundreds of children have experienced in the real world, in the centuries that these types of institutions have existed: there are numerous stories. real cases of psychological and sexual abuse by nuns, priests, nurses, who try by all means to silence the children so that they cannot ask for help .
Although abuse in orphanages is an intrinsic part of the history of these institutions, many of the victims' stories emerge today, thanks to investigations that begin with the aim of putting an end to so much injustice and guaranteeing once and for all. for all the safety of children. One way to help the children that all people who want to be parents have is to adopt them.
The first orphanage in history is located in Valencia and was founded in the 15th century . The house that they used to welcome orphans since 1410, until then functioned as a place of lodging for the hermits when they needed to rest or be cured of an illness. It was Saint Vincent Ferrer who gave it this new use, moved by the needs of so many children without family or home who wandered through the city.
It is said that at that time there were many orphans who wandered the streets aimlessly, since there was no organization that specifically took care of them; instead, they depended on the individual and spontaneous charity of the people. The name given to this historic building was Orfandad College . Towards the end of the 15th century, given that the number of orphans had increased considerably, they decided to add two locations.
Orfanato Music Group , finally, is a Puerto Rican record label created by Don Omar in 2007 . In addition to this artist , its roster includes figures such as Natti Natasha and Kendo Kaponi .