Our story
Endeavor Children's Services was founded on a simple belief.
More belowEvery child is born with the right to be loved, wanted, and nurtured.
For more than a decade, ECS has supported orphaned, disabled and impoverished children facing challenges that extend beyond poverty alone. Food, health care, and education remain essential — but confidence, self-worth, and hope matter just as much in building a future.
The development of the I Am Who? program was the turning point. Designed to strengthen emotional and psychological well-being, it helps children build resilience, discover their value, and believe in their potential.
I Am Who? has enriched the lives of over 8,000 children in China, Korea, Thailand, Mexico and Malawi. Today, ECS continues this work with teachers, schools, and communities in Malawi.
Our path
Where we've been
The work that became ECS began long before the organization itself. Over more than thirty years, founder Janice Neilson developed programs serving vulnerable children in multiple countries, including the United States, China, Russia, Romania, India, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, and Ecuador. During her work in China, Janice saw tremendous potential in the children she encountered and wanted to connect with them more deeply, giving them tools to heal and grow stronger. From that desire came I Am Who?, a book designed to help teachers and counselors reach and support far more children than she could on her own. The program was later recognized by UNICEF as a Best Practice and has since been used in multiple countries.
Where we are
Today, ECS is focused in Malawi, reaching some of the country’s most vulnerable children. With I Am Who? at the heart of its work, ECS provides education, food, and health support for children, working alongside the teachers who know them personally. To date, ECS has worked in 28 schools and currently partners with ten designated schools, reaching more than 3,000 children. The organization is entirely volunteer-led.
Where we're headed
ECS is committed to reaching more children each year, expanding its work to additional countries, developing new child-focused programs, and deepening partnerships with the schools and communities already serving children. As ECS grows, its focus remains on helping children discover their value, build resilience, and reach their full potential—because every child has the right to be loved, wanted, and nurtured.