November 2011 AfriKids is a Child Rights Organisation working to improve life for Ghana’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in a holistic, inclusive and sustainable manner
READ ALL ABOUT IT... IN THE TELEGRAPH! AfriKids are absolutely delighted to have been selected as one of the three benefitting charities from the Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal this year. Alongside ‘Riding for Disabled’ and ‘Skillshare’, AfriKids will feature twelve articles across the Telegraph’s media leading up to christmas, with the important information on how to donate. We are extremely proud to have been chosen after a rigorous application process, and are very excited for the appeal to begin. Lissa Wallington, who submitted our application says: “When we heard the news about
The Telegraph, I was out in Ghana visiting our projects. I got a call from Sally, one of our Directors, whilst I was playing with the kids at Mama Laadi’s Foster Home. It was the best phone call I’ve ever had! It’s an amazing opportunity for AfriKids, we’ll have the ability to showcase the amazing work AfriKids Ghana do to a readership of 1.6 million people - I can’t wait to get stuck in!”
A journalist and photographer are flying to Ghana next week to visit the projects they will be writing about. We are sure the articles will be full of emotion after meeting our lovely beneficiaries! Readers will be able to donate in various ways, including a one day phone-in. The reception charities have received in previous years has
been phenomenal, which makes us even more pleased to have been selected this year, and the publicity AfriKids will receive is priceless. The appeal launches on 17th November, so keep your eyes peeled for articles on AfriKids!
“This partnership will be transformational for our organisation.” Lissa Wallington Communications and Events Manager, AfriKids UK
PROJECT FOCUS
National Health Insurance Scheme This month, we explore how NHIS benefits so many families, across all of our projects. The AfriKids Medical Centre is key to helping both our beneficiaries and AfriKids’ sustainability goals. It is also home to the award winning partnership between the Ghana Health Service, AfriKids and Southampton University Hospitals Trust. In a broader sense of medical care, AfriKids also helps many families by providing them with National Health Insurance, costing just £8 per year for a whole family. This can roughly work out to around £1 per person; a very worthwhile investment! Being covered means the family’s healthcare is free for a year; similar to the UK’s NHS. Without NHIS, families can find it incredibly hard to be truly sustainable. When life is on a knife edge, it is impossible to secure a future with the constant threat of
medical bills, should a member of the family fall ill. If this were to happen, a family would be thrown into the depths of poverty. By providing NHIS support along with microfinance support, families can be healthy and go on to generate the income needed to cover their own NHIS costs in future years. AfriKids strive to provide NHIS for every family we help, as it is often the first step to securing an improved life.
Look out for our upcoming text appeal, in which you can support a family with NHIS by text donations of between £1 and £10
AfriKids Academy AfriKids Eco Village AfriKids Ethical Trade AfriKids Medical Centre Bolga Area Programme Educational fund Kassena Nankana Area Programme Medical fund Operation Bolga Operation Mango Tree Operation SINGh Operation Smiles Operation Zuarungu Street Mothers Association Talensi Nabdam Area Programme Young Entrepreneurs All of the above!
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01: A very young patient! 02: A whole school class of kids eligible for NHIS 03: Little Mercy at Mama Laadi’s receives NHIS through AfriKids 04: A child being treated in the AfriKids Medical Centre 05: More healthy kids showing their big smiles!
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06: A mother with her child in AfriKids’ newly painted children’s ward
AFRIKIDS ONLINE A blog of celebration! A Ghanaian blog site have posted a blog about the AfriKids awards night, celebrating our well deserved winners and giving special mention to the Upper East Regional Minister. AfriKids Ghana at this year’s annual awards night at Bolgatanga has conferred a joint honorary award to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo and the Regional Coordinating Council for their invaluable support and contribution to the fight against child trafficking and other related issues affecting vulnerable children. Mr. Woyongo was personally award for playing an influential role in the repatriation of stranded young people from the region affected by the recent demolition exercise at the Race Course in Kumasi. These affected young men and women who are below the ages of 8 and 15 were evacuated in batches from Kumasi and brought back to the region to resettle with their families. This year’s awards ceremony which is the 7th in the series to be held in the region also acknowledged other deserving staff and project partners of AfriKids for their enormous sacrifices and dedication to duty. Read the full blog here: http://ikesnewsroom.blogspot.com
AfriKids
We did it! More to the point... YOU did it! Thrilled to say that Nick is through to the next round and one step closer to that £100,000! We have never been more reliant on the support of old friends and new and could simply not have done this without the word of mouth support and votes generated by all of you. Thank you so much! Watch this space for updates!
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Katie Arnold (from AfriKids) and a selection of brave individuals are gearing up for the ‘Experience Challenge’ next week... sponsor Katie if you can :)
6 people like this Katie Arnold Ahhhhhfour days and counting!! Gulp!
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AfriKids Nick’s in the final 3 to win £100k 4 @ AfriKids in the Grahame Maher Award! Could not have done this w/out your votes! 25 Oct
jamieoliver Gd nutrition’s vital 4 pregnant women & their babies VOTE FOR NICK to boost his work at @AfriKids Med Centre, Ghana 20 Oct
noelfielding11 Please people, I need u 2 do me a favour, click this link & vote for Nick! He invented the jockey outfit http:// bit.ly/q7k0E9 18 Oct
jimmycarr VOTE NICK http://on.fb.me/ ohj3xx - that’s right charity just got competitive. 13 Oct
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As I’m sure you noticed from the last newsletter, Nick Eastcott and AfriKids were in the final three to win £100,000 from Vodafone. Thanks to all who voted online for Nick. He won a place in the worldwide final in Qatar and came back with a very respectable runner up donation of £10,000. We couldn’t have done it without you, thank you.
Huge thanks go to AfriKids supporters Simon Gurney, Andy Gurney, Rob Gurney and Raymond Turp, who all took on a cycling challenge during the October heat wave! Their journey started in London and ended in Great Yarmouth and together they have raised over £2,000 for AfriKids! Simon describes their journey... We completed the 200 miles just within 24 hours and went on to clock up 217.5 in total before reaching Great Yarmouth on a blisteringly hot October afternoon....we didn’t see that coming! In the end we were only 16.5 hrs in the saddle at an average speed of 13.5mph. We did however manage without sleep for 36 hours (Proplus tm.) and a massive lack of pub stops, despite Rob’s protestations, but it was all worth it to see the sunrise and the mists as we approached Norwich after cycling for over 9 hours in the dark. Some felt better than others by the time we reached the front at Yarmouth although possibly the extra 20 miles and extra 15C of heat was a factor in that. THANK YOU Simon, Andy, Rob and Ray!
FUNDRAISE FOR AFRIKIDS
DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE AfriKids Christmas Pub Quiz! We want as many of you there as possible competing for the shield. Wednesday 7th December 7pm- drinks, 8pm quiz starts Auberge Restaurant 56 Mark Lane EC3R 7NL Max 8 people per team £12 per person - to include food (Hot,delicious appetisers!) Contact: joannastewart@afrikids.org
AfriKids would like to thank Jenny Sirr and everyone at the Ladies Group for spreading the word about AfriKids at their annual event with support from Kevin Rodgers the President of the Lions International Group. Kevin Rodgers kindly gave a talk about AfriKids in addition to the work of the Lions International. They raised £195 from a collection, of which AfriKids received £100. Thank you for your support! Pictured right: Mr Kevin Rodgers, President of Lions International Group, Mrs June Guy, Chairlady of Our Lady of Good Counsel & St Peter and Mrs Sylvia Keene, Lady Mayoress of March Town.
www.afrikids.org