Out of AfriKids - October 2011

October 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

VOTE FOR NICK World of Difference Campaign

After winning the Vodafone World of Difference in 2009, Nick Eastcott spent a year working on the award winning G.A.S. Partnership.

Nick has now made it to the final three for the Grahame Maher award; another year’s work with £100,000 donated to AfriKids!

During the World of Difference year, Nick split his time between AfriKids UK and AfriKids Ghana and was instrumental in bringing about the partnership between the Ghana Health Service, AfriKids, and

Southampton University Hospital Trust (SUHT). Nick thoroughly enjoyed his time with AfriKids and is still heavily involved, continuing to utilise his valuable skills gained from a career in the NHS to support the G.A.S. Partnership.

Now that he has been shortlisted, Nick wants to take the G.A.S. Partnership to another level, and winning this award would be invaluable to AfriKids as a whole.

The winner is now decided by a Facebook vote, so if you have a Facebook profile, please get voting.

Vote for Nick!

Nick’s enthusiasm and dedication to the G.A.S. Partnership is evident

in its success. Not only have over thirty volunteers from SUHT visited Ghana to share their expertise, and numerous pieces of necessary equipment been donated, the partnership is also now being formally recognised as an innovative and prosperous project.

On Wednesday 28th September, the G.A.S. Partnership won the Third Sector Excellence Award for Public Sector Partnership! This award exemplifies the triumphs of the G.A.S. Partnership, and proves how valuable another year with support from Vodafone’s World of Difference could be in drastically improving healthcare in northern Ghana.

You can read more about the G.A.S. Partnership here.

WINNERS of the Third Sector Excellence Award for Public Sector Partnership, specifically for our G.A.S. Partnership. The partnership was pioneered by Nick Eastcott during his Vodafone World of Difference programme in 2009 - 2010.

PROJECT FOCUS

The Patient Satisfaction Survey: Results are in!

Winning a Third Sector Excellence Award demonstrates the achievements made by the G.A.S. Partnership.

But what is also important to AfriKids is how the patients feel their overall experience at the Medical Centre has been.

AfriKids Ghana’s quarterly patient satisfaction survey was conducted with a random sample of 80 patients and included questionnaires and interviews. From the survey, suggestions for improvement in certain areas have been made to utilise the results in order to maximise the service the AfriKids Medical Centre (AfMC) provides.

Results demonstrated positive feedback on the way patients felt

they were treated. In terms of staff behaviour, the vast majority of patients reported acceptable or higher behaviour from staff members. For example, 100% of respondents were satisfied with the treatment they received on the wards, including the maternity wards, and 97% of patients claimed to be satisfied with treatment in the laboratory.

Suggestions for improvement are focused mainly on reducing waiting times, which lead to higher overall satisfaction. The Vodafone Grahame Maher Award, worth ÂŁ100,000, would certainly help to advance this area, but suggestions had already been made for improving waiting times. These suggestions include; computerising patient documents to speed up administration, informing patients of reasons for any delays, and publicising the 24 hour service.

An emergency unit is also under discussion and an ambulance rally is set for next year to deliver a vital emergency vehicle to the AfMC.

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

2

1

4

3

5

01: Vodafone is a well known brand out in Ghana 02: Nick Eastcott features in a ‘Vodafone World of Difference’ video, that was played at our Sunshine Ball this summer 03: Nick gets stuck in with some local farmers 04: Nick is very popular with all the children from Mama Laadi’s Foster Home 05: Nick with AfriKids’ Joanna Stewart and Carly Adams collecting the Third Sector Award for Public Sector Partnership for the achievements of the G.A.S. Partnership 06: Nick Eastcott outside the AfriKids Medical Centre with Bismark, the manager of the laboratory

6

AFRIKIDS ONLINE WE NEED YOUR VOTES! The only way Nick Eastcott can win the Vodafone World of Difference Graheme Maher Award is by getting the most votes on Facebook.

There are clear instructions on our facebook page on how to vote, and voting lasts for just two weeks, so please don’t delay! After you’ve voted it would really help if you could spread the word and ask your own network of friends to vote as well, as we really need as many votes as possible!

Here’s what Vodafone had to say about Nick: Nick Eastcott achieved a huge amount for AfriKids during his placement there on the 2009/10 programme. Using the expertise garnered during a career at the NHS, Nick developed a partnership between the charity, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust and Ghana Health Services ...

“I’m absolutely delighted,” Nick said of being shortlisted for the prize. “It’s an amazing opportunity to really take the work I did during the World of Difference to a new level.”

AfriKids

David and Dan from AfriKids Ghana have put together a baseline survey for 250 schools in the UER of Ghana. The best way to find out straight from the parents and pupils what still needs to be done!

Herman Fung likes this AfriKids

All change at AfriKids! Our International Director is back from maternity leave, and another of our Directors is starting his sabbatical to complete an MBA at Oxford!

3 people like this AfriKids

We won a Third Sector award for Public Sector Partnership - a fantastic result and well deserved recognition for the G.A.S. Partnership!

8 people like this

www.facebook.com/afrikids

PeterjHolland @AfriKids Congratulations on your Award! That photo is BRILLIANT! Well done guys that’s incredible! x 29 Sep

AfriKids thanks @tobiaswebb76 for listing us as an innovative NGO for businesses to work with. Check out his blog http://goo.gl/DCnBB 22 Sep

Alice Lomax @CalvinHarris can’t wait to see you at Run to the Beat, but quite scared about the running bit for @ AfriKids please RT! justgiving.com/ AliceandAdele-…

18 Sep

Let’s tweet @AfriKids

The Experience Challenge

As you read this, AfriKids UK Assistant to the International Director, Katie Arnold, is taking on the Experience Challenge.

This involves living and working alongside an indigenous family in rural northern Ghana, experiencing what life is truly like for those living a hand-to-mouth existence. Katie’s fundraising target is an ambitious £1,000, and she would appreciate any help she can get in reaching it!

You can sponsor Katie on her justgiving web page by clicking here.

FUNDRAISE FOR AFRIKIDS

Thank you in advance for your support!

Have you done your Christmas shopping?

You will be receiving our Christmas Catalogue very shortly and we’ve got all sorts of goodies for you and your friends this year! From chocolate truffles to luxurious hampers; everything you need will be available to you through one easy order to AfriKids Ethical Trade! Not only will you make your friends and family smile with their gifts, you’ll be contributing to projects in Ghana, aiming to make children out there smile!

Thank you to our ‘Run to the Beat’ runners!

On 25th September, nine fit and raring to go runners ran the 13.1 miles of ‘Run to the Beat’ in support of AfriKids. All together they raised over £3,400 and that figure is still increasing!

It was a fabulous event with bands and DJs there making music to keep our runners going.

Our thanks, appreciation and admiration go out to all our runners; Alice Lomax, Adele Lomax, Alice Parker, Jennifer Meechan, Tracey Hood, Natasha Ramsay, Charles More and Rob Dickinson. THANK YOU!

www.afrikids.org