DEAR DIARYLiam Nolan talks us through his Ghana tripIn April, Sally Eastcott and Liam Nolan from AfriKids (UK) went to Bolgatanga to visit AfriKids Ghana and to catch up on the latest news. Here Liam talks about his trip.

“I’ve been with AfriKids in the fundraising team since 2008 and this year marked my third annual visit to Ghana and to AfriKids’ projects. Each visit brings new updates and personal insights into what really is going on at the business end of the organisation. For me, life in our West Hampstead office can often seem a world away from the work of our fieldworkers in Zuarungu or the nurses on the wards at the AfriKids Medical Centre so it’s great to get out there.

April 2010

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

This year’s trip saw me spend a lot of time at the AfriKids Medical Centre; a place that has grown in so many ways since my first visit in 2009. I was thrilled to watch staff use donated X-ray equipment and then be shown around the building site that is soon to be our new X-ray department. The difference that training through our G.A.S. Partnership (see last month’s Out of AfriKids!) is making to the care of the 3,900+ patients is also very clear when talking to nurses.

One of the highlights of the trip was finally getting to visit Sister Jane and see Operation Smiles in Nauuabi, which was a journey of over six hours on bumpy roads. Being so remote, visitors from the UK rarely get to visit. On this occasion Sally and I saw her at her most natural; looking after two-

week old twins that had days earlier been at high risk in Sirigu. The ease with which she went from saving the twins’ lives to showing us around her farm with pride was an inspiration.”

“The sustainability of our partners’ work is one of our major challenges but Operation Smiles is an example of one project where we could stop funding tomorrow and I guarantee Sister Jane would keep doing what she is doing.”Nich KumahDirector, AfriKids Ghana

Sister JaneOperation Smiles

PROJECT FOCUSLiam’s trip continued...Liam spent a great deal of time catching up with beneficiaries and seeing the impact his fundraising has had. After Operation Smiles, Liam made a special trip to an Operation Zuarungu beneficiary, whom he met in 2010.“Last year when I made my trip to Ghana I met the family of a young girl named Shalotte who was a beneficiary of Operation Zuarungu. AfriKids were working with her whole family; she lives in Zuarungu, where she goes to the Zuarungu Children’s Centre School and her mother is a microfinance beneficiary who has been able to start a small business. Shalotte’s uncle, who also lives with the family, is a tailor who trains apprentices under formal vocational traineeships supported by AfriKids.

When we first started working with them, we registered the whole

AfriKids AcademyAfriKids Eco VillageAfriKids Ethical TradeAfriKids Medical CentreBolga Area ProgrammeEducational fundKassena Nankana Area ProgrammeMedical fundOperation BolgaOperation Mango TreeOperation SINGhOperation SmilesOperation ZuarunguStreet Mothers AssociationTalensi Nabdam Area ProgrammeYoung Entrepreneurs

family on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This costs just £8 each year for a family, which may seem minimal but is prohibitively expensive for many families in northern Ghana. Thanks to the microfinance loan Shalotte’s mother (Alaama) received, the family are becoming independent and in the future they will be able to pay for the NHIS and education costs themselves.

This year it was fantastic to be able to see how the family were going from strength to strength. In 2010 Alaama was hoping to expand her small food stall in Zuarungu Market. In 2011, I sat in her newly expanded shop (pictured below) as she explained how she had needed to employ two helpers to cope with the growth in her business. She also now independently supports all five of her children in education, from primary school through to her eldest at nursing college.

I’m already looking forward to visiting them on my next trip to see even more progress.

Shalotte

Shalotte’s mother, Alaama

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01: Sister Jane, Operation Smiles, proudly shows off her farm

02: Abu uses the donated x-ray equipment at the AfriKids Medical Centre

03: Prayer time pre-exams at the Zuarungu Children’s Centre School

04: A carer and child play - Operation Smiles

05: The Sirigu Annual Child Rights Festival (see page 5)

06: Sister Jane holds one of the twins who were worryingly ill (see front page). We hear that they are both doing extremely well now.

Out of

A royally good month all round

AfriKids introduces their Ambassadors

It’s hard to miss the fact that April 2011 was a big month for the UK. People all over the world tuned in to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton get married, including AfriKids Ghana staff! Ray, AfriKids Ghana’s External Affairs Manager, said, Oh what a great wedding we had at the weekend, we watched some of it and it’s been given great promenance in the Ghanaian media too. We’re sure that despite not having a bank holiday in Ghana, the team managed to celebrate in true Ghanaian style with Star beer and plenty of dancing!

Aside from the fun had by all during our bonus bank holiday, there was great charitable giving on this special day. We would like to send our warmest congratualations to Greenhouse Charity, as they were chosen to be one of the benefitting charities from this prestigious and historical event. You may remember that we ran a football tournament in July 2010 with Greenhouse (watch this space for another tournament later this year) and we couldn’t be happier for them. Go Greenhouse!

AfriKids have been wanting to thank and further involve key supporters for a while and have now come up with the perfect programme to do so...

The AfriKids Ambassador Programme: 50% recognition, 50% inspiration

AfriKids has some incredibly ambitious goals leading up to 2018 as we try to break new ground in the development arena. We recognise that in order to reach them, we must harness the enthusiasm and innovation of our key supporters to ensure we maximise every possible opportunity.

We have therefore launched the AfriKids Ambassador programme. An AfriKids Ambassador is an individual who has demonstrated a significant commitment to AfriKids (UK) or AfriKids Ghana since its inception and continues to show a deep interest in the organisation’s welfare and goals. Their support may have been financial, in kind, advisory or all of these but either way, they have overwhelmed the team with their contribution and enthusiasm.

We would like to thank the following individuals for becoming our founding Ambassadors: Ali Tovey, Alistair Turner, Amy Parker, Carole Cohen, Cyril Dennis, Dan Salmons, Dave Brown, Emma Watkins, Fred Cohen, Hugh Taylor, Jane Howard, Jill Ruddock, Jim Rice, Jo Grimshaw, Kate Cavelle, Laura Parrett, Nina Spencer, Paul Hill, Paul Leonard, Paul Ruddock, Peter Cohen, Stephen Duckett, Stuart Roden, and Vidya Naidu.

Welcome to the AfriKids team!

AFRIKIDSONLINE

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Genevieve Easton Poole I don’t get it!!?

AfriKids Squared is now on Facebook!

AfriKids Squared is the consultancy branch of AfriKids (UK) and provides a variety of bespoke services to individu-als, companies and NGOs. Our staff in both the UK and Ghana are able to advise on everything from how to max-imise corporate partnerships and major donor relationships, to programme delivery, monitoring and evaluation.

www.facebook.com/afrikids Let’s tweet @AfriKids Become a fan of AfriKids Squared

AfriKidsAfriKids Medical Centre has now gone 24hrs, helping people in northern Ghana all around the clock - uplifting news to start the Bank Holiday!

AfriKidsWelcome to Facebook sister!

AfriKids added 7 new photos to the album AfriKids Eco Village site.

AfriKidsWhy does the Easter Bunny have a shiny nose? ... Her powder puff is on the wrong end! :) 10% off Divine chocolate for Easter at AfriKids

AfriKidsHappy Good Friday! Has everyone started guzzling their Easter chocolate? I hope it’s @divinechocolate and fairtrade ;) yum

Franklette#FollowWednesday @AfriKids Child Rights org, working alongside communities in Ghana to help vulnerable children (via @ffhelper)

teadevotee@jeegarkakkad finished the #bright-onmarathon in 3:52 raising £1000 with gift aid for @AfriKids whoop!

22 Apr

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10 Apr

AfriKids SquaredNon-Governmental Organisation (NGO)

AfriKids Squared joined Facebook

RECENT ACTIVITY

Whilst out in Ghana in April, Liam Nolan and Sally Eastcott from AfriKids (UK) attended a Child Rights Festival along with AfriKids Ghana Staff. Shortly after, A1 Radio News/Ghana talks about it online...

The 3rd Annual AfriKids Child Rights Festival under the AfriKids Kassena Nankana District Area Programme has been held at Sirigu... with the disclosure that the programme made significant improvements in the performance of pupils who sat the 2010 Basic Education Certificate Examination.

The Programme, otherwise known as Operation Sirigu, is aimed at empowering local communities to move beyond damaging traditional belief systems and protect the rights of children; especially the superficially spirit children. AfriKids Kassena-Nankana District Area Programme manager, Joseph Asakibeem, said since its commencement in 2008, the programme has enjoyed the support of Chiefs Circuit Supervisors.

There were cultural performances by some school children and women to entertain the audience. A drama on the spirit child thrilled the audience. www.modernghana.com

YOUR LAST CHANCE TO

SIGN UP FOR THE AfriKids Summer Pub Quiz!

We want as many of you there as possible competing for the shield.

Thursday 26th May7pm- drinks, 8pm quiz startsAuberge Restaurant56 Mark LaneEC3R 7NL

Max 8 people per team£12 per person - to include food(Hot,substantial and delicious platters!)Contact: joannastewart@afrikids.org

FUNDRAISEFORAFRIKIDSBrake the Cycle are warming up!‘Brake the Cycle’, led by Joe Reid and Marcus Letts have embarked on a ‘warm up’ challenge that would be enough to finish most people off! A team of 22 cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats raising money for AfriKids and Otesha UK. This has kicked off their fundraising and cycling stamina for the ultimate challenge which takes them on an adventure from Camden all the way to Cape Town. It looked like the team had a great time... they even had their own personalised double decker bus! www.brakethecycle.org.uk

Thank you to our marathon runners!In the last month we have had supporters running in both the Brighton and London Marathons in very high temperatures. We are truly thankful to people who take on these incredible challenges that require determination, fundraising and months of training!

Special thanks to:Anastasya Molodykh who ran the London Marathon, so far raising £1,322.56.

Simon Manning, Jeegar Kakkad, Bradley Capon and Genevieve Ahinful all triumphed in Brighton, cheered on by Lissa Wallington from www.afrikids.org

AfriKids.

Genevieve also held a ‘bake off’ at her work, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Ltd, with all staff baking and buying - a fantastic addition to her fundraising! Thank you to everyone who took part and to AJG for allowing the place to turn into a cake shop for AfriKids!