I’ll be visiting three charities while away. There are so many views about aid in Africa, whether it’s beneficial or detrimental, but I believe that as long as we are enabling – giving them a hand up, rather than a hand out, we can make a difference.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night in a tent with a mosquito.” African Proverb.
I’ve pulled these bits of info from the organizations’ websites. Go ahead and read up on them.
Village of Hope Zimbabwe
The Village of Hope exists to provide “HOPE…FOR THEIR FUTURE” – a place of safety for orphans and for impoverished children, in response to the overwhelming AIDS statistics in the southern Africa region today.
The current statistics tell that there are 1.5 million orphans in Zimbabwe today, but places of safety for only 0.5% of this number. They state that the average life expectancy is 34 years old because of AIDS – the middle generation of parents being virtually wiped out – leaving the care of their children in the hands of aging grandparents with little or no means – or with no care at all.
We cannot fix all of this beautiful country’s challenges. But on 20 acres, in one small corner of Zimbabwe, the children of the Village of Hope can see God’s smile and experience God’s favour.
World Vision
It all started in 1947, with Dr. Bob Pierce. Today, World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization that is dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice, in nearly 100 countries.
Transformational Development is about building up communities through partnerships. Our partners are the communities we serve, sponsors like you, government agencies, faith-based organizations and other humanitarian organizations, all working together to make a lasting, tangible difference in the lives of children. Through Area Development Programs, we provide the support that children need to enjoy the fullness of life with justice, dignity, peace, hope and the boundless enthusiasm of childhood.
UNICEF – Ethiopia
The overall goal of the UNICEF Ethiopia programme is to support national and regional efforts towards the progressive realisation of the rights of children and women and the achievement of the Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals
- At UNICEF Ethiopia, we say ENOUGH to children at risk of death in the first 28 days of their lives. We say NO to lack of access to healthcare; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and basic nutrition.
- In order to address the multiple nutrition-related challenges in Ethiopia, UNICEF is supporting key interventions that will strengthen government ownership and national capacity.
- Providing access to WASH services for children and mothers is a fundamental component of UNICEF’s work and is crucial for the fight against poverty.
- We, at UNICEF Ethiopia, believe in access to good quality basic education especially in the most marginalised localities and to the most vulnerable groups including children in emergency situations.
- Behind every statistic is a human being who deserves a better life. We, at UNICEF Ethiopia, work to ensure the rights of children are taken into consideration.