Back in December AfriKids’ founder and International Director Georgie Fienberg appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Four Thought arguing that pity alone should not be driving charitable giving.

AfriKids believes that development should not be funded by overseas aid based on guilt, shock and pity. Instead, real change should come about by enabling people to help themselves through business and innovation based on respect and reason. As an organisation AfriKids has always sought to share and spread this message and have been encouraged to do so even more by the response to the BBC broadcast.

Generally International Development work has come a long way since the 1980s and the principles of empowerment

February 2013

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

and sustainability are as firmly embedded in most NGOs’ operations as they are at AfriKids. However Georgie argues that the way development work is portrayed through fundraising campaigns based on pity is stuck in the 80s. Charities are often funding long term solutions to problems while relying on short term imagery to engage with the public. This, in the long run, does nothing but perpetuate pity and donor fatigue whilst failing to give our partners in the developing world their due credit as the drivers of change.

On Four Thought Georgie argues that “[Pity] money neither respects nor rewards the work and dedication of local people who work hard in many charities to solve their countries’ challenges. It presents their countrymen and women as victims deserving of your sympathy rather than your respect and admiration”.

As fundraisers, and as human beings, we need to appreciate that by simplifying complex situations into shock images and guilt-inducing statements, we are not providing context or respect and leave no room for the innovation and reason that should better justify the support of others.

“Sustainability does not mean solving today’s problems. It means ensuring local people can solve their own problems independently of external assistance. If we’re ever going to achieve this, we’re all going to need to take a radically different view to giving.”Georgie Fienberg

To listen to the broadcast click here To read Georgie’s argument click here

For more information and FAQs click here

SAY NO TO PITYDevelopment should not be funded by overseas aid based on pity

Photo-A young girl at a Junior School in Bolgatanga

PROJECT FOCUSG.A.S. Partnership’s fifth Midwifery Trip In January 2013, Jo Clarke and Julia Clark set off to Ghana as part of the fifth Midwifery trip with the G.A.S. Partnership, seeking to re-emphasise the importance of infection prevention in birthing environments, and introduce a new approach to maintaining cleanliness on the wards.

Jo and Julia visited five centres in the UER, including the AfriKids Medical Centre, to discuss with midwives various measures to prevent infection. Using a teaching aid for hand hygiene called a Light Box that was previously donated by the G.A.S. Partnership, Jo and Julia ran practical sessions on effective hand washing and hygiene. Jo and Julia handed out questionnaires before and after the session to ensure the session had been effective.

The G.A.S. Partnership also donated

AfriKids IT AcademyAfriKids Blue Sky LodgeAfriKids Ethical TradeAfriKids Medical CentreBolgatanga Area ProgrammeEducational fundKassena Nankana Area ProgrammeMedical fundOperation BolgatangaOperation Mango TreeOperation SINGhOperation SmilesOperation ZuarunguStreet Mothers AssociationTalensi Nabdam Area ProgrammeYoung Entrepreneurs Programme

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essential birthing equipment that Jo and Julia delivered to Northern Ghana, such as birthing balls and tourniquets, and Jo and Julia worked clinically with 20 midwives and 40 midwifery students to encourage the use of some of the equipment that had been donated. This equipment will now be put into instant use at the AfriKids Medical Centre, to improve the birthing experience of expectant mothers.

Jo and Julia also reviewed cleaning systems in place at the centres, and encouraged staff to ensure a high level of cleanliness in all areas of the wards. Cleanliness is a particular issue for the region at this time of year, as the seasonal wind called the Harmattan, (which blows across Northwestern Africa every year from November through March), blows sand and dust everywhere making it difficult to keep all areas clean. The visiting midwives went to local markets and shops to assess what cleaning equipment was available within the region to encourage staff to make use of the full range of cleaning equipment available to them within the Bolgatanga area.

Jo and Julia helped put procedures in place to ensure storage areas were kept tidy and well organised, and free from clutter.

This trip furthered the aims of the G.A.S. Partnership, notably to improve healthcare provision in the Upper East Region and to enhance the skills of the local medical professionals.

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01: Jo and Julia with the midwives and hospital staff

02: Midwives being trained to use the birthing stool donated by the G.A.S. Partnership

03: Matron and staff cleaning equipment

04: Staff member keeping the storage area in check

05: AfriKids Ghana staff members: David Pwalua; Head of Programmes, Cletus Anaaya; Bolgatanga Area Programme Manager and Gabriel Ayinne; Field Officer

06: The AfriKids Medical Centre, one of AfriKids’ key sustainability projects, currently generates 15% of AfriKids Ghana’s running costs.

07: Midwife practicing on the birthing ball7

AFRIKIDSOUT THERE

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www.facebook.com/afrikids Let’s tweet @AfriKids

AfriKidsIf you didn’t get the chance to visit the Tough Crowd exhibition back in December, you can now buy prints, brochures, and postcards online www.afrikids.org/shop

Oliver MarcusRunning late and watching #GBBOComicRelief just reached the bit about @AfriKids and it makes me proud just to know them

22 Jan

Dani BoultonAfriKids and Bake Off what a great combination! x

AfriKidsWe’ve just finished this new brochure outlining AfriKids’ project plans and funding opportunities for the next three years. AfriKids Projects Brochure 2013-15

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Becky SlackRefreshing to talk to a #fundraising team that wants to do itself out of business @AfriKids #thewayitshouldbe

13 Jan

Milana Knezevic@BBC_WHYS @AfriKids I agree. [Shock adverts] de-humanise and oversimplify. I would hope that as we’re almost in 2013 we would have moved past it.

26 Dec

AfriKids were thrilled when Comic Relief approached AfriKids wanting to feature one of AfriKids’ projects on ‘The Great Comic Relief Bake Off’. In the VT presented by Lorraine Pascal, the Grace Preparatory School in Zuarungu set up by AfriKids is shown as one of the alternatives to life on the streets for children in the Upper East.

In Home Economics, children at Grace Preparatory School learn baking skills using a new oven. They place fairy cakes inside a little box that goes inside the oven; “For the lucky ones, not only are they learning maths, English and sciences but baking is on the curriculum too. And it’s only possible because the school has invested in their very first oven.”

Comic Relief has been a huge support to AfriKids’ work over the

years, and is currently funding New Beginnings Two; a large scale project helping street and working children who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of education to resettle with their families and into full time education.

“By going to the Grace School, the children have the prospect of a different future.”

The Great Comic Relief Bake Off team

Pupils baking at Grace Preparatory School

Oven used by peoples to bake fairy cakes

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FUNDRAISINGNEWSWe’re thrilled to have been successful in applying to the Garfield Weston Foundation for a £50,000 grant towards AfriKids’ core costs, which for us includes those costs associated with delivering fundraising activities, recruitment, creation and development of our organisational strategy and

www.afrikids.org

We are nearly one year into our corporate partnership with A&O and it is going from strength to strength. To kick start 2013, A&O appealed to all their staff to donate the first hour of their first day’s salary. Nearly 1000 members of staff took part, with some opting to donate a day rather than an hour.

A&O staff members are still coming forward to donate, so this initiative is set to raise over £100,000. This is astonishing and we are absolutely delighted by everyone’s generosity.

Allen & Overy News

Thank you to the Garfield Weston Foundation

British 10k London RunWe still have a few places available for the British 10k London Run. Why not get together with a few friends and all sign up together? This event was a great success in 2012.

Date of event: 14th July 2013

Deadline to register: 3rd June 2013

Contact to register: amaatteen@afrikids.org

programme support work. It is thanks to organisations like this who give such flexible funding that we can ensure that more of the money donated by you goes directly to AfriKids Ghana. Thank you to Melissa Murdoch and the Garfield Weston Foundation for all your support.