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Congratulations to three recent graduates in Uganda

ACT warmly congratulates Yasuli, James, and Tonny, three ACT beneficiaries in Uganda who recently obtained their diplomas.

Yasuli (22) obtained a diploma in Business Administration, specializing in marketing/information technology. One of six siblings, after their father died Yasuli never believed he would have the opportunity of studying in a higher institution ACT started supporting his education 8 years ago when he was finishing primary school. He has expressed his intention of volunteering with his local ACT team in Jinja in the future. Wasuli wrote; “My sincere appreciation to ACT supporters in UK for all the support they have given to me and it’s my prayer that [the] almighty God may bless them abundantly”.

James (24) obtained a diploma in Business Administration, specializing in Store Management. One of five siblings, and living with his guardian after both his parents’ deaths, James had not considered the option of higher institution before ACT support. His advice to children in his community is to “be disciplined, not to join bad company and to study hard.” Once he finds employment, James wishes to support the ACT Team in his community both financially and with his time. To supporters in the UK he says: “Thanks all for your generous help, God bless you”.

Tonny (24) obtained a diploma in Comprehensive Nursing. He intends to apply for state funding to continue his studies, and specialize in surgery. He is the only one of his three siblings able to afford to go to a higher institution. He has the intention of helping ACT financially once he starts working. To ACT supporters in the UK he says: “I really want to thank God for every person in the UK whom God has used or is using to support me who was helpless and I pray that God may richly bless and reward you.”

All of us at ACT-UK and ACT-Uganda are immensely proud of the three young men and their achievements. We look forward to hearing about their progress in life, and hope that their example may guide and inspire younger members of ACT.

Feature: JOSEPH GUIGMA – ACT Care Team Member in Manga, Burkina Faso.

Joseph Guigma is one of the three members of the Care Team overseeing the welfare of the supported families in the village Manga, Burkina Faso. In 2009, Joseph cycled the 200km (125 miles) return trip from Manga to the country’s capital Ouagadougou to collect the ACT funds for the support of the children. Asked why he chose to cycle such a long distance rather than taking public transport, Joseph explained that this was during a period when no buses were coming to Manga. Local transport was facing funding challenges due to the high costs of fuel, and had therefore cut the links into the village. Joseph made the trip out of concern that the children could be sent out of school for failing to pay their tuition fees.

ACT Care Team members effectively play the combined roles of social service providers, counselors and friends to the widows, guardians, disadvantaged children and orphans in their community. All Care Team members are volunteers who take on this role out of compassion.

Joseph is married and has four children of his own, two boys and two girls. His children are aged six, ten, thirteen and sixteen, the same age group as the disadvantaged children and orphans whom he oversees. He earns his living as a night watchman. His wife is a teacher at the local primary school.

Joseph has been a member of the Care Team since ACT started working in Manga in September 2005. ACT has been supporting sixteen children and twelve widows in the community.

10 February 2012

ACT – UK and our partners in Ndola, Zambia are proud to report that Abel (see pictures below) has successfully completed high school and has obtained a place in the Zambian Army. Abel was one of the first children to be supported by us in Ndola.

Abel in 2000 with ACT-UK director Dr. Kunle Onabolu

Abel in September 2011 in his army uniform

Vodafone grant will make world of difference to children in African countries

2 February 2012, Purley, Greater London. The African Child Trust’s (ACT) applicant Alessandra Lauria has won a place on this year’s Vodafone World of Difference UK programme. The scheme provides a grant to 500 charities every year, funding the organisations to employ their applicants for two to four months. Alessandra will be joining ACT this March for four months on a part-time basis.

'This grant is a seed that will provide the catalyst for expanding our funding base, allowing us to support the education of many more vulnerable children and orphans in Africa.', says Dr. Kunle Onabolu, the UK Director of ACT. ‘Our grant winner, Alessandra, is determined to use her knowledge and experience not only to raise the profile of ACT, but also to increase the income of the charity through successful grant applications and fundraising activities. ACT is delighted to be listed among the beneficiaries of the Vodafone World of Difference award 2012.' The African Child Trust works with local African communities to relieve poverty and advance development through the education of disadvantaged children, and the financial empowerment of widows via skills training, so that they can provide for their families. ACT works in a number of African countries, including Burkina Faso, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. ACT works in partnership with well-established community-based organizations, such as churches and schools, that share a common vision of supporting people in need. To find out more about the African Child Trust and read about Alessandra’s experience with the charity, please visit www.africanchildtrust.org.uk, or www.facebook.com/ACTPage.

About African Child Trust
African Child Trust is a UK registered charity (no. 1074911) that sponsors education for disadvantaged children and orphans in Africa and supports needy widows through training in business skills so that they can generate an income to sustain their families and help lift them from poverty ACT was founded in March 1999 by its current director Kunle Onabolu.

About Vodafone World of Difference
Vodafone World of Difference is a programme sponsored by the Vodafone foundation. The programme finances 500 people each year to work for a UK charity of their choice For more information about the programme, visit: http://worldofdifference.vodafone.co.uk

Further information For further information, or to arrange interviews, please contact us

Sixteen New Children to Receive Support in Malawi

February 2012

Following an appeal from our partner organization in Malawi, the Good News Bible Church, ACT has decided to extend its sponsorship to sixteen more children in the community. All children are from the Migowi community which is part of Phalombe District. This area is considered the poorest in Malawi, with average daily incomes between fifty cents and one dollar. The effects of this rampant poverty are devastating, and especially so for orphans and widows. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of orphans in the district rose from 36.798 to 72.348. Current estimates suspect over 80.000 parentless children. Most of the children’s parents died due to the rampant HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The district’s social infrastructure is dramatically overstretched. As a result, many orphans end up on the street. Suffering from the physical and mental stress of no parental support and guidance, an increasing number of children turn to crime and alcohol abuse to cope with their situation. Without any external help, these children have bleak prospects for their future. Girls are especially vulnerable to the effects of orphanhood. ‘You will find a 10-12 year old girl is a mother just because she was forced into early sex or marriage in search of food’, writes Richard Muluzi, head of the ACT-Malawi Care Team. Combined with factors such as domestic duties and lack of female role models, girls’ drop-out rates from school are particularly high. This drastically limits these young girls’ options.

ACT’s partner, the Good News Bible Church, has been active in the community since November 1997. Ever since, the church has been expanding its activities in the areas of missions, leadership training and social work. Besides the child sponsorship programme, the church established child care centres, youth clubs and a medical clinic.

Since the start of the partnership in 2007, ACT expanded its support from 6 to 24 children. The current increase will nearly double this number to 40. Although this number is a drop in the ocean when measured against figures such as the above, ACT strongly believes that this support can make a vital difference both to the children in question, and the wider community. Our sponsorship is giving hope and a real chance of a new life to the supported children and their remaining relatives. It is a small but crucial step towards breaking through the larger cycle of poverty affecting the community.

With your support, new and continued, we can keep making this change. Please help us to continue this support, and to expand it to some of the remaining hundreds of children still in desperate need of our help!

ACT featuring on Premier Radio

• Premier Radio will be interviewing ACT's volunteer Olaide on ACTs work in supporting widows in Africa. So tune in to the 'women to women' talk show on the 8th of September from 11:15 - 11:45!

ACT Youth about to be re launched. Watch out for more information.