Did someone say progress?

Education in Africa is moving in the right direction. In July 7^th delegates from seven African countries including Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Tanzania, met in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss implementing the UNESCO-sponsored Basic Education for Africa program.

One of the topics on the agenda was the progress made in Rwanda with the Nine Year Basic education programme  (9YBE) , launched in 2009.  9YBE was established to provide nine years of education to all Rwandan children, free of charge. Since its launch, school enrolment has increased by 30% to 80%, while the country’s illiteracy rate has decreased. Narcisse Musabeyezu, Inspector of General Education believes the programme will help Rwandans become ‘competent, skilled and knowledgeable’ and hopes the programme will be extended to twelve years.

The Nine Year Basic Education Programme is part of the Basic Education for Africa programme (BEAP), which aims to support a holistic and comprehensive reform of basic education in Africa. In a world evolving faster than ever before, the need for education has never been more urgent. Progress is being made, but there is a lot of work to be done . Africa has the lowest rate of literacy in the world; in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger for example, less than 30% of the population are literate and many African countries have literacy rates below 50%.

The Guardian Network Africa is committed to making education more than an entitlement for the privileged. Every child needs a solid foundation; and family, core values and good education form the very cornerstone of this foundation. We aspire to give more children access to basic and secondary education and need your support to make this a reality. If you would like to help, please get in touch via the Guardian Network Website.

Sources:

50 things you didn’t know about Africa http://bit.ly/cluq0t

UNESCO: Adult and Youth literacy, September 2010 http://bit.ly/r4dY2W

The Basic Education Africa programme: http://bit.ly/otMeFN

Countries meet to discuss Education reforms: http://bit.ly/nW2z01

African Children’s Choir perform to raise funds.

Today I came across this fascinating story by Angella Wollen in the Sun News, which I thought I must share with you.

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In February 2011, Thirteen Ugandan children started their travel though the Southeast states of the U.S in the quest of raising the support they need for their education.

The children, ages 7 to 11, are part of the African Children’s Choir. Scheduled to perform about three to four times a week,  their concert will feature African dance and songs sung in the native language of Luganda, as well as familiar favorites like “He’s Got the Whole World” and “Highway to Heaven.”

The African Children’s Choir has been in existence since 1984 with the goal of providing education to African children. Since its existence the choir has helped thousands of African children.

The children chosen for the choir are some of the neediest in their country. They are given five months of training by the organization before coming to the U.S. for a year.

“The goal is to find the most vulnerable and needy children to be ambassadors for their country,” said Kari Penrod, tour leader for the choir who has been with the organization for two years.

Kari’s first experience with Uganda was through a study abroad program. After she returned home, she a concert, fell in love with it, and signed up to become a leader two weeks after she graduated…

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When I read this story, I thought this was an inspirational story about brave children in pursuit of a dream, and the people gracious enough to help them reach that dream. If this story appeals to you, please get in touch with the Guardian Network to find out what we do, and see how you can get involved… better yet click on the following ‘link’ right now. We might be a small charity but we’ve got a big heart, and just the same level of passion for our kids!

If you would like to find out when the choir will be in your area, please visit their website africanchildrenschoir.com.

Source: The Sun News

Isn’t it time we start planning ahead…. ?

Africa is the only continent to have become poorer in the past 25 years.  

With each economic year, Africa grows more dependent on international support for food, investment and education; a risky position that would eventually prove to be our detriment. Our delicate position is clearly reflected in a recent report by the United Nations, which stated that the orgnisations global drive to get every child into primary education is being knocked off course by the global financial crisis.

In the annual report on its ‘Education For All initiative’  UNESCO warned that much of the progress of the past decade could be undone as education budgets everywhere – particularly in sub-­Saharan Africa – get cut back as the flow of aid from rich countries dwindles. There are currently 72 million children in the world with no access to education, whilst in sub Saharan African countries 50% of  young adults have fewer than four years of education.

Looking to external sources for funding and charity is not sustainable in the long term. The recent global economic crisis is a reflection of this; once more developed countries got hit by financial hardship, support for developing countries plunged. Do we really want to continue to place the future of our countries and the lives of our brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, in someone else hands?

It is up to us to develop the resources we have in order to safe guard the future of our home countries. One of these resources – indeed one of the most important – are its people and we can capitalize on this by providing them the opportunity to access the knowledge and the tools required to instigate change.

For Africa’s children, education is perhaps their strongest barrier against poverty. Educated children are likely to be more productive when they grow up, get better paid in the workplace, become able to lead and inspire others. Girls are likely to marry later, in more favorable terms and have healthier children.

Help a child receive education today, and help shape Africa ’s economic future. Visit the Guardian network website today to find out how.

Sources:

http://www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/20/education-for-all-unesco-warning

Can we count on you this 2011?

2010 has been a year of extraordinary tales; from the unpredictable drama of the U.K elections, the passing the U.S. bill, ashes from Finland, the chaotic Wiki leaks, to the phenomenal rescue of the miners in Chile, the first World Cup in South Africa and another round of the X factor!

As we look back at the phenomenal events of the year 2010, now’s a time to contemplate on the past year, it’s impact on our personal lives, and create that ‘to do list’ for 2010 – the so called ‘New Year Resolutions’. Each year as many of us craft insightful resolutions the decision to help others often crops up, with many deciding to donate, volunteer or promote the charity of their choices before the years end.

However as reality creeps up alongside our daily duties – getting to work on time, paying those quarterly bills, getting dinner on the table – this well conjured list gets stored away with private promises to ‘take action in our spare time’ – spare time which never seems to surface. Before we know it, we’ll making a similar list in January 2012, with the very same resolutions.

This 2011, if one of your resolutions is to do something for the benefit of others, this is your call to action. There will never be a convinient time to sit and plan, and whilst we wait, the lives of those who need our help comes to a halt as they lack the support they need to drive change. Habit can be tough cookie, but please remember that whilst the impact of ‘doing nothing’ seems insignificant to you,the truth is your action or inaction has real life consequences for those you do – or do not – help.

This year, break the cycle by committing to do good and taking the steps TO do good, free time or not. Guardian Network Africa has the infrastructure in place to make your support hassle free, and with your help one very lucky child would get the opportunity to learn, play and enjoy the many benefits of longterm education.

Please visit the Guardian Network Africa website to find out more and support a child today. It only takes a few minutes … and one, resolute, click.

Charity and Social Enterprise, a marriage made in heaven

‘Is good, does good’ is the slogan of U.S based ‘Two Degrees’, a one-for-one food company that donates a nutrition pack to a hungry child for each product they sell. They’re not the only ones applying this business model; growing awareness of the many issues facing a world made smaller by technology means more entrepreneurs are starting appreciate the need to do good.

For many years ‘traditional’ charities have offered support, however many focus on the immediate issues without addressing the root of the problem – education, skills, and commercial stimulation. While the recipients of this approach appreciate the support, the need for self achievement and taking pride in ‘doing it for themselves’ has resulted in a growing level of discontent for ‘hand me downs’…

This inspired the birth of social entrepreneurship, which involves doing good not just for the short term, but investing in enabling the people you support stand on their feet in the long term. Two Degrees does this by establishing its manufacturing in Malawi which means more jobs, more disposable and better skills for the local community.

This approach relates to the Guardian Network Africa, a charity with the vision and goal of a Social Enterprise. We are passionate about offering children choice, with the opportunity to go to school where they can access the education they need in order to be better positioned for the opportunities – and challenges – of tomorrow. Every child deserves education, and countries like Cameroon needs educated children today who can create future opportunities for a more sustainable social and economic ecosystem.

Imagine a world where each and every country was self sustainable. That’s the cause we’re fighting, and we hope you’ want to be a part of it.

Please visit the Guardian Network Africa today to find out more about our cause.

Sandrine

The Guardian Network becomes the Guardian Network Africa!

The name of our organisation has been changed to the Guardian Network Africa, to give more emphasis to the geographical region our charity impacts. We even have a new domain name for this: www.guardiannetworkafrica.org!

We are constantly finding ways to improve our charity so that we can reach out to more compassionate people who can join us in our mission to sponsor education for poor children in Africa. These children are excluded from school just because they are born into poor families that just cannot afford to pay their school fees.

We have also been listening to your comments and our communications team has made numerous changes to our website to incorporate all your suggestions! Check out the new pictures we have added of our team members who work so hard to power our mission, and their profiles. Now you can see who you are actually talking to! Meet Nguh Akum, our new Field Operations Co-ordinator who swiftly stepped in to help us manage our growing sponsorship activities in Cameroon, Africa.

Nguh Akum - our new Fields Operations Coordinator in Cameroon

You can also read Judith Tamasang’s fascinating story of how the Guardian Network Africa was started.

A few months ago when we just built our website, we solicited help from PR Partners, Harrogate-based journalists that help small businesses raise their public profile through social media and networking, and Rebecca Parsley was delighted to give us an intensive, one-to-one social media session for charity! We have used these online tools and can now update our sponsors and supporters on all the important events and activities as they happen through our new Facebook and Twitter pages. Our sponsors can now publicly share their experience with their sponsored child; our supporters can share their thoughts and suggestions; and our team members in Africa, Europe and America can share their experience on the field across continents!

Thank you Rebecca – you have contributed massively to our progress!

We take your feedback very seriously. Tell us what  could be improved on our media sites. Become our fan on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.