What’s the fuss about Kony?

The world is divided on many issues. But every once in a while, people from around the world unite with one voice and fight for a common cause that transcends every race, religion or political affiliation – not for the purpose of seeking political gain but for the sake of just doing the right thing. Kony 2012 is one of such causes. 

It is no wonder that the recent video posted by the Invisible Children on the internet about Joseph Kony – a Ugandan warlord and rebel leader of the Lord’s Resistance army (LRA) – became instantly viral with over 50 million views in just over two weeks. This video exposes inhumane acts of ongoing child abduction, recruiting child soldiers and child sex trafficking by Kony who is already wanted by the International Criminal Court. Over 30,000 children have gone missing in the past 26 years in Uganda and other surrounding Central African countries like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the LRA operate and terrorize the local inhabitants. Kony is said to be a former altar boy and believes that his role is to cleanse his people.

In response to these atrocious crimes against humanity, Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America deployed 100 troops to Uganda in October 2011. Their mission is to work in concert with Ugandan forces and other African militia to help them track and capture Joseph Kony with their sophisticated military devices and savoir-faire in the field.

Some critics argue that Kony 2012 is just another hype built around everyday issues faced by many African countries that have never spurred any serious action, promulgated by the wrong mediators to the wrong audience and maybe for the wrong reasons. They feel that the appropriate response should constitute of efforts geared towards empowering the African people to solve their own problems. Furthermore, there are other more urgent matters that deserve more attention – like the civil unrest and killings in Syria.

On the other hand, supporters of Kony 2012 may argue that this matter has been ongoing for decades and the civil war-torn Ugandan government has been incapable of handling it till date. This therefore calls for a radical intervention from more capable foreign empathizers.  More so, because children are involved. If ignored, the Central African child population may be decimated in the long run. And who knows how further widespread the LRA’s dominion could go? We could be looking at a replica of the Rwandan genocide taking the form of child annihilation in Uganda!

However, irrespective of your stance, the world is in unanimous agreement that acts like Joseph Kony’s must be stopped. In this light, the Invisible Children are bent on making him the most popular man on the planet (probably more popular than Osama Bin Laden) and raising funds in a bid to help facilitate his capture. To this effect, they are planning a huge publicity venture on April 20^th 2012. Other nations around the world in Europe and Asia have already joined this campaign and are perpetrating the message that Kony must be stopped in 2012, hence the slogan “Kony 2012”. Individuals have contributed by spreading the viral video and Kony’s image and story through social media like Facebook and Twitter.

At the Guardian Network Africa, we are acting locally. We are helping and empowering vulnerable African children by providing knowledge and useful skills that will help them escape victimization by similar circumstances in future. Click here to find out how we do this and how you can change an underprivileged child’s life forever.

Crème de la crème supports The Guardian Network Africa

Harrogate based business and social networking for women is supporting The Guardian Network Africa by hosting a jewellery sale for its members at their forthcoming meeting at the Yorkshire Hotel on Wednesday November 10^th.

Alongside some serious business networking and fun socializing, crème do la crème is committed to making a difference for woman in their business and personal life and to support worthy charitable causes.

We are delighted that crème de la crème have agreed to support The Guardian Network Africa in our mission to sponsor the education of underprivileged children in Africa. A big thanks to Sarah Sanpher of creme de la creme  for organising this for us.

At the meeting members will be able to purchase some beautiful hand made jewellery that has been donated by a kind supporter. Items include pieces made from hand blown Murano glass, ethnic jewellery from South Africa, fantastic costume jewellery for dressing up and for giving away as Christmas presents. There are lots of pearl, crystal and semi precious jewellery pieces with jade, topaz and lapis stones. All are less than half their normal prices and for orders over £35.00 a FREE pearl cluster ring is being given away- (subject to stock).

To see a preview of the stock click here.

To find out more about crème de la crème click here

Seven great real life stories of success and hope

We wanted to share with you, the stories of seven children whose lives have been changed by the kind support of seven people who wanted to make a difference to a child in need. Each is story of the real success that child sponsorship can bring in changing the lives of underprivileged children in Africa. To learn more and to sponsor a child in Africa visit our website. It costs from as little as £6.50 per month to change a life forever.

Motale Blaise

Motale Blaise- came top of his class!

Motale Blaise was a little 10 year old intelligent boy who was at his final year in primary school when we found him. Blaise lost his father and his mother is unemployed and could not afford to register him for the final year exam which meant that he was at risk of not sitting for the exam and going on to secondary school.

Thankfully, we found Motale a sponsor and he emerged as the best pupil in his Common Entrance exam centre. Motale now has the ambition of becoming an engineer and with the continuous help from his sponsor, he is pursuing his dream.

Sabina Bih Mongo

Sabina Mongo now has new "guardian"

Sabina’s father died when she was just fours years old in 2008, leaving her to be looked after by her mother who struggles to make any kind of income by being a peasant farmer and petty trader. Their living conditions are desperate.

Sabina did not go to school but helped her mother by selling food on the streets. Her mother and Sabina desperately want her to go to school like the other children in her community and she knows that eventually Sabina will need to support the family in her later life.

The Guardian Network Africa found Sabina a sponsor – a little girl called Mika who is not much older than Sabina- who had forgone recieving her birthday presents to help Sabina. Now Sabina is enrolled in school and can look forward to a brighter future.

Nadesh Kudi Kakon

Nadesh - back at school and rebuilding her life

Nadesh is a very intelligent orphan who always tops her class. Despite her brilliant results, she had to repeat year 5 in primary school because her care-taker (aunt) could not afford the extra cost of about £20 to register her for the First School Leaving exam.

Only last year, Nadesh’s aunt died and with no one else to sponsor her, Nadesh was forced to drop out of school one month to the end of term.  She went to live with her uncle in Wotutu village and joined the struggle for survival with ten of her other cousins under his care.

With the help of her teachers, our Child Support Manager, Orock, found her just two weeks before her end of year exam living under deplorable conditions, and got her back to school by finding her a sponsor. She was able to move on to the next class where she would pass her Common entrance with flying colurs. Nadesh is now in secondary school.

Mdajong George Mukwe

George -given a second chance by The Guardian Network Africa

At the tender age of eleven, George lost both his parents and had to go live with his uncle in Douala. However, George was not sent to school to complete his primary education and was ill-treated by his uncle. He ran away and went to live with his aunt who works as a housemaid in Limbe. But because she could not look after him with her meager wage, George found a job as a house help in exchange for food and shelter.

George has two younger siblings residing with other relatives in their village, whom he is directly responsible for, but cannot do much to help them under his circumstances.

We felt that George’s childhood was stolen and wanted to give him the chance he had unfairly missed to better his future. We found George a sponsor and a mentor, and now George is looking to start as an apprentice electrician, while still maintaining his house help job that provides him food and shelter.

Lois -Tracy Ngemba Tambe

Lois Tracy Ambe can now go to school

Lois-Tracy lost her dad when she was just one year old and her young widow mum, Felicitas, became a victim of a common cultural malpractice of suffering ill treatment from her family in law.

Felicitas  was kicked out of her house, all their property  seized and she was left alone with just a bed, a single room, no job, no husband and a baby to cater to.

For three years after her father’s  death, Lois-Tracy and her mum lived  hand to mouth trying to make ends meet but with very little success. Having had very little education herself, her mum has been unable to find work and is relying on help from other family members and good samaritans for food and basic needs.

Now Lois Tracy life has changed for the better and through the generous support of a sponsor she is now back at school, eagerly getting on with her primary school studies and looking to a brighter future.

Faithgreat Tendor

Faithgreat - Our most recent success story

Faithgreat Tendor is a smart and intelligent kid, but lacked the financial resources to support his education. His father abandoned him and his mother who is just 18 years of age. Both mother and grand mother find it very difficult to provide the basic needs of the child, talk less of education and medication.

Despite getting brilliant results and great praise from his teachers, Fathgreat Tendor stopped going to school when he was in nursery but thanks to a kind sponsor, Elvis Tabi Nimba, Faithgreat will once again be given the chance of going to school and living up to the great expectations that his school have of him.

Limunga Magdalene Mwambo

Limunga - reunited at school with her new classmates

Limunga is a 15 year old orphan who was raised by her grandmum. Being  only one of nine children she was forced to drop out of school as her grandmum could no longer afford to send her to school. She had become too weak to cultivate and sell crops in the market – their only source of income.

But now, with the help of one of our sponsors, Limunga was able  her primary education and is now enrolled into a technical secondary school in Limbe which will give her more chances of integrating into the community when she graduates.

A big thank you to our supporters-

Changing children’s lives – one at a time

Read the stories of Yuh and  Akoakwe now and become part of another success story.

The Great Jewellery Sale for Guardian Network Africa

Looking good…doing great…

The Guardian Network Africa is launching another big jewellery sale with prices slashed to less than a third their original price!

PLUS – Get a FREE pearl ring with orders over £35- subject to stock availability!

Tourmaline Heart Pendant necklace

A huge thank you to our generous donor who donated loads of beautiful jewellery and ladies’ accessories for us to raise funds to sponsor the education of underprivileged children in Cameroon. Now we need to turn this donation into cash and that’s where you come in!

From delicate creamy cultured pearl necklaces to iridescent freshwater pearl sets, interspersed with shell and diamante all at ridiculously low prices – a steal for the savvy pearl lover.

And if you are a fan of gems and semi-precious stones, there’s a breath-taking selection of necklaces and bracelets made of turquoise, jade, coral guaranteed to provide satisfaction to its owner and even a set of lustre beads interspersed by antique silver rings that will make a perfect match for a classy evening wear.

Ethnic jewellery lovers would not miss out! We have a stunning silver bead set crafted using silversmith technology that was developed by the Zuni Indians of North America over 100 years ago! And also, hand made necklaces, earrings and bangles from South Africa that mix ancient and modern design in finest grade copper.

Hand made copper bangle from South Africa

Plus, ladies’ summer tops, scarves, lovely handbags leather belts with interchangeable buckles…all available here.

Treat yourself or someone you love with one of these. And what’s more, you’ll be doing good in the process! Thanks to you purchase, a child’s life will be improved for the better through education. Order now.

The Guardian Network Africa: who we are

About Us

We are a non-profit organisation, consisting of a network of individuals all over the world that share the common interest in helping to sponsor education for underprivileged children in Africa. We reach out and help some of the poorest and most vulnerable children achieve something great in their lives. We firmly believe both in the power of education to change lives and also in the compassion and willingness of those more fortunate, to reach out to fellow humans who need help.

Our Mission

We believe that education is a sure route out of poverty.  We want to give poor children a chance an equal chance to dream and express their minds; a chance to acquire knowledge and skills; a chance to become somebody who can give back to their community. We want to empower them with education – the tool that can foster the much needed development in Africa.

Helping children one at a time through education

Our operational model

We identify children that are precluded from school due to poverty and sponsor their education by paying for their tuition fees and exam registration fees. We also provide them with basic school stationery, text books and a school uniform.

We are unique in that we link each of our sponsors with the child/children they are sponsoring and provide periodic feedback on the children’s progress at school. Our sponsors can therefore enjoy a much closer and satisfying relationship with the children they sponsor than other bigger and similar organisations can provide.

100% of sponsorship money goes to the sponsored child. Our everyday running cost is covered through private donations and contributions.

The following are our ground policies and values expected of each member:

• Passion in our mission
• Transparency in our activities.
• Commitment in our duties and roles.
• Mutual respect for one another.

We may not make all the difference, but we can start, one child at a time. Join us today or support our cause.