Grantee Partner |
| Global Strategies for HIV Prevention |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| This grant will be matched with $7,000 from Global Strategies for HIV Prevention to support the Child Health Program of Kendu Bay. The grant will provide Bactrim for 200 children and 100 adults for one year as well as cover HIV screening tests, transportation costs, and funds for home visits. |
Global Strategies for HIV Prevention |
| Country: Ethiopia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Global Strategies for HIV Prevention |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $2,200 |
| This grant will enable a Kenyan youth development specialist to travel to Ghana to offer a workshop on community-based programming for vulnerable children and to share lessons learned from the Kenyan experience. |
Global Strategies for HIV Prevention |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $3,900 |
| This support will enable church-based volunteers to conduct awareness raising about the needs of children affected by AIDS in the community. They will train 30 volunteers on nursing skills and child care to reach approximately 90 children. The funds will also help to establish a resource center for vulnerable children and their caregivers |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| REEP will train orphans and their guardians in counseling, vocational skills, project management, and savings programs. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| REEP conducts vocational skills training and provides livestock, agricultural supplies, and sewing and knitting machines to encourage self-reliance among 2,400 vulnerable children and their caregivers in rural Kenya. REEP works in partnership with a local bank, Butula Financial Services Association, which manages a revolving loan fund with more than 250 families as shareholders. Using small loans from this fund, caregivers and independent children initiate income-generating activities, such as dairy farming, that improve their livelihood, and foster empowerment and a spirit of hope. This grant provides a second year of operating support to REEP and will fund the training of community health workers and caregivers of children affected by AIDS in home care techniques as well as establish an HIV counseling and testing center in the community. REEP's accomplishments have been featured on Kenyan national television and applauded by the United Nations' Development Program and the World Bank. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| REEP conducts vocational skills training and provides livestock, agricultural supplies, and sewing and knitting machines to encourage self-reliance among 2,400 vulnerable children and their caregivers in rural Kenya. With its third grant from Firelight, REEP will construct an office block, counseling room, clinic/pharmacy, and community meeting space. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grant will enable REEP to respond to emergency needs of caregivers of vulnerable children, such as for housing and household maintenance expenses. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| REEP conducts vocational skills training and provides livestock, agricultural supplies, and sewing and knitting machines to encourage self-reliance among youth and caregivers in rural Kenya. The organization also offers microcredit programs and home-based care services. Firelight's previous grant enabled REEP to break ground on a new office block and to lay its foundation. With this grant, REEP will purchase a cellular telephone and a motorcycle to assist in communication and outreach to better serve the community. In 2003, Firelight featured REEP in a video to raise donor awareness about the work of community-based organizations. In response, donors requested that funds be directed to complete the construction of an office block presented in the video. The building will house offices, a meeting room, a pharmacy, and a small clinic. This rural district of approximately 120,000 people currently does not have access to these services. $32,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $64,000 |
| REEP conducts vocational skills training and provides livestock, agricultural supplies, and sewing and knitting machines to encourage self-reliance among youth and caregivers in rural Kenya. The organization also offers microcredit programs and home-based care services. Firelight's previous grant enabled REEP to break ground on a new office block and to lay its foundation. With this grant, REEP will purchase a cellular telephone and a motorcycle to assist in communication and outreach to better serve the community. In 2003, Firelight featured REEP in a video to raise donor awareness about the work of community-based organizations. In response, donors requested that funds be directed to complete the construction of an office block presented in the video. The building will house offices, a meeting room, a pharmacy, and a small clinic. This rural district of approximately 120,000 people currently does not have access to these services. $32,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| REEP strives to break the silence surrounding HIV/AIDS by working with its community to enhance the economic, physical, and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable families and children. Operating in rural western Kenya, the organization provides business management training and credit access to caregivers and adolescent orphans and supports several hundred youth in secondary or vocational schools. REEP's 30 home-based care teams tend to more than 10,000 children and caregivers. Previous Firelight funding supported REEP in preparing more than 250 caregivers to initiate and maintain viable small businesses. Firelight also helped REEP build an office that includes a health clinic and a resource center, and to purchase a motorbike and a cell phone to facilitate monitoring of beneficiaries. This regrant enables REEP to organize two workshops: the first to train 46 adult community members in the skills necessary to serve as paralegals for abused children, the second to teach 36 community leaders strategies for promoting children's rights. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme (REEP) works to improve the quality of life for marginalized groups in Butula Division, a rural area near the Kenya-Uganda border. REEP focuses on upholding the rights of children, and involving children to be advocates on their own behalf. REEP used previous funding to support a new paralegal program, which trained 46 community volunteers to undertake outreach visits and advocate for children's rights. Funds also supported training for traditional leaders and dissemination of 150 advocacy posters and 200 children's rights t-shirts. Current Firelight funding supports the expansion of the paralegal program, including a five-day follow-up training on counseling for REEP staff and the 26 paralegals they supervise. Funds will also enable REEP to hold six forums to encourage community-wide discussion of children's rights. REEP will also produce 200 booklets, 2,000 posters, and 250 t-shirts advocating for children's rights, which will be distributed during outreach visits and at community forums. Funds will also support a five-day training on children's rights for 100 children from the 63 primary schools in Butula Division. Funds will be used to train 100 children on their rights, hold community forums during children's rights week, and hold meetings with caregivers on issues raised by children. Focusing on children's legal rights, REEP trains youngsters to be advocates on their own behalf and trains community volunteers to be paralegals and counselors. |
Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,800 |
| This grant supports the travel and participation costs of a representative of REEP participating in the 8th International AIDS Impact Conference in Marseille, France. Focusing on children's legal rights, REEP trains youngsters to be advocates on their own behalf and trains community volunteers to be paralegals and counselors. |
Teenage Mothers and Children Family Health Care Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
| The grant provides partial support for food and medicine to 75 orphans who live with guardians through the TEMAC program. |
Teenage Mothers and Children Family Health Care Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grant will be used to purchase agricultural inputs for the community shamba (garden) and essential drugs for the community pharmacy to benefit children and their caregivers. |
Teenage Mothers and Children Family Health Care Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| TEMAC works to meet the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in Uasin Gishu, Eldoret in Western Kenya. Previously, Firelight funding supplied a community pharmacy, provided food for impoverished families, and assisted 65 children with school materials. This grant enables TEMAC to continue this assistance for 70 children and covers basic operational costs. |
Mapendo and Action Women Association |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $50,000 |
| With this grant, MAWA will assist the orphans and guardians of their community by increasing their services. They intend to build a community center, school and clinic which will serve 500 orphans and 200 guardians. They will also cover costs associated with running these facilities. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $21,000 |
| The grant, co-funded with the Lloyd Foundation, provides funds to support the basic needs of orphans (food, medicine, clothes, etc.); the training of caregivers in orphan-specific issues; and vocational training for orphans. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| With this grant, KICOSHEP will replace computers and office equipment stolen in a robbery earlier this year. KICOSHEP implements education and livelihood programs that reach more than 650 of the estimated 50,000 vulnerable children in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Eastern Africa. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| This grant will provide rent for 20 families; sewing machines (10) and vocational training for 14 orphans; microcredit loans for 5 orphans; training for 25 orphan caregivers in income generating activities; and training for 30 caregivers in child care skills. Funds will also support some operating expenses for a feeding program for 300 children. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| KICOSHEP offers an integrated program of HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities to residents of Kibera, a sprawling slum in Nairobi. The organization runs a community school and offers a range of supplemental services, including health care, food, vocational education, psychosocial support, home-based care training and services, and income-generating activities. Previous Firelight funding has supported KICOSHEP's community school, which educates hundreds of children who would not otherwise be able to meet their educational expenses. With this grant, KICOSHEP is training 50 families in income-generating activities and providing business start-up assistance. Funds also help ten vulnerable youth attend secondary school. Finally, funding enables KICOSHEP to build the capacity of ten Kenyan community-based organizations by training the staff in psychosocial support programs and income-generating activity administration. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Initiated originally to provide emergency response, KICOSHEP now implements a broad array of HIV prevention, care, and support activities, including VCT centers, support groups, clinics, and community schools. Now in its eighth year of Firelight funding, KICOSHEP used its most recent two-year grant to pay salaries for five teachers and the orphan program coordinator. They provided initial capital for IGAs to caregivers and enhanced both caregivers' and CBOs' competency in offering psychosocial support. Current grant funds support teacher and orphan program coordinator salaries. Additionally, funding ensures secondary school education for 10 youth, enables KICOSHEP to train 20 caregivers (including CHHs) on IGA-related skills, and provides start-up capital for 10 trainees. Finally, KICOSHEP provides training to 50 people, including grandfathers as a special target group, on memory book preparation. KICOSHEP runs a broad array of HIV prevention, care, and support programs, including voluntary testing centers, support groups, clinics, income-generating activities, and a community school. |
Kibera Integrated Community Self-Help Programme |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Serving residents of Kibera, a sprawling slum in Nairobi, KICOSHEP runs a broad array of HIV prevention, care, and support programs, including voluntary testing centers, support groups, clinics, income-generating activities, and a community school. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| The Sisters will support educational, counseling, and support services for more than 100 orphans and vulnerable children. They will also offer material assistance for 60 children to attend school and peer education programs through the Youth Alive Program. Youth Alive is a youth-run education and outreach service for children and families affected by AIDS. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $8,500 |
| Thirty primary and 5 secondary school students will be supported with this grant. Critical food assistance will be provided to 40 families. This grant will also support 11 seminars for behavior change. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Eighty-five primary and 8 secondary school students will be educated. Funds will also be used in support of Youth Alive behavior change seminars for 60 youth, who will go on to conduct AIDS awareness events and recreational activities in their community to promote positive, fun leisure activities. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| These funds will meet the costs of running a community school that offers computer and English classes, counseling, meals, and recreational activities for 40 vulnerable children. It will pay for the education of 4 nursery, 78 primary, and 2 secondary school pupils. The grant will also support the Sisters' hospital and home visiting of sick children and caregivers. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,500 |
| This grant will cover the salaries of one full-time and one part-time social worker to coordinate AIDS home care and outreach activities to vulnerable children. It will pay for 12 HIV prevention behavior change peer-led seminars for 600 youth. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| The Maryknoll Mission Sisters in Mwisenge work with Youth Alive participants to promote positive behavior change for HIV prevention. The Mwisenge Youth Alive group reaches rural communities by conducting creative peer education programs and providing home-based care to the terminally ill. This grant enables this group to continue its provision of educational assistance and psychosocial support to more than 200 children affected by HIV/AIDS. These children and their guardians are also served through home visits and access to a drop-in center for children and youth. |
Maryknoll Sisters |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The Maryknoll Mission Sisters work with youth leaders in Musoma to coordinate Youth Alive groups. Through their participation in Youth Alive, young people learn the facts about HIV/AIDS, discuss prevention through behavior change, and offer services to vulnerable families. With previous Firelight funding, they assisted 125 children with school fees, conducted HIV-prevention programs with 600 youth, and supplied home-based care and counseling to HIV/AIDS-affected families. This grant helps Youth Alive provide educational assistance to more than 90 children, train vulnerable girls in tailoring, and continue their awareness-raising activities. |
Community Resource Mobilisation Initiatives Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Funding will offer vocational training for 20 orphans, and counseling and training for 45 community AIDS educators. |
Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles: Giribanga |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $13,400 |
| AFCF began as income generating program for widows of the 1994 genocide and the AIDS epidemic, who were supporting their own and their extended families' children. In response to the growing number of child-headed households, the membership of 34 widows and 106 children established a bakery with the Firelight grant. The master baker is currently training 18 youth in bread production. Income from their sales provides the youth trainees with their first regular income. Firelight funding covered the costs of equipment, personnel, and raw materials to start the bakery. Funds also covered a 5 day training program for 100 children in income-generating activities and legal and human rights. |
Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles: Giribanga |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Funding will cover the costs of hiring technical assistance to develop a marketing and training proposal for expanding their youth-run bakery. |
Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles: Giribanga |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| AFCF-Giribanga was founded by a group of widowed survivors of Rwanda's 1994 genocide. With Firelight's initial grant of $13,400, AFCF-Giribanga established a small bakery and trained 15 orphaned youth as bakers. This grant will enable AFCF-Giribanga to expand its successful bakery, covering the costs of a new oven and related equipment, supplies, and bicycles, to facilitate bread delivery. Profits enhance the livelihoods of 78 widows and approximately 140 children. |
Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles: Giribanga |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Formed following the 1994 genocide, AFCF-Giribanga runs support groups for widows living with HIV/AIDS and provides home-based care, vocational and life-skills training for vulnerable youth, and educational and legal assistance. Firelight has funded AFCF since 2000. With the initial funding, AFCF started a bakery that employs vulnerable youth and generates income for AFCF activities. Firelight funds also paid ongoing bakery operating expenses and enabled AFCF to purchase land and build a small office. With this regrant AFCF is promoting vulnerable households' economic self-sufficiency by forming income-generation groups. Thirty-four caregivers and 20 youth are learning small-business management skills, forming business groups, and accessing startup capital. This regrant also pays for school materials for 40 children and supports recreational activities ' including learning field trips ' for vulnerable youth. |
Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles: Giribanga |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| AFCF began as a widow's group following the Rwandan genocide. Giribanga (To Keep Our Secret) is a reference to the women's infection with HIV as a result of rape during the genocide. The women work together to assist impoverished widows and child-headed households. The organization has already trained 100 members on income-generating activities and provided them with startup loans. AFCF is also providing psychosocial support activities for orphaned children, including an overnight exchange visit to a youth club in northern Rwanda and opportunities to learn and perform traditional dances and songs. Multi-year support from Firelight specifically strengthens the capacity of three self-help groups as they implement income-generating activities to benefit 30 families. Funds also help AFCF provide educational assistance to 96 children and youth. |
Benishyaka Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| The grant will cover one year of school fees and related expenses for 150 children. |
Benishyaka Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| Through their educational sponsorship program, Benishyaka Association has reached out to children throughout Rwanda orphaned by the 1990 war, the 1994 genocide and, increasingly, by HIV/AIDS. Though a careful selection process, Benishyaka ensures that disadvantaged youth can continue their studies into secondary school. This second year of funding will provide one year of school fees and related expenses for 150 children who were supported last year. Twenty of the these youth participated in a Firelight-funded pen pal exchange with a high school in California that explored the issues of daily life for youth dealing with the effects of war and HIV/AIDS. |
Benishyaka Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Benishyaka Association operates nationally in Rwanda to assist children in difficult circumstances and their caregivers by providing school scholarships and training in income-generating activities. This grant will provide scholarship support for 131 secondary school students for another year of their secondary school education. |
Benishyaka Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $34,800 |
| The Benishyaka Association was established to ensure access to educational and livelihood opportunities for orphans, widows, and families affected by the 1994 Rwandan genocide. More recently, Benishyaka has worked to address the needs of orphans and families challenged by HIV/AIDS. They provide educational assistance and income-generating activities to more than 3,000 beneficiaries, including 1,000 orphans. Previous Firelight grants to Benishyaka have provided scholarships to 150 secondary school students. This regrant continues educational assistance for this group of students, enabling them to complete their secondary school education. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Benishyaka Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $6,800 |
| The Benishyaka Association ensures access to educational and livelihood opportunities for orphans, widows, and families affected by the 1994 Rwandan genocide. More recently, Benishyaka has worked to address the needs of orphans and families challenged by HIV/AIDS. Benishyaka reaches more than 3,000 beneficiaries throughout Rwanda, including 1,000 orphans. Previous Firelight grants to Benishyaka have provided three-year scholarships to a cohort of 150 secondary school students. This regrant continues educational assistance for the 36 remaining students in this group, enabling them to complete secondary school. Benishyaka provides access to education and income-earning opportunities for orphans, widows, and families affected by the genocide and by HIV/AIDS, reaching more than 3,000 people including 1,000 orphans. |
Botshabelo Babies Home |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $8,700 |
| Funding to support this shelter which serves abandoned children, will cover the salaries of a social worker, two caregivers and administration. |
Botshabelo Babies Home |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $17,600 |
| Botshabelo Babies Home provides short to medium term shelter and care for abandoned babies and HIV positive children. They work closely with the local community, government agencies and adoption services to place children in long term homes. Not only have they developed an extensive national network, increasing their scope of impact, but they are also responding to the expressed needs of the local community and providing a wide variety of services to vulnerable children and families in their immediate location. The new grant will provide salary support for in-house and satellite caregivers and help cover project administration costs. |
Botshabelo Babies Home |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Botshabelo Babies Home provides care to HIV-positive and abandoned babies through hospice and adoption services and a family reunification program. In addition, they offer caregiver training and assistance with income-generating activities in the surrounding community. Previous grants supported shelter and salaries for a social worker and two caregivers. Regrant funds help cover administrative costs and salaries, allowing staff to focus on expanding their community home-based care program. |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| AIDS Outreach-Nyakato was founded to continue the activities of an HIV/AIDS awareness-raising and home-based care program initiated by a Maryknoll Sister, who handed over the leadership of the program to Tanzanian staff in 2003. Grant funds enable the group to conduct life skills seminars and leadership training toward HIV prevention for youth, hold two special day-long events for vulnerable children, and provide educational support to 50 children. |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,800 |
| AIDS Outreach Nyakato addresses the need for HIV/AIDS prevention and care in Nyakato. The organization uses peer education, leadership training, food assistance, home-based care, and other strategies to support vulnerable children. Firelight's first grant enabled AIDS Outreach Nyakato to meet the educational expenses of 50 children and to conduct a variety of peer-education and life-skills seminars for vulnerable youth. This regrant supports AIDS Outreach Nyakato to provide educational and food assistance to 80 orphans, to involve 80 youth in peer HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs, and to pay three staff members' salaries. |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| AIDS Outreach Nyakato (AON) grew out of a Catholic parish's response to the needs of families made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Their holistic program of support includes awareness-raising and HIV prevention through peer education activities, home-based care for people living with AIDS, and educational and food assistance for affected children. Firelight has previously supported youth-focused HIV prevention programs and educational access for vulnerable children. This renewal grant supports AON's holistic programming, by providing funds for critical staff positions and office running costs, in addition to educational and vocational training programs for vulnerable children. AON's program includes HIV prevention through peer education activities, home-based care for people living with AIDS, and educational and food assistance for vulnerable children. |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| AIDS Outreach Nyakato (AON) grew out of a Catholic parish's response to the needs of families made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Their holistic program of support includes awareness-raising and HIV prevention through peer education activities, home-based care for people living with AIDS, and educational and food assistance for affected children. |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
AIDS Outreach Nyakato |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The grant will enable the Project to provide counseling, school needs (books, uniforms, pens, and shoes) and other basic necessities for children, as well as providing outreach to their caregivers. |
Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The goal of the Anglican Street Children Project is to strengthen vulnerable communities, alleviating the hardships that force children onto the streets. They also provide longer-term care for orphans. Grant money will assist with school fees for 50 children and will provide food for 45 children in the residential facility. |
Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $14,500 |
| The goal of the Anglican Children's Project is to support vulnerable children and their families. Their programs include a residential transit center for street children, income-generating activities for orphans, school scholarships, psychosocial counseling, sports activities, and education about child labor and its effects. In the past, the Firelight Foundation has funded the Anglican Children's Project's educational and food programs, as well as a bakery project that provides food, income, and job training for street children. This regrant expands the project by funding vocational education for youth. |
Island Hospice and Bereavement Service |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $14,700 |
| Founded in 1979, Island Hospice was the first hospice established in Africa. With previous Firelight funding, Island initiated a community-based Children's Bereavement Support Project to increase the quality of emotional care for bereaved and ill children and their caregivers in high-density suburbs surrounding Harare. This grant will fund refresher courses for bereavement support group facilitators and the training of youth in home-based care of family members living with HIV/AIDS. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Island Hospice and Bereavement Service |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,700 |
| Originally a traditional end-of-life care facility, Island Hospice and Bereavement Service shifted its emphasis to include support for caretakers of terminally ill patients in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Now in its fourth year of Firelight funding, Island Hospice continues to work on improving the physical and psychosocial care for bereaved and terminally ill children. Building upon its successful pilot training program for young caregivers, Island Hospice is holding two four-day workshops for 40 youth primary caregivers. The organization is also following up with home visits and offering ongoing support through group meetings. Island Hospice is also bringing together previously trained adult and youth caregivers for a three-day workshop. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Island Hospice and Bereavement Service |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The first hospice established in Africa, Island Hospice now works to catalyze greater community involvement and support for those caring for terminally-ill family members at home as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Building upon their ongoing efforts to provide children with palliative and bereavement care and in recognition of the growing numbers of young people caring for the terminally ill, Island Hospice piloted their Young Carers Training and Support Project in Chitungwiza, a high-density area in Harare, with Firelight funding in 2004. Now with its third grant from Firelight, Island Hospice will expand the Young Carers Project to the Highfield suburb of Harare by training 40 adolescents (25 girls/15 boys) in home-based care. These young carers will be supported through group counseling and by thirty adult volunteers who visit them in their homes. A portion of the funds will also support the program's administrative costs. Island Hospice builds community support for those caring for terminally ill family members with HIV/AIDS, and provides young caregivers in-home counseling and training in home-based health care. |
Island Hospice and Bereavement Service |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,100 |
| Island Hospice builds community support for those caring for terminally ill family members with HIV/AIDS, and provides young caregivers in-home counseling and training in home-based health care. |
World Internet Resources for Education and Development |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $7,350 |
| The grant will enable the purchase of six computers and the training of six AIDS orphans in a pilot program of computer learning at a conference in Mombasa. |
World Internet Resources for Education and Development |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $2,800 |
| This grant will enable a group of youth affected by AIDS to manage a Community Health Information Center by providing funds for a computer and staff salaries. This award builds on a previous Firelight grant that supported a computer and internet skills training session for these youth held in March 2001. |
World Internet Resources for Education and Development |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Over the past two years, WiRED has trained and empowered more than two dozen Kenyan youth through Community Health Information Centers (CHICs) ' small, independently operated, computer labs. WiRED's network of CHICs currently provides health-related information to one million Kenyans. This grant will support a pilot initiative to establish access within CHICs for blind individuals, and to initiate two mobile centers to reach disabled individuals unable to travel to existing centers. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $21,200 |
| In 1999, several young women and their teacher decided to do something about the gender-based violence and abuse occurring in their schools, homes, and communities. They formed a girls' club named the Girl Child Network. The girls took as their motto, 'The Sky Is the Limit,' expressing their quest to realize their dreams by overcoming gender discrimination and sexual violence. With Firelight's support, the GCNT will open its third safe house for girls escaping sexual abuse in the rural village of Rusape. Funding will also be used for counseling workshops for girls' club coordinators to assist them in dealing with sexual abuse issues among club members. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $200 |
| This grant will enable girls in the Chitungwiza safe house to start an income-generating project. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $1,800 |
| This grant will support the cross training of two women from Fountain of Hope from Lusaka, Zambia to provide services for the vulnerable girl-child. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
| These funds will enable GCNT to cover remaining construction costs and to convene a grand communitywide celebration ceremony (for 1500 people!) to open the """"Rusape Empowerment Village,"""" a safe space for rehabilitating young female victims of sexual abuse in rural Zimbabwe. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Due to a severe regional drought, Firelight made this emergency assistance grant to enable the Girl Child Network to provide girl children in the rural areas with food and educational assistance. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| This grant will assist with the maintenance and ongoing administration of the Rusape Empowerment Village by covering staff salaries and the purchase of a reliable used vehicle. Funds will also support GCN's efforts to raise local and national awareness of the situation of young women and to offer essential information and resources to young women struggling to overcome sexual abuse and gender-based discrimination. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| A secondary school teacher and her female students started the Girl Child Network in 1999 to address the gender-based violence and abuse occurring in schools, homes, and communities. Firelight's support enabled GCN to construct an 'Empowerment Village' in Rusape where, in one year, they counseled 47 girl survivors of sexual abuse and reintegrated them with families in the community. Every year, GCN continues to assist more girl survivors and works with the broader community to reintegrate them. This documentation grant supports GCN's development of a website and video aimed to raise awareness with donors about the issues affecting girls. www.gcn.org.zw |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $34,500 |
| GCN supports the empowerment of the girl child in all spheres of home, school, and community in order to bring about 'a society where girls enjoy their economic, social, and political rights and become... women walking in their full potential.' Nearly 20,000 girls throughout Zimbabwe participate in GCN's activities, through membership in Girls' Clubs or by entering one of GCN's 'Empowerment Villages.' With Firelight's funding GCN constructed a Girls' Empowerment Village in Chitsotso, Rusape, to address the increasing number of girls reporting sexual abuse and exploitation in rural villages. This two-year regrant provides for the ongoing operation of the Chitsotso Empowerment Village, including educational assistance for 20 girl survivors of sexual abuse, as well as visits to homes and girls' clubs to provide ongoing emotional support and other resources to 2,500 girls. Funds also enable GCN to hold workshops and awareness-raising activities on child sexual abuse that involve at least 250 individuals, including village headmen, local authorities, and members of the Rusape community. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Girl Child Network (GCN) advocates for the rights of girls aged 0-16 through a network of over 500 girls clubs (in- and out-of-school) with a membership of over 25,000 girls across more than 30 districts of Zimbabwe. In addition to supporting these clubs, GCN provides 24-hour emergency services to abused girls and has directly assisted over 20,000 girls since its inception in 1999. GCN also supports a Community Development and Empowerment Program to build the capacity of communities to handle abuse cases, as well as engaging in advocacy and awareness raising. Firelight's previous grant supported GCN's Chitsotso Empowerment Village, which provides survivor support and protection in Makoni district in eastern Zimbabwe. The grant also funded an economic empowerment seminar for 15 girls clubs, a community HIV workshop, and six area child-monitoring committee meetings. With this grant, Firelight continues to support Chitsotso Empowerment Village with funds for the rehabilitation of 20 abused girls, as well as staff salaries and administrative costs. Funds also cover start up capital and training in income generation for 20 girls clubs, as well as training of for the clubs on HIV, gender, and human rights. GCN advocates for the rights of girls through a network of 500 clubs with some 35,000 members; provides emergency services to abused girls; and trains girls in HIV prevention, leadership, human rights, and income-generating activities. |
Girl Child Network |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| GCN advocates for the rights of girls through a network of 500 girls' clubs with some 35,000 members throughout Zimbabwe. GCN provides emergency services to abused girls; and trains girls in HIV prevention, leadership, human rights, and income-generating activities. GCN also supports a Community Development and Empowerment Program to build the capacity of communities to handle abuse cases, as well as engages in advocacy and awareness-raising. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $15,500 |
| This grant will fund three desktop computers, one printer and supporting software as well as vehicle costs. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| This grant will provide salaries for caregivers, nurse, cooks, and other personnel that run the Chinyaradzo Children's Home (a hospice care facility), the Fostercare Programme, and the Collin John Campbell Pre-School Center for abandoned infants and children with AIDS. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Funds will support CPS's transition from institutional to family-based group homecare for 60 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). Funds will also enable CPS to further support OVCs in late adolescence by offering life skills training and seed capital for income generating activities. A portion of the grant will cover palliative care expenses for terminally ill children. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| CPS supports abandoned, abused, disabled, and terminally ill children through a program of residential hospice care and community-based family care. Previous Firelight grants have covered CPS' operational and administrative costs and enabled CPS to transform large dormitories into smaller family units. This grant enables CPS to cover caregivers' salaries. It also increases the level of psychosocial support provided to children by training staff in psychosocial support techniques and strengthening current child counseling and group support programs. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CPS, the oldest child welfare organization in Zimbabwe, supports abandoned, abused, disabled, and terminally ill children with residential and community-based care. CPS leads a national effort to transition care of vulnerable children away from institutions into community-based family settings. Previous Firelight grants have covered CPS' operational and administrative costs and enabled the organization to transform dormitories into smaller family units. Firelight grants have also supported CPS with caregivers' salaries, administrative expenses, and the cost of maintaining the organization's family houses. This discretionary grant enables CPS to fill a critical administrative funding gap, paying three staff members' salaries for three months. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Child Protection Society (CPS) promotes the wellbeing and rights of children throughout Zimbabwe and protects them from cruelty, neglect or suffering. CPS administers two day care centers and one residential home and has led national efforts to transition care of orphaned and abandoned children away from institutions into community-based family care. CPS increasingly acts as a 'watchdog' for children's programs throughout the country. Firelight has supported these efforts, as well as construction of a business skills center where children from Chinyaradzo Children's Home and the surrounding community can gain skills in screen printing, graphic design, wood working, tailoring, and basic computing. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Child Protection Society (CPS) promotes the well-being and rights of children throughout Zimbabwe and protects them from cruelty, neglect, and suffering. CPS administers two-day care centers and one residential home, and has led national efforts to transition the care of orphaned and abandoned children away from institutions into community-based family care. CPS increasingly acts as a 'watchdog' for children's programs throughout the country. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Child Protection Society (CPS) promotes the well-being and rights of children throughout Zimbabwe and protects them from cruelty, neglect, and suffering. CPS administers two-day care centers and one residential home, and has led national efforts to transition the care of orphaned and abandoned children away from institutions into community-based family care. CPS increasingly acts as a 'watchdog' for children's programs throughout the country. |
Child Protection Society |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Moxie Firecracker Films |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2000 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| With this support, Moxie Firecracker will produce educational materials to accompany a film to be used to raise awareness among policymakers and the general public about the extent and impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis in developing countries. |
North American Baptist Conference |
| Country: Cameroon |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Funds will support the development of an orphan care and outreach program to complement a prenatal HIV screening program funded by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Firelight funds will provide 50 orphans with medical care and basic needs. The funds will also cover the costs of a child welfare coordinator's salary, training for family caregivers, office expenses, educational materials and travel costs. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $18,000 |
| The grant will enable 100 orphans to join a micro-business revolving fund and receive an entrepreneurship workshop as well as skills training courses in tailoring, batik and handcrafts. The organization will also begin a peer education program in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| As a result of this grant, 20 youth will be trained as peer educators and 20 adult committee members will be trained in orphan monitoring, community leadership and mobilization. In addition, 50 community caregivers will receive training, and 500 children will be fed at the community school. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Bwafwano is a leader in the field of home-based care and the support of vulnerable children. Activities include health, nutrition, psychosocial support, education, skills training, HIV/AIDS prevention, and income-generating activities. Previous Firelight funding enabled 100 orphans to attend an entrepreneurship workshop and receive small business loans. Grant funds also helped Bwafwano train caregivers, youth, and adults in peer education, orphan monitoring, and community leadership and mobilization. In addition, 500 children at the community school were fed every day for one school year. With this grant, Bwafwano is increasing the orphan care and peer education support they offer by expanding to a new geographical area. The funds provide food and basic materials to children in school, and supports the formation of anti-AIDS clubs and orphan care support groups, and the distribution of condoms. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $2,800 |
| Bwafwano is creating two products with this documentation grant: a newsletter that is directed at local community-based organizations and a video that describes Bwafwano's work for potential and current donors. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| The Global Health Council selected Bwafwano's Executive Director, Beatrice Chola, to present a paper on Bwafwano's community mobilization work at its annual public health conference in Washington, D.C. This grant covers the travel expenses associated with this presentation and a visit to the Firelight Foundation's offices in Santa Cruz, California. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Bwafwano Community Home Based Care (BCHBC) was developed as a community response to fight the spread of diseases, like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and to reduce the vulnerability of children. Previous Firelight funding to BCHBC covered peer education, income-generating activities, and educational support. With this Firelight grant BCHBC is extending its services to two new locations: Mkushi and Chibombo districts. Funding covers healthcare for 500 vulnerable children, life-skills classes for 1,400 young people, and vocational training for 350 orphaned youth. BCHBC expects to reach 7,000 people with its voluntary counseling and testing services and health information campaign. In addition, BCHBC plans to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services to 3,500 youth by September 2008. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Bwafano Community Home Based Care ('Helping One Another') began in 1996 as a local home-based care program. BCHBC's programs now include reproductive health services, a community health clinic with a diagnostic lab, and voluntary counseling and treatment (VCT) and community anti-retrovial treatment (ART) programs. Over time, BCHBC has grown in the size of its staff, budget, services provided, number of children and adults reached, and also geographic area served. |
Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Organisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud, South Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The funds will purchase supplies for an after-school tutoring and bereavement art program for 40 children, several of whom are also participating in a Firelight funded pen-pal program with Anzar High School in California. |
Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud, South Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Funds will expand the after-school tutoring and bereavement art program for 30 children in Alexandra Township. |
Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud, South Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $22,000 |
| AFXB works in two of the largest townships around Johannesburg, offering after-school programs for children who would go home to an empty house or ill parents. Firelight's first grant helped fund an after-school tutoring and bereavement art program for 30 children. With this new grant, AFXB continues two after-school programs and initiates the first phase of a leadership program. The leadership program promotes and encourages young people to investigate potential career paths by having them interview professionals in different jobs and institutions, document their findings, and report back to other youth. AFXB will also initiate short-term internships within different organizations so that youth can gain practical experience. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud, South Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| With Firelight assistance, Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud (AFXB) initiated after-school programs in Alexandra and Soweto townships to help children living in families struggling with poverty and illness. Through after-school programs children receive a meal, homework assistance, lessons in children's rights, and counseling. There are now 240 youth enrolled in four centers, with a higher percentage of girls receiving support. This Firelight grant is covering food and other materials for the after-school program and a leadership program for older adolescents, in preparation for entering the workplace. Funds also support training for after-school staff. |
Association Fran'ois-Xavier Bagnoud, South Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| AFXB offers after-school programs for children who would go home to an empty house or ill parents in two of the largest townships surrounding Johannesburg. Children receive a meal, homework assistance, lessons in children's rights, and counseling. |
National Coalition of Women Living with AIDS |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| NACWOLA developed the concept of the memory book and continues to provide services throughout Uganda. The funds will provide children orphaned by HIV/AIDS with counseling services, memory books, school fees, material support, vocational training, home visits, and cultural events. |
National Coalition of Women Living with AIDS |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The funds will provide vocational training for orphaned children; awareness seminars for children and care givers on reproductive health and family life; and follow-up support to HIV+ mothers participating in the Memory Box project, including home visits, counseling and guidance. |
National Coalition of Women Living with AIDS |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| This discretionary grant will help purchase a used vehicle to improve transportation to trainings. |
Gira Ubuntu - Be Human |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The funds support an HIV/AIDS awareness program which holds workshops, and cultural and recreational activities for children and the community. |
Family AIDS Caring Trust, Chiredzi |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| The funds are for an integrated prevention and care outreach program that includes: community and youth prevention and education; counseling, home-based, and orphan care programs; and income-generating projects. |
Family AIDS Caring Trust, Chiredzi |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| This grant will support 800 orphans through a combination of material assistance (food, blankets, clothing); home visiting to orphans and their caregivers; payment of educational expenses; psychosocial support; and skills training. Funds will also cover advocacy and training for 1,295 orphans on procuring identity documents, and outreach/training for new caregivers. |
Family AIDS Caring Trust, Chiredzi |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| FACT-Chiredzi serves the urban Chiredzi district, providing educational, material, and psychosocial support to more than 1,500 vulnerable children. Firelight has supported FACT-Chiredzi's integrated orphan-support program since 2001. Funding has enabled the group to extend its services to more vulnerable children and to offer intensive support to families in need, with special attention on children's and caregivers' psychosocial wellbeing. This regrant offers continued funding for FACT-Chiredzi's diverse programs, including educational assistance, HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities, and training of caregivers in succession planning and memory book preparation. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The funds will create income-generating activities for foster caregivers; provide food for needy children; and support the medical and counseling team that serves children and their families. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| This grant will support the medical and counseling team that serves children and their families and will provide for supervision and facilitation of income generating activities for caregivers. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| St. Francis offers a compassionate and comprehensive response to the local HIV/AIDS epidemic. Firelight's first grant funded income-generating projects for 100 caregivers, fed 700 children, and supported a community medical and counseling team. Funds also helped St. Francis register over 1,100 children in school and mentoring programs. Building on the experience of their first grant, St. Francis Health Care Services will use the regrant funds to provide livelihood opportunities and medical supplies to orphans and families living with HIV/AIDS. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| With this documentation grant, St. Francis is creating an organizational website and producing an annual report. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| St. Francis Health Care Services operates a health care center providing medical support, along with counseling, home-based care, and income-generating activities to 4,500 men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, as well as 1,500 vulnerable children. This Firelight grant allows the health center staff to continue providing health education home visits to 2,000 vulnerable children and nutritional support to 150 HIV-positive children. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Having now served more than 10,000 patients, St. Francis' Health Centre focuses on providing specialized services and holistic support for HIV-positive persons and their families. St. Francis' skilled medical team provides home-based care to HIV-positive children. Children undergoing anti-retroviral treatment are also invited to report every Saturday for the """"Shadow Idol Program"""", where they participate in life skills lessons, games, sports, music, and drama, and can receive medical screenings and meals. The key feature of the Shadow Idol Program is community members' 'testimonies' for the children, which are talks focused on their futures. An average of 223 children attend the Shadow Idol meetings each month. |
St. Francis Health Care Services |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
St. Agnes Catholic Women Guild |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $11,500 |
| In order to support 40 orphans, St. Agnes makes oil cakes which they sell locally. Firelight is funding bakery machinery, raw materials, and other items needed to expand their project into a bread baking enterprise to generate income and employment to support more orphans. |
New Horizon Ministries |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $2,000 |
| New Hope Orphanage strives to meet the life skills and psychosocial needs of girl street children. This grant will provide for life skills training - to include tailoring, baking, knitting, and housekeeping - for 22 girls ages 7 to 14 years who are not currently attending school due to lack of financial support. Funds will also cover vocational skills placements in the community and elementary school fees. |
New Horizon Ministries |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| New Horizon Ministries helps care for destitute and abused children who are living on the streets of Lusaka. With a previous grant, NHM purchased an oven and trained 15 girls and 10 caregivers in basic sewing and cooking skills. This new Firelight grant helps NHM fund administrative and operational costs. |
Catholic AIDS Action |
| Country: Namibia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Four hundred children will receive school fees, uniforms, and ancillary costs as a result of this grant. The grant will also cover the training and support of volunteers, and administrative costs. |
Catholic AIDS Action |
| Country: Namibia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This discretionary grant funds the dissemination and evaluation of CAA's book 'Building Resilency' to all Firelight grantee-partners. |
Catholic AIDS Action |
| Country: Namibia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| With this two-year grant, 300 children will receive school fees, uniforms, and ancillary costs. The funds will also cover the training and support of volunteers, as well as administrative costs. |
Children Affected by AIDS Foundation |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| This grant supports the Special Needs Fund which assists children and families affected by AIDS to respond to unplanned financial crises. |
Cameroon Medical Women Association |
| Country: Cameroon |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| This grant supports a scholarship program for 30 children in primary and secondary school as well as 10 children in vocational skills training. The grant also covers the children's medical care, food and clothing as well as program costs. |
Cameroon Medical Women Association |
| Country: Cameroon |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Firelight is supporting a scholarship program for 40 children in primary and secondary school as well as 10 children in vocational skills training. The grant also covers the children's medical care, food and clothing as well as program costs. In addition, Firelight is facilitating and sponsoring an educational exchange with a peer organization to encourage organizational and programmatic development. |
Cameroon Medical Women Association |
| Country: Cameroon |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Cameroon Medical Women Association was started by a group of female doctors to address the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. With past Firelight help, CMWA assisted orphaned and vulnerable children with education, medical care, and emotional support. With this two-year grant, they provide 39 children with school fees and uniforms. |
Child Hope Organization |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Funds will support programming to address the prevention of HIV/AIDS by holding educational workshops, and to promote income-generating projects for children. |
Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The funds are for a three-day advocacy skills seminar for 20 participants; a training on sexual abuse, prevention and treatment; and the provision of legal representation for orphans and caregivers. |
Positive Widows in Kenya |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The funds are to assist rural Maasai women and young girls with: home-based care, counseling and advocacy with an emphasis on children. |
Positive Widows in Kenya |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| POWIK, an association of HIV-positive women, works to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS by offering advocacy, home-based care, and counseling programs that assist women and girls. With Firelight's previous grant, POWIK trained 15 high school girls as peer educators and 25 women in palliative care. These peer educators conducted outreach to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in workplaces, primary and secondary schools, churches, and mosques. Palliative care volunteers made home visits to vulnerable children and their sick guardians. This year's grant allows POWIK to provide group counseling to 24 HIV-positive women and youth, train foster caregivers in income-generating activities, and train new volunteers in counseling and care of children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $11,600 |
| The grant covers the cost of an orphan needs assessment, a community mobilization program, and the training of orphan care committees. It will also contribute to a day care feeding and learning program, the improvement of health care facilities, and a school bursary fund. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| As part of the expansion of its network of Community Orphan Care Committees (COCCs), this grant will enable WEMIHS to recruit and train new COCC members; to convene a stakeholders forum on advocacy for children's rights; and to support home-based care visits to PLWAs and OVCs in the region. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| WEMIHS offers care, educational support, and other services to vulnerable children, caretakers, and people living with HIV/AIDS. WEMIHS used Firelight's previous grant to train 60 members of village-level orphan care committees in program planning and strategies for meeting the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. WEMIHS also identified and registered 350 orphans for its program of educational, material, and psychosocial support. Firelight's grant will enable WEMIHS to support additional training for volunteers and staff, provide counseling to 75 children, and run a grandmothers' support group for 30 caregivers. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| WEMIHS focuses on strengthening community capacity to respond holistically to the issues of vulnerable children. Previous Firelight funding enabled WEMIHS to establish six community orphan care centers and to hold a series of informational community meetings, reaching hundreds of participants. This regrant helps WEMIHS improve its psychosocial support services in six schools and coordinate the efforts of other service providers in its area. Funds also assist WEMIHS in supporting the guardians of vulnerable children with health care, food, and links to comprehensive services for the children in their care. In this grant, WEMIHS will intensify advocacy efforts, especially focusing on zero tolerance of child abuse, which disproportionately affects girls. Finally, funds partially cover the salaries of four staff members. Second year of funding supports efforts to strengthen district and community support systems and provides emergency basic needs to vulnerable families. Funds continue to support advocacy efforts, PSS counselling and production of materials for the PSS program. Finally, funds partially cover salaries and other administrative costs. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
| WEMIHS focuses on strengthening community capacity to respond holistically to the issues of vulnerable children. Previous Firelight funding enabled WEMIHS to establish six community orphan care centers and to hold a series of informational community meetings, reaching hundreds of participants.This discretionary grant funds an WEMIHS representative to attend the June/July 2007 AIDS Impact Conference in Marseilles. WEMIHS works to strengthen community capacity to provide food security, healthcare, child protection, education, and caregiver support services. |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
WEM Integrated Health Services |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $15,700 |
| Funding will enable them to set up a separate shelter for 25 girl children and cover the costs of shelter rental, the purchase of bedding, clothes and food for the children and allowances for two caretakers. |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $10,500 |
| The grant will enable this shelter for street children to provide 40 mothers with business skills training and seed money for small businesses. Helping mothers is one of the most sustainable ways to help orphaned children. The grant will also pay for 32 children to attend one year of secondary school. |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| This two-year grant will cover overhead and operational costs for running a comprehensive outreach program targeting street children, including a transitional shelter for boys. |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| This two-year grant will provide technical assistance for organizational development. |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Initially set up as a recreation and outreach center for street children, Fountain of Hope's (FOH) programs grew to include education, a feeding program and a clinic. FOH currently houses 34 youth in their transit home and serves 371 students. FOH recently initiated a reintegration program to prevent institutionalization with the support of the Department of Social Welfare. More than 180 street children benefit from FOH's programs. Firelight's most recent grants covered staff salaries and staff training. However, due to significant staff turnover in 2003 and 2004 and board/management conflict, the majority of the staff trained with Firelight support have left FOH. As an organization, FOH remains well respected and valued in the wider civil society for its work with street children. With stronger financial management checks and balances in place, FOH's now focuses on building staff capacity, outreach and first-touch response as its core program. Firelight's renewed fund enables FOH to support its education, outreach, feeding programs, and administrative costs. Current funding allows FOH to provide education materials to 380 community school children and meals to 100 youth. Firelight's financial support further enables FOH's efforts to diversify its donor base and to assess its organizational capacity. Set up as a recreation and outreach center for street children, FOH's programs now also include schooling, meals, and a health clinic. |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Fountain of Hope |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programme - Pandipieri |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| In order to strengthen a community health program integrating preventative health care and child empowerment in the shanty towns of Kisumu, Firelight is funding the salaries of a nutritionist and child counselor, the training of 12 home-based care and child-care workers, and miscellaneous costs. |
Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programme - Pandipieri |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| These funds will support the salary expenses of two nurses and two child counselors and the training of 40 youth in peer and child counseling. The grant will also support efforts to mobilize teachers and school-going youth around HIV prevention and assistance for children affected by AIDS. Funds will also cover essential medicines distributed through their community health clinics. |
Kisumu Urban Apostolate Programme - Pandipieri |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $22,000 |
| PCHP provides integrated support to nearly 4,500 children and families in 15 poor urban communities. Firelight funding has previously enabled PCHP to train counselors who support children through parental loss. This grant allows PCHP to train and provide small stipends to its volunteer counselors. It also provides funds to conduct workshops for the caregivers of malnourished children to teach them how to prepare nutritious food. In addition, funds help PCHP expand its clinical care for youth with sexually transmitted infections. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Catholic Diocese of Kitui |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| This grant covers the costs of a workshop (trainers, materials, transportation) for 150 children to address the stigma and discrimination of HIV/AIDS. It will also fund the formation of peer support groups and the participation of the children's parents in property succession planning and will writing. |
Catholic Diocese of Kitui |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| This grant will provide costs for training social workers and orphans, purchasing drugs and providing other social programs. |
J.F. Kapnek Charitable Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| The funds are for 15 school scholarships in the medical and health sciences for young women affected by or orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. |
J.F. Kapnek Charitable Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,900 |
| This grant represents the second of two years of scholarship support for 15 young female students who are completing pre-university studies in anticipation of pursuing careers in the health sciences. |
J.F. Kapnek Charitable Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $32,700 |
| The Kapnek Trust aims to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the children of Zimbabwe, both through preventing new pediatric HIV infections and by supporting an integrated program of care for young vulnerable children. With Firelight's earlier grant, the Kapnek Trust provided secondary school scholarships to 15 young women preparing for careers in health care. With this three-year grant, the Kapnek Trust is building and equipping three community preschools that will provide education, nutrition, and medical support to 225 children. The children's caregivers will also benefit, by having time to pursue income-generating activities and respite. The final year of funding supports three teachers' salaries, equiptment and construction supplies for the schools and assistance for food security, health and psychosocial programs. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Salvation Army Masiye Camp |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $6,700 |
| Funds will enable the camp to create ten eating areas to improve psychosocial interactions of children and their counselors. |
Salvation Army Masiye Camp |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| With the grant, Masiye Camp is establishing an emergency fund, which will assist over 200 of the most needy orphans. |
Salvation Army Masiye Camp |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Funds will support the Camp's Emergency Fund, which enables camp counselors to address urgent needs for assistance. Further funding will pay expenses for 12 Life Skills camps, reaching 1,200 youth. Camp Masiye's program supports youth affected by AIDS by training young people who are heads of households on leadership skills, helping them cope with personal loss, and offering them a recreational outlet. |
Salvation Army Masiye Camp |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $23,800 |
| Masiye Camp offers life skills training to child heads-of-households using experiential learning, recreational activities, and small group discussion. Previously, Firelight funds enabled Masiye Camp to establish an emergency fund to respond to urgent needs faced by youth attending camp. The fund assists with expenses such as rent, utility bills, emergency medical crises, or school fees. This grant enables Masiye Camp to strengthen the community's capacity to care for HIV-positive children aged birth to five years old by training and supporting local networks of caregivers to offer palliative care and psychosocial support. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Kaoma Cheshire Community Care Center |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Kaoma Cheshire Community Care Centre is the single source of aid to orphaned children in their surrounding 5000-square kilometer area. In 2001, after the failure of a local bank and the loss of nearly $50,000 in savings, the Center was facing closure. With Firelight funding for six months and other support, they were able not only to sustain the center, but also open a free community school for orphans and offer support to community members caring for vulnerable children. They are providing shelter to 88 children under the age of five, 46 of whom are infants, under one year. In total, they reach 769 children with shelter, food or education. |
Kaoma Cheshire Community Care Center |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Regrant funds will cover teachers' salaries and support 10 family groups of children, allowing siblings to stay together. |
Kaoma Cheshire Community Care Center |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Kaoma Cheshire Care Home provides hospice support and famine relief for HIV-positive children. Past Firelight funding has enabled the home to offer the only local free schooling for vulnerable children. This grant covers school uniforms for 49 children and the food and health care needs of infants at their facility.Kaoma Cheshire Care Home provides hospice support and famine relief for HIV positive. With Firelight funding, the home offers the only local free schooling for vulnerable children. This grant will cover school uniforms for 49 children and cover food and health care needs of infants at their home. |
Saidia Furaha Organization |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $6,500 |
| Funds will provide orphans and vulnerable children with: primary school support, vocational training, and workshops. It will also cover some administrative costs. |
Saidia Furaha Organization |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| These funds will support educational expenses for 33 primary school children; costs associated with training 20 young women in tailoring; awareness-raising workshops on HIV/AIDS; and counseling sessions for people living positively with HIV and children affected by AIDS. Funds will also be used to develop and implement an organizational development plan. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Funds will help CAFCHIN develop their rural family development program which aims to provide education in abuse prevention, counseling, life skills and health to orphans and vulnerable children in the area. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| These funds will help set up a community resource center, a small loan fund for caregivers, and will help create a rural family network. These activities aim to promote support, discussion and collaboration for community-based resolution of orphan care. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $12,300 |
| CAFCHIN's activities aim to promote community-based approaches to orphan care. Previous Firelight funds helped CAFCHIN set up a community resource center, a small loan fund assisting caregivers in income-generating activities, and a rural family network. This regrant helps CAFCHIN continue to train and assist 55 caregivers in initiating income-generating activities. Funds also enable CAFCHIN to work with children to develop memory books by covering the purchase of a camera, film, and art materials. Memory books are collections of stories and memorabilia that offer children a sense of family history. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| CAFCHIN is dedicated to meeting the economic, health, and psychosocial needs of vulnerable children and their caregivers in Lundazi Province. More than 200 children and 30 caregivers benefited from CAFCHIN's services in 2005. With its previous Firelight grant, the group trained more than 60 caregivers in business planning, children's rights, and HIV/AIDS prevention. The training was supplemented with business loans. Profits generated from the businesses funded HIV-positive widows to construct homes, which will be inherited by their children, and supported a community vegetable garden. This regrant from Firelight supports the salaries of eight staff members, various office expenses, and training in management, finance, and education material production for three staff members. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CAFCHIN is dedicated to meeting the economic, health, and psychosocial needs of vulnerable children and their caregivers in Lundazi Province. Previous grant funds supported salaries of eight staff members, various office expenses, and training in management, finance, and education material production for three staff members. This discretionary grant provides bridge funding for three months. Funds will support salaries for for 7 full-time staff (three administrative and four program staff). In addition, funds will cover rent for office space and a classroom for their early childhood education program, electricity, internet access, water and stationery. The funds will also provide stipends for volunteers. CAFCHIN's volunteer teams conduct community-wide outreach and mobilization efforts; offer orphans and their caregivers support groups and counseling; provide vocational training for out-of-school youth; fund educational assistance; and run workshops on child abuse, early marriage, and access to health and education. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Care for Children in Need (CAFCHIN) seeks to improve the economic, health, and psychosocial status of orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers. Trained volunteers of Family Friends Teams (FFT) and Community Action Teams (CAT) implement CAFCHIN's core work. FFTs are groups of 3-4 neighbors organized in support circles. CATs facilitate community-wide outreach and mobilization. Firelight's previous grant funded vocational training for out-of-school youth, educational support for 25 children, and community mobilization activities. Among its successes CAFCHIN highlights the graduation of 10 beneficiaries from secondary school and three women's clubs that made thousands of bricks to build a health clinic, a community meeting space, and a vocational training center. This renewal grant from Firelight supports training and workshops for community leaders on child and domestic abuse, early marriage, health, and education access. In addition, Firelight funds CAFCHIN's staff development, strategic planning, resource mobilization planning, and overhead costs. CAFCHIN's volunteer teams conduct community-wide outreach and mobilization efforts; offer orphans and their caregivers support groups and counseling; provide vocational training for out-of-school youth; fund educational assistance; and run workshops on child abuse, early marriage, and access to health and education. |
Care For Children in Need |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| CAFCHIN's volunteer teams conduct community-wide outreach and mobilization efforts; offer orphans and their caregivers support groups and counseling; provide vocational training for out-of-school youth; fund educational assistance; and run workshops on child abuse, early marriage, and access to health and education. |
The Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $48,000 |
| The funds will provide 200 rural children about to be orphaned with a memory box. The box contains a letter from their mother giving her hopes and dreams for that child, along with photos and other small mementos. The process of creating the box with a community health worker provides psychosocial support as well as a sense of family history for the children and their parents. In addition, South Coast Hospice will purchase a vehicle to enable health workers to reach rural communities. |
The Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $33,000 |
| The grant will pay for training and support to institutions and communities involved in the care of terminally ill children and orphans. The training includes grief and bereavement counseling and therapy for caregivers of children and support sessions for bereaved children. |
The Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $26,000 |
| Island Hospice's Children's Support Project offers critical psychosocial support to children who have lost their parents. Funding will be used to train caregivers, hospital workers, and trainers on psychosocial support techniques. The funds will also allow the Hospice to continue its group work with vulnerable children and offset some administrative costs. |
The Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $850 |
| This grant supports the participation of one Island Hospice (Zimbabwe) staff member in the International Children's Hospice Congress to be held in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in November, 2002, so that she might share lessons learned from working in small support groups with children orphaned by AIDS. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The philosophy driving CETRUD is that orphaned children grow and thrive more fully in family homes, rather than orphanages. In support of this, appropriate caretakers are identified in the community and CETRUD provides relevant training and support, both educational and financial. With this grant, CETRUD will provide small business management training to 17 caregivers and offer microcredit loans for the start up of new businesses. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Building on lessons learned from a previous grant, CETRUD will continue to identify caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children and provide seed grants for income-generating activities. Funds will also cover ongoing technical training and support to the caregivers. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $2,000 |
| This grant helps to re-establish four small businesses that were destroyed by heavy wind and rain. Income from these businesses supports a total of 26 children. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| With two previous Firelight Foundation grants, CETRUD provided small business management training and microcredit loans for 17 caregivers and seed grants to 30 additional caregivers and orphans and vulnerable children. It also funded ongoing technical training and support to loan recipients. With renewed Firelight support, CETRUD continues to identify caregivers of vulnerable children and is providing training and seed grants for income-generating activities to 40 caregivers. In addition, CETRUD is establishing an emergency fund to assist orphans and caretakers in crisis.The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| With the mission of protecting lives and the environment, CETRUD provides caretakers with business training and direct grants to help them better support the vulnerable children in their care. Continuing to build on previous Firelight-funded activities, which have included business and sustainable agricultural training, CETRUD is using this grant to provide training and small business grants to 35 families. This Firelight grant also covers the costs of training for CETRUD staff members and helps to establish a women's handicraft center that will market the organization's products overseas. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $13,900 |
| Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development (CETRUD) is a long-time Firelight grantee partner. CETRUD has developed a highly successful income-generating model, making grants between $200 - $400 USD to caretakers, commonly HIV+ women. Working intensively with the caretakers, CETRUD trains them for different income-generating activities (IGAs) and gives them long-term support to help them grow their businesses. Though not all businesses center on agriculture, each caretaker learns organic gardening to keep her family well-nourished even during lean times in the business. 95% of CETRUD's caretakers are successful in their IGAs. During the Ugandan grantee partner meeting in March 2007, grantee partners unanimously expressed interest in strengthening their IGAs, asking CETRUD to spearhead the initiative. CETRUD plans a four-day forum bringing together two representatives from each of our eight Ugandan grantee partners to learn about farming, animal husbandry, small enterprises, produce marketing, and farmer to seller linkages. Each day will end with open space for learning and sharing. CETRUD runs innovative income-generating and vocational training programs that support orphans and vulnerable children while fighting environmental degradation. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| CETRUD is a long-time Firelight partner engaging in innovative income-generating activities that support orphans and vulnerable children while fighting environmental degradation. They have been good stewards of their seven Firelight grants and have served as a technical advisor and convener for our other grantee partners in Uganda. CETRUD has a deep well of capacity regarding IGAs, sustainable agriculture, and conservation. However, they also recognize that there is room for growth regarding organizational capacity, staff management, and funding base. This grant assists CETRUD in the development of a five-year strategic plan, involving beneficiaries, staff, board, and local councilors in the process. Funds go toward compensation for three facilitators from outside the organization, venue rental for five days, and food, transport, and accommodation for the participants. CETRUD runs innovative income-generating and vocational training programs that support orphans and vulnerable children while fighting environmental degradation. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Started ten years ago to protect the environment, CETRUD quickly realized that they needed to first address health and livelihood issues in the community. They accomplish both through a two-pronged approach that builds livelihoods and protects children, while caring for the environment and promoting sustainable organic agriculture. Through five previous Firelight grants, CETRUD has trained caregivers and helped them to establish businesses. These strong and empowered women now run successful businesses and organic gardens that support their families. Caregivers also support each other through on-going training. In the first year of this two-year grant, CETRUD provided training and start-up funds for 13 additional family businesses. In addition, 7 youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS received vocational training in carpentry, welding, and car repair, and tools when their training was complete. With their second year of funds, CETRUD will extend the same programs to 17 additional caregivers and 8 additional youth. CETRUD runs innovative income-generating and vocational training programs that support orphans and vulnerable children while fighting environmental degradation. |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Centre for Environment Technology and Rural Development |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Teenage Mothers & Girls Association of Kenya |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $9,300 |
| TEMAK will provide uniforms and textbooks for 300 schoolchildren, train 20 groups of caregivers in income- generating activities, and identify and train approximately 400 guardians of children affected by AIDS in basic health care. This support will help TEMAK to achieve its goal of creating a comprehensive home based care strategy for 300 orphans and their households consisting of social services (education, recreation, training and seed money for microenterprise), essential drugs for community pharmacies, and emergency food assistance for schools and households in need. |
Jacob's Heart |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2001 |
Amount Awarded: $9,549 |
| This grant provides access to Movement Therapy for 18 children in the Santa Cruz area who are coping with life-threatening or chronic illnesses. |
Jacob's Heart |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $3,801 |
| This grant provides access to Movement Therapy for 9 children in the Santa Cruz area who are coping with life-threatening or chronic illnesses. |
Peace in God Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,200 |
| After nearly a decade providing food, education, and psychosocial support to more than 2,000 orphans and vulnerable children near Blantyre, PIGO is receiving its first grant from the Firelight Foundation. The organization is using the funds to launch a pig-rearing project. Five groups of 10 orphan caregivers are each receiving pigs to raise, breed, and sell to support PIGO's daycare centers and tailoring workshops. Firelight funds are being used to cover the costs of purchasing and raising livestock and some general administrative costs. |
Peace in God Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Peace in God Organization (PIGO), established to 'support the underprivileged in society, such as orphans and poor widows,' offers education support, psychosocial support, livelihood training, food security, HIV prevention, child rights training, abuse prevention programs, and community-based childcare centers in rural and urban Blantyre. With their first grant from Firelight, PIGO supported a pig-rearing project for 50 orphan caregivers and a tailoring training for 10 child heads-of-household. Realizing that the pig-rearing project restricted the participation of Muslims in their community, with their second grant, PIGO expands their livestock project to include goats. PIGO is giving two goats (a male and a female) to 50 vulnerable families, and supports these families with food packs until the income-generating project has turned a profit. PIGO is also supplying food for community-based child care centers. With this grant, they also provide three sewing students with 'starter packs' of sewing machines and cloth so they can start their own businesses. PIGO provides widows and orphans with education, counseling and emotional support, agriculture and vocational skills training, and community-based childcare centers. They also provide programs in HIV prevention, child rights, and child abuse prevention in rural and urban Blantyre. |
Peace in God Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Peace in God Organization (PIGO), established to 'support the underprivileged in society, such as orphans and poor widows,' offers education support, psychosocial support, livelihood training, food security, HIV prevention, child rights training, abuse prevention programs, and community-based childcare centers in rural and urban Blantyre. |
Peace in God Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Blessed Martyrs Orphanage Centre |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $4,700 |
| The Centre, serving 380 abandoned children, will utilize the grant to build a carpentry and woodworking workshop in order to provide job and vocational skills training opportunities. |
WAMATA Sengerema |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grant will cover the educational expenses, including school fees, uniforms, and stationary, for 250 primary school and 13 secondary school children and provide for vocational training of 5 youth. It will enable WAMATA to meet medical treatment and emergency food assistance needs of approximately 50 families affected by AIDS. |
WAMATA Sengerema |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $7,200 |
| WAMATA Sengerema is a volunteer-driven national AIDS service organization that assists vulnerable children and families affected by HIV/AIDS through a variety of programs. Firelight's previous grant funded educational assistance for 121 children, covered vocational training for 5 youth, and provided an additional 400 children with school materials. WAMATA Sengerema has also successfully negotiated with schools to reduce or waive fees for vulnerable children, enabling them to extend educational opportunities to many more children. This grant contributes to WAMATA Sengerema's programs for educational, financial, and nutritional support to vulnerable children and their families. |
WAMATA Sengerema |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,100 |
| WAMATA Sengerema, a branch of a national grassroots membership organization, supports families affected by HIV/AIDS with educational assistance, counseling, food assistance, and home-based care. Firelight grants have funded WAMATA's program of emergency food assistance and educational support for nearly 300 children, including the costs of school supplies, uniforms, and vocational training fees. With this grant WAMATA continues to provide educational assistance, HIV/AIDS-prevention education, and vocational training to benefit 135 children. Firelight's grant also supports a fund that enables 70 orphan caregivers to start small businesses and covers emergency food aid for 60 vulnerable families. |
WAMATA Sengerema |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| People with a shared concern for vulnerable children and their caregivers founded WAMATA-Sengerema to provide emotional support, livelihood opportunities, and educational assistance to families challenged by HIV/AIDS. More than 875 children benefit from WAMATA-Sengerema's educational assistance. With its most recent grant, WAMATA-Sengerema offered educational assistance (uniforms, books, supplies, and private secondary school fees) to 160 students, with workshops on HIV/AIDS for youth during school holidays. WAMATA-Sengerema also gave working capital to a group of 20 elderly caregivers and an association of 8 people living with HIV/AIDS. Each elderly caregiver received approximately $22 at year-end from the group's fund in addition to profits earned individually. This regrant enables WAMATA-Sengerema to extend educational support to 100 primary school children, to offer partial support to 80 secondary school students, and to cover room and board for 10 others. Twelve young people are pursuing vocational training with WAMATA-Sengerema's assistance. All of these youth will also benefit from seminars concerning HIV/AIDS and other priority issues. WAMATA Sengerema provides emotional and material support, livelihood opportunities, and educational assistance to children, families, and elderly caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Two of the most important objectives of DAPP are to strengthen the capacity of guardians, schools and local communities to provide orphans with appropriate and affordable care and to increase awareness regarding the rights and needs of orphans. Funds will assist DAPP to meet these objectives by offering psychosocial counseling workshops to 40 caregivers and teachers and life skills workshops to 40 orphans and their caregivers. Funding will also cover educational materials and tools for income-generating activities. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Children's Town will develop a written publication documenting their work. This document will describe successes and failures and will serve as a guide for other organizations and government-planned centers for street children. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $35,000 |
| Children's Town, located 140 km outside of Lusaka, works to address the plight of street children and other vulnerable children. The program started 15 years ago with 2 children in tent shelters. Today, there is housing for 180 children and 20 teachers, a community school, office buildings, and a community hall. By providing education, skills, and emotional support to vulnerable children and youth, Children's Town transforms street children into participating members of their communities. Their community-outreach program serves 4,000 children by strengthening the capacity of guardians to provide adequate care for them. They also offer expertise in income generation and advocate for children's rights. This comprehensive model of outreach not only responds to immediate community needs, but also prevents more vulnerable children from choosing a life on the streets of Lusaka. Previously, Firelight supported the operation of Children's Town community school and the launch of their community-outreach programs for orphans and vulnerable children. This grant continues support for these activities. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| DAPP-Children's Town is a residential and vocational center that serves former street children and responds to the needs of vulnerable children in villages neighboring Children's Town. Firelight funds have been used to support Children's Town's community school, its orphan outreach program, and its HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities. The community school provides students with a basic education, life skills, and vocational skills. The outreach program works with village care committees to strengthen community-based care of orphans and vulnerable children. This discretionary grant provided gap funding to cover salaries for 12 teachers for the months of July and August while Children's Town awaits funding from other donors. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| A concurrent Firelight grant is supporting DAPP's community school, orphan outreach program, and HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities. With this discretionary grant, DAPP is enhancing the capacity of 40 Community Orphan Committees (COCs) by providing training in leadership, advocacy, and action plan monitoring and evaluation. DAPP staff is holding monthly mentoring meetings with COCs and is funding their transportation and workshop materials. |
Development Aid from People to People, Children's Town |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Established in response to Lusaka's growing street children population, DAPP Children's Town is a residential education and vocational training center in Malambanyama village. DAPP educates orphans in life and vocational skills. The organization also works to strengthen the capacity of local communities to provide care and support to orphans and vulnerable children. Firelight funds are being used to improve academic skills and training, to purchase medicine for the school's clinic, and to support maintenance and renovation of the school building and residential houses. Additional funds are supporting DAPP's community outreach program, which enables the organization to mentor its Community Orphan Committees in counseling, budgeting, and the managing of income-generating activities. The second year of funding continues these education, health, psychosocial, and economic support activities while also covering some administrative costs. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| FOCRM will provide tuition assistance to 60 secondary school children, and purchase required school uniforms for 127 primary school children. They will also purchase computer equipment and vocational skills training equipment, including carpentry tools and four sewing machines. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| FOC-REV was formed to care for orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS in Busia District. Since their founding in 1999, FOC-REV has grown to almost 700 members. With previous Firelight funding, FOC-REV provided schools fees, materials, and books to nearly 200 children. They also conducted life skills training for youth. This grant enables the organization to continue educational support while expanding their health, nutritional, and vocational education programming. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| FOC-REV was formed to offer holistic care for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans in the Busia district. Firelight has extended support for FOC-REV's efforts to ensure access to education for more than 200 vulnerable children and to purchase equipment and supplies used in vocational training. This regrant supports FOC-REV's educational assistance programs, which will meet the varied educational expenses for 323 young people. FOC-REV is also training 34 HIV-positive parents in succession planning and memory book preparation. Additionally, to improve household incomes, FOC-REV is distributing 150 goats to vulnerable households. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| FOC-REV cares for people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable children in Busia District. Over the four years the organization has been partners with Firelight, FOC-REV has expanded dramatically, adding many new funders and increasing its organizational budget nearly eight-fold. This regrant allows FOC-REV to offer educational support to more than 320 students and vocational training to 120 children and their caregivers. An additional 20 children who are not in school will participate in apprenticeship training and 20 HIV-positive parents will create memory books and succession plans for their children. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| FOC-REV provides school support for more than 300 vulnerable children; life skills education for youth; and vocational training and income-generating activities for families. They also work with HIV-positive parents to create memory books and succession plans for their children. |
Friends of Christ Revival Ministries |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Youth Alive Club |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $11,800 |
| The Youth Alive Club will provide Education for Life, Anti-AIDS workshops to approximately 500 young people, as well as train 180 peer educators. As part of their education campaign, they will organize video shows, music, drama and poetry festivals and two community sensitization seminars. They will also purchase a motorcycle to facilitate ongoing follow up and support to the peer educators. |
Youth Alive Club |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $14,300 |
| Youth Alive supports positive and healthy lifestyles among young people. Previous Firelight assistance helped Youth Alive conduct 'Education for Life' Anti-AIDS Workshops for 500 youth. They also reached additional young people through community-based video shows and trained 180 peer educators. This regrant helps Youth Alive reach more youth living in rural areas through workshops, video shows, and peer education trainings. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Youth Alive Club |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Originally organized to promote faith, values, and positive behavior through a small network of support clubs, YAC now reaches thousands of youth through 250 clubs spread across five regions of Uganda. YAC encourages HIV prevention by advocating for 'informed and responsible' decision making among youth. The organization hosts performing arts festivals, sports competitions, peer education opportunities, and life skills development seminars. YAC has used previous Firelight grants to conduct Education for Life seminars, video shows, and school-based awareness-raising activities, and to run training-of-trainers workshops to build grassroots capacity. These funds enable YAC to hire coordinators for programs in the northern and central regions of Uganda. YAC is also providing psychosocial support training and life skills seminars for 4,000 peer educators and other youth. |
Youth Alive Club |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Through performing arts festivals, sports competitions, and peer education activities, YAC encourages HIV/AIDS prevention by advocating for informed and responsible decision making among young people. With its most recent Firelight grant, YAC is furthering its programs in both Kampala and conflict-ridden northern Uganda, reaching more than 4,000 community members through sensitization meetings. In both locations training activities are preparing nearly 70 youth to carry YAC's messages to their peers. Renewed Firelight funding is also helping the organization continue its awareness-raising and training efforts in Apac and Wakiso districts, covering the costs of life-skills development and advocacy seminars for 4,000 children. Additionally, YAC is holding a music and drama festival in both districts to share HIV/AIDS prevention and care messages. This grant is also covering some administrative expenses. |
Chikanta Community Schools Development Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The primary focus of CCSDP is the provision of free education, via community schools, to orphaned and other disadvantaged children. The funding will assist CCSDP with the ongoing management and maintenance of 10 of their 16 community schools. |
Chikanta Community Schools Development Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,700 |
| The primary focus of CCSDP is the provision of free education, via community schools, to disadvantaged children in rural locations. Chikanta's previous grant assisted with the ongoing management and maintenance of 10 of their 16 community schools. This grant covers CCSDP's office rental and staff salary expenses. |
Chikanta Community Schools Development Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Chikanta Community Schools Development Project (CCSDP) educates children who do not have access to government schools due to distance or a lack of financial means. CCSDP also offers adult literacy programs and IGA training for caregivers. CCSDP supports 154 community schools in rural Choma and Kalomo, and provides training to teachers and technical support to parent-teacher committees. Previous Firelight grant funds covered the group's administrative expenses, teachers' stipends and the cost of school supplies. With the most recent grant, CCSDP is training 30 caregivers in IGAs. CCSDP is also purchasing school materials and conducting community-sensitization meetings to discuss HIV/AIDS and child exploitation. |
Chikanta Community Schools Development Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The primary focus of CCSDP is the provision of free education via community schools to disadvantaged children in rural locations. CCSDP supports 154 community schools in rural areas, and provides training to teachers and technical support to parent-teacher committees. CCSDP also offers adult literacy programs and income-generating training for caregivers. |
Chikanta Community Schools Development Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| These funds will enable the Centre to build a classroom and purchase play equipment for the 45 children it serves. Located in a poor neighborhood, the Centre provides health care, education, and meals to vulnerable children, 3-14 years of age, who would not attend school otherwise. Managed by parents, the Centre also runs a vegetable garden and refreshment kiosk as an income-generating activity. |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects provides health care, education, and meals to vulnerable children ages 3 to 14. Previously, Firelight funded the construction of a classroom and the purchase of playground equipment, and helped orphans with medical and educational needs. In addition, past funding helped to educate 1,000 community members about HIV/AIDS. This grant helps the Centre to provide psychosocial support to 45 children and their caregivers. The grant also brings educational and nutritional support to over 50 children. |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded in 1996 by a retired teacher, Mama Darlene Children's Centre supports children living in poverty, children living with disabilities, and their guardians. Mama Darlene's staff and volunteers visit vulnerable families, provide material and psychosocial support, and unite children with foster families. Mama Darlene's is the only group in its area addressing the special needs of children with disabilities. Previous Firelight grants have supported Mama Darlene's to provide educational, medical, and nutritional support to children at its school (30 percent of whom live with a disability), and to expand its outreach assistance to homebound vulnerable children and their caregivers. With this grant Mama Darlene Children's Centre supports 160 children at its school, offering free education to the most impoverished children, as well as medical checkups and daily meals to all students. Funds also enable the group to provide regular home visits to 60 vulnerable families and to conduct HIV/AIDS-awareness-raising activities. |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded in 1996 by a retired teacher, Mama Darlene Children's Centre supports poor and disabled children who are often marginalized by their communities. Mama Darlene's has launched a school that, in addition to providing vulnerable children with educational opportunities, serves as the community's hub for organizing home-based care and income-generating activities. Firelight funds allow Mama Darlene's to continue providing educational, medical, and nutritional support to 52 children who are attending the school. The organization is also expanding its activities to include 42 additional orphans and vulnerable children, as well as their caregivers. |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,300 |
| Mama Darlene's targets poor and disabled children, visiting them at home and providing their caregivers with material, medical, and psychosocial support. The community school operated by Mama Darlene's is the only organization in the area addressing the needs of disabled children. Monica Ngumi, founder and manager, passed away in February 2007. This memorial grant celebrating Monica Ngumi's life and contributions covers the salaries of the eight staff members for one year. These eight employees include a headmistress, five teachers, a cook, and a watchman. Funding the salary of the staff and teachers assists the organization to maintain its operations whilst navigating the difficult period after the loss of their charismatic founder and leader. Targeting poor and disabled children, Mama Darlene's operates a community school and conducts home visits to provide caregivers with material, medical, counseling, and emotional support. |
Mama Darlene Children's Centre and Community Development Projects |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Targeting poor and disabled children, Mama Darlene's operates a community school and conducts home visits to provide caregivers with material, medical, counseling, and emotional support. |
Bethany Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| These funds will support Bethany Project's Community Based Orphan Care Project, which provides school fees, emergency food assistance, youth HIV prevention activities and on-going monitoring. |
United Congregational Church of Southern Africa - Bongani Orphan Care Programme |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| These funds will enable UCCSA to train twelve church groups establishing programs for children affected by AIDS on organizational development issues and responding to the impact of the AIDS crisis on children in the local context. Through these programs, more than 150 volunteers will reach approximately 1,000 children with vocational training, psychosocial support, and emergency assistance. |
United Congregational Church of Southern Africa - Bongani Orphan Care Programme |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| The Bongani Orphan Care Programme trains volunteers to assist children affected by HIV/AIDS by providing services such as bereavement support and legal assistance to protect property rights following their parents' deaths. Previously, Firelight funding supported the training of 450 community volunteers in leadership skills, 100 youth and caregivers on the facts about HIV/AIDS and basic nursing care, and 604 vulnerable youth in small-scale income-generating activities. Current grant funds enable Bongani to educate additional volunteers in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, provide children with recreational opportunities, and support job skills training for orphans. For the second year, funds will be invested in expanding their garden, continuing their income generating shops and opening a children's library at the day care center complete with books and a computer. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $19,800 |
| This grant will provide for tuition and related expenses of training six out-of-school youth in leadership skills, basic counseling, and emergency response at Camp Masiye (described below) so that they can serve as peer educators and mentors to approximately 300 younger children affected by AIDS on commercial farms in six districts of Zimbabwe. FOST youth leaders will give practical guidance and support young children through the bereavement process. They will establish youth clubs within six farming communities. This grant will also support networking meetings of the youth leaders and FOST staff and enable FOST to document the youth leadership process, to include production of a manual and other materials for future use. |
Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Working with families living on Zimbabwe's commercial farms, FOST strives to increase the capacity of these isolated communities to respond to the orphan crisis and the uncertainty facing farming families during the current period of social and political upheaval. Previous Firelight funding supported FOST to pilot a program to involve and empower young people by training six out-of-school youth in leadership skills and assisting them to start Kids' Clubs. The clubs offer a safe, nurturing environment for youth to meet and exchange ideas, learn practical skills, and receive peer support. With this regrant FOST is establishing 18 new Kids' Clubs, training 30 new youth leaders, and conducting refresher courses for the six existing leaders. It is also training club patrons who offer supportive guidance and monitor the needs and work of the clubs. The 24 clubs will reach approximately 1,000 children. |
Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| FOST responds to the psychological and physical needs of orphaned children in Mashonaland's commercial farm communities. Firelight supported FOST's Kids' Clubs pilot program in 2002 and youth leadership development in 2004. With this discretionary regrant, Firelight is enabling FOST to purchase needed resources for its youth programs, including sports equipment, seeds for gardening, and office supplies during a program funding gap. |
Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $14,700 |
| FOST responds to the psychological and physical needs of orphaned children in Mashonaland's commercial farm communities. Firelight supported FOST's Kids' Clubs pilot program in 2002 and youth leadership development in 2004. With their fourth Firelight grant, FOST continues supporting 24 Kids Clubs in two districts of Mashonaland by providing trainings, materials, and exchange visits for youth leaders. Part of this grant will also support administrative costs for staff monitoring and meetings. FOST runs kids clubs for orphaned children in commercial farming communities, and also provides food, counseling, and leadership training. |
Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| With the grant, GRIP will provide safety and aftercare services to approximately 720 rape survivors, 85% of whom are children under the age of 16, including infants and young children. They will act as a liaison between the victims and the medical and legal systems (i.e. hospitals, social welfare and police departments), ensuring that the basic survival and security needs of these vulnerable children are met. GRIP field workers will also administer HIV tests to rape survivors, and provide medical and psychosocial referrals and support to those who test positive. |
Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Addressing issues of child sexual abuse, GRIP supports children medically, emotionally, and legally, ensuring that their rights are upheld and that they receive the support they need. With its first Firelight grant, GRIP provided safety and aftercare services to over 1,300 rape survivors, 85% of whom are children under the age of 16. With this documentation grant, GRIP is developing brief video and audio presentations to increase understanding of the organization's beneficiaries, work, and challenges. |
Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme (GRIP) was founded to address the gap in support for rape survivors in and around Nelspruit. With previous Firelight grants, GRIP hired a welfare liaison officer and six field workers, each of whom works monthly with an average of 24 rape survivors. In just one year (2002), GRIP provided compassionate care and legal assistance to more than 2,000 rape survivors, including many girls under the age of 16. GRIP's effective services have invited national attention and pressure to expand its reach, which has challenged the small staff. In the first year of this two-year regrant, GRIP strengthened its capacity through coaching for management and computer training for field staff. Funds also provided interim support for court and legal training, and equipped waiting rooms in the court house for child survivors of sexual assault. In the second year, GRIP is initiating HIV support groups for survivors, and providing clothes and food for survivors living in poverty. Funds also support paralegal studies for a staff member, and certificates in trauma, counseling, and child abuse support for four staff members. |
Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $3,380 |
| This discretionary grant funds a GRIP representative to attend the August XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. |
Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
| The Children's Rights Center will develop a Mobile Play Pack for children found in institutional settings, such as police stations or hospitals. They will provide training and support to service providers in these settings on how to reach children under stress through play. The Play Packs will also raise awareness among these frontline workers about all the basic rights of children, including the right to, and the psychosocial importance of play! The Mobile Play Packs will be used to reach 5,000 children in difficult circumstances. |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| CRC works on a range of child rights issues throughout South Africa. With a prior grant, the Children's Rights Centre developed Play Rights Packs for children in institutional settings such as social welfare offices, police stations, and hospitals. Play Rights Packs enable staff within these settings to engage children in play and help the children express their emotions and cope with an unfamiliar and stressful environment. This regrant allows CRC to pilot their Play Rights Program in all nine provinces. This program expansion is part of a larger campaign to launch a national children's rights network. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This documentation grant enables CRC to transform their 'Visions & Voices ' Children's Rights & Realities' photo exhibition into a book and poster series. This portable format allows for a wider audience to view the exhibition and assists local and international efforts to raise awareness and advocate in support of children's rights. |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| CRC's programs encourage community involvement in securing children's rights through awareness-raising activities, monitoring, and legal action. With prior Firelight funding, CRC has specifically redoubled its emphasis on play rights, collaborating with professionals working with children who do not have specific training in early childhood development to create a safe environment for children in police stations, hospitals, and other institutional settings. With renewed funding, CRC is: 1) developing two children's rights training workshops for 12 health care organizations implementing ARV treatment programs for children; 2) organizing a full day focused on 'right to play' at two four-day capacity-building workshops to reach another 50 child-focused organizations; and 3) conducting follow-up site visits to 24 local organizations. CRC anticipates indirectly reaching 15,900 children and 8,400 caregivers. CRC also plans to use stories of successes and positive changes in children's and caregivers' lives to judge the efficacy of child rights training and shape their advocacy on children's rights. |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| CRC works on a range of child rights issues throughout South Africa by building the capacity of service providers and child-focused organizations. CRC's programs encourage community involvement in securing children's rights through awareness-raising activities, monitoring, and legal action. The CRC's """"Play Rights Pack"""" for children found in institutional settings like police stations or hospitals, helps frontline workers reach children under stress through play. |
Children's Rights Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organization |
| Country: Ethiopia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| With these funds, JeCCDO will make small grants to five emerging community-based organizations to support their direct services to vulnerable children. JeCCDO will also document this experience of 'regranting,' so that both Firelight and JeCCDO can learn about the effectiveness of this funding technique. |
Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organization |
| Country: Ethiopia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $75,000 |
| JeCCDO envisions a society in which disadvantaged children can thrive and become self-reliant. With previous Firelight funding, JeCCDO awarded sub-grants of $2,000 to each of five grassroots organizations that support children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. With this three-year regrant, JeCCDO will offer $3,500 sub-grants annually to each of five child-focused organizations, which provide educational support, medical care, counseling, and microfinance assistance to several hundred AIDS-affected families. With these small grants, the organizations scale up services, expand geographic coverage, and offer a wide array of support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Funding also enables JeCCDO to work closely with its grantees to strengthen skills needed to secure and manage external resources and to effectively engage families. |
Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organization |
| Country: Ethiopia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Ethiopia experienced massive flooding in early August 2006. Dire Dawa, the second-largest city, was particularly hard-hit by flash floods killing hundreds of people and displacing nearly 11,000. Our partner JeCCDO has been active in Dire Dawa since 2001 promoting sustainable agriculture as a strategy to support vulnerable children. However, many of the human and environmental gains that were made through JeCCDO programming in Dire Dawa were destroyed by the floods. This grant funds the rehabilitation of a well, restores equipment to 10 farmers, and enables 10 youth to attend school, supporting JeCCDO and Dire Dawa with the recovery process. Long-time grantee JeCCDO builds community capacity to support vulnerable children throughout Ethiopia by providing small grants and technical assistance to community-based groups working with children. |
Dananai Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| With this support, the Centre will: provide school fees to 400 vulnerable children; meet the needs of approximately 80 sick, homebound children; convene 25 day-long community mobilization workshops to generate support for children in difficult circumstances among community members; and train community members working with children affected by AIDS in home care and psychosocial support. Situated in the center of a large, rural district of Zimbabwe, the Dananai Centre conducts community outreach to meet the needs of more than 1,000 families affected by AIDS. |
Dananai Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Dananai Centre works in a rural setting and provides home-based care to vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS. Through outreach activities, they sensitize community members about the impact of HIV/AIDS and share support strategies. The Dananai Centre used a previous Firelight grant to shift its orphan assistance from an individual to a community-driven approach that engages children in decision-making. They have established 12 Village Care Groups, convened a children's forum, and offered educational support to 400 children. This two-year grant enables Dananai to assist an additional 50 vulnerable children with educational support and to continue their counseling, care workshops, and income-generating projects. $11,000 of this grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Dananai Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| The Dananai Centre provides home-based care to families and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The organization is also active in promoting community income-generating projects, recreational programs for children, and youth HIV/AIDS prevention activities. Firelight funding supports community projects such as gardening, goat rearing, and peanut butter making. The regrant also enables Dananai to meet its administrative expenses, hold community workshops, and offer educational support and recreational activities for children. In their second year of funding from this multiyear grant, Dananai supports youth with school fees, uniforms and supplies for 100 children, and their garden and rabbit keeping IGAs. They also plan to have an exchange visit and support administrative costs. |
Dananai Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Mother of Peace Community Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $7,800 |
| Mother of Peace Orphanage Community has built 8 houses to shelter 155 vulnerable children. This grant will enable the organization to engage in the broader community by: conducting participatory workshops to raise awareness about children affected by AIDS; training families on practical skills to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children; and offering economic empowerment opportunities. The program will reach more than 200 vulnerable children on rural homesteads. |
Mother of Peace Community Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Mother of Peace Community is a residential care facility for abandoned and neglected infants and children. Past Firelight funding has helped the organization conduct workshops to raise awareness about children affected by HIV/AIDS and to train families on practical skills to meet children's needs. The organization also initiated community-based income-generating projects in an effort to enhance the community's capacity to care for children affected by HIV/AIDS. With this grant, they will work with the community to establish a grinding mill. Profits from the mill will be used to address the needs of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS within the community. |
St. Agnes Gokwe Children's Home CR 772 |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $1,000 |
| This grant will pay for furniture to upgrade the facilities at the Home. |
FLAME |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $2,000 |
| The grant money will cover the improvement of an OVC rehabilitation transit centre serving 40 children and educational support (school fees, uniforms, shoes, bags and books) to 50 children at the FLAME center and in the community. Funds will also support the training of 30 caregivers from the Centre and community, in income generating activities and small business management. |
Jesus Cares Ministries |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Jesus Cares Ministries currently runs a community school that provides education, health services and basic necessities to 150 children. However, because of overcrowding and rising demand, the school plans to increase capacity. With this grant, Jesus Cares Ministries will increase enrollment by 50 students by constructing an additional classroom and purchasing additional benches and education materials. |
Children of the Most High - Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Children of the Most High Ministry provides shelter, care and community support to vulnerable families in an area with approximately 65 widows and 150 orphans. Funds will support women's income generating clubs, provide school fees, contribute to the building of a community school and pay the salaries of two community workers. |
Children of the Most High - Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| This organization provides shelter, care, and community support to vulnerable families in a rural area. CMH used a previous Firelight grant to provide seeds (e.g. cabbage, maize, bean, and sunflower) and skills training to 42 women's groups. They also began building a community school for 98 children and provided care to 27 orphaned children who reside in two safe houses. With a new Firelight grant, CMH is completing construction of the community school that will serve 160 children. They are also purchasing a grain mill for the community, offering nutrition workshops to 250 women caregivers, and providing additional nutritional support for infants. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Children in Distress, Kitwe |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| CINDI will hold Anti-AIDS workshops with 500 youth, community group meetings with children and caregivers on HIV/AIDS issues and begin to implement programme monitoring and evaluation activities. |
Children in Distress, Kitwe |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| CINDI-Kitwe aims to create an effective and sustainable community response to the material and psychosocial needs of orphans and vulnerable children. Earlier funding enabled CINDI-Kitwe to conduct a needs assessment, organize anti-AIDS workshops for 500 youth, and hold community group meetings with children and caregivers on HIV/AIDS issues. With continued funding from Firelight, CINDI-Kitwe will provide 120 youth with reproductive health and HIV/AIDS awareness training, train 600 youth in peer-to-peer HIV/AIDS education, provide a weekly volunteer mobile clinic, and train 600 youth in micro-enterprises. |
Children in Distress, Kitwe |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| CINDI-Kitwe, a branch of the national Children in Distress (CINDI) network, aims to deliver an effective and sustainable community response to the needs of vulnerable children, focusing on material and psychosocial support. Since 2002 Firelight has funded CINDI-Kitwe's efforts to mobilize communities to recognize and support the needs of children. It has enabled them to train volunteers in home health care and psychosocial skills needed to care for adults and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Funds have also supported CINDI-Kitwe's youth focused HIV-prevention and peer education programs. This regrant supports CINDI-Kitwe to continue its human capacity building activities, supporting a series of training workshops for orphan caregivers, volunteers from the community, and youth peer educators. Additionally, CINDI-Kitwe is producing and distributing posters and pamphlets with HIV-prevention messages designed especially for children and youth. |
Children in Distress, Kitwe |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| CINDI - Kitwe was launched in the Copperbelt region to address the needs of more than 65,000 orphaned and vulnerable children in the area. Operating since 1989, CINDI - Kitwe functions as a national umbrella organization mobilizing communities to assist these children. With previous Firelight funding, CINDI - Kitwe conducted a series of participatory needs assessments for area children. Communities then organized themselves to best respond to these needs. This response included training more than 330 youth as HIV/AIDS prevention educators. This Firelight regrant enables CINDI - Kitwe to provide nutritional support to 100 grandparent-headed households, 150 homes with chronically ill caregivers, and 50 child-headed households. Additionally, Firelight funding supports the development of a radio program and HIV/AIDS education materials, as well as the operation of an animal-rearing project benefiting 12 caregivers. |
Children in Distress, Kitwe |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Children in Distress Kitwe (CINDI-Kitwe) aims to deliver sustainable community response to the needs of vulnerable children in the Copperbelt region. CINDI-Kitwe started in 1989 as an umbrella organization and has now four core program areas: HIV/ Health, Education, Food and Income, and Governance/Community Empowerment. CINDI-Kitwe used previous Firelight grant funds to provide food supplements for 34 HIV-positive infants (0-2) and babies born to HIV- positive mothers. Funds supported a 13-week HIV/AIDS awareness radio program targeting youth. Additionally, CINDI-Kitwe initiated an edu-sport program to encourage youth access to VCT and assisted 20 households in rabbit rearing as a source of income. Firelight funds support CINDI-Kitwe's overhead costs, including salaries, insurance, and medical expenses. CINDI-Kitwe focuses on health, education, and community development. They provide food supplements for HIV-positive infants, an HIV/AIDS awareness radio program for youth, and a sports program that encourages HIV testing. |
Senanga Orphan Day Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| This school for 175 orphans will build 3 classrooms and 6 latrines, hold a planning workshop for teachers and management, send 1 teacher to a Teacher Training College and purchase textbooks. |
Senanga Orphan Day Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| Senanga Orphan Day Centre Community School provides education and nutritional support to children through their free school program. The school used previous Firelight funding to support 269 children, 50% of whom were orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. The organization provided free education and uniforms to the children and food to all students and staff and led cultural activities that taught children about local dance and music. Using a regrant, Senanga Orphan Day Care Community School is completing the construction of two classrooms, continuing to feed 300 students and staff, covering some administrative costs, and facilitating workshops for caregivers on psychosocial support. |
Senanga Orphan Day Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Now in its tenth year of operation, SODC operates a community school offering art, culture, and sports activities along with HIV/AIDS prevention clubs. Previous Firelight grants helped SODC construct classrooms at its school and start income-generating activities that now partially fund the organization's operation. This regrant enables SODC to construct a more durable, cement block dining hall and kitchen. Pupils currently eat their meals sitting on the ground in the open air, and the kitchen is thatched, with no secure space for food storage. Community members will contribute stones, sand, bricks, and labor, while Firelight funding covers other building materials and transportation costs. Second year funding will be used to purchase materials and pay labor to complete construction of the kitchen and dining facility. |
Senanga Orphan Day Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Senanga Orphan Day Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The overall mission of CINDI is to support orphaned and vulnerable children. Currently, there are 9 branches operating throughout Zambia. Funds will cover the facilitation of workshops on income generating activities to 50 care-giving families, providing care to 250 orphans. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| The Children in Distress (CINDI) national network was established in 1989 in order to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on children. CINDI-Kalomo used Firelight's first grant to train 45 caregivers and 19 youth in business skills. With 2004 funding, CINDI-Kalomo introduces an HIV/AIDS educational component for 24 children, provides income-generating opportunities to 18 guardians, and holds 3 workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $19,000 |
| CINDI is a nationwide network that works to mitigate the impact of HIV on children. CINDI-Kalomo focuses on improving vulnerable households' economic standing as a strategy for promoting children's wellbeing. Previous grants have supported CINDI-Kalomo to train more than 80 caregivers in business initiation and management, and have supplied seed funding for trainees' small businesses. With this grant CINDI-Kalomo is supporting 33 young people at all levels of education. Twenty children are participating in a field trip to Kitwe to meet other children affected by HIV/AIDS and to enjoy recreation and peer support. CINDI-Kalomo is also coaching 29 caregivers in parenting skills and providing HIV/AIDS-prevention information. A portion of funding covers office equipment and operating expenses. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| CINDI - Kalomo is part of a nationwide network aimed at mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on children. The Kalomo chapter provides income-generating opportunities to vulnerable caregivers and youth, extends educational support to children, and conducts community awareness activities. This grant is allowing CINDI - Kalomo to continue its program of educational support, providing school supplies to 116 vulnerable children and secondary or tertiary school fees to 24 young people who have previously been supported by Firelight funding. This grant is also allowing CINDI - Kalomo to establish a mill to generate income by grinding grain for surrounding communities. Additionally, Firelight funding is covering the salaries of three staff members. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Children in Distress-Kalomo (CINDI-Kalomo) started in 1992 as an initiative to help orphans who could not pay their school fees. In addition to education support for OVC, CINDI-Kalomo empowers guardians and community members through various capacity-building workshops and micro-enterprise programs. Firelight's previous grant enabled CINDI-Kalomo to provide educational support to 114 OVC and 24 youth. CINDI-Kalomo also installed a hammer mill to generate funds for paying school fees. From the profits earned so far, CINDI-Kalomo has provided education materials to 90 children, corn meal to 200 households and goats to 20 families. CINDI-Kalomo is currently using Firelight funds to support a food security program and to send four of its community members to an advocacy workshop on human and children's rights. In addition, Firelight funds support 26 percent of CINDI-Kalomo's administrative costs. Earnings from CINDI-Kalomo's hammer mill fund food, educational materials, and school fees for orphans, ensuring that they remain in school. They also provide caregivers with small-business loans and livestock. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| CINDI-Kalomo was started in 1992 by teachers at Chonga Primary School to help orphans who could not pay their school fees. Their education program takes a well-rounded approach to care and support of vulnerable children by providing psychosocial and material support. Earnings from CINDI-Kalomo's hammer mill fund food, educational materials, and school fees for orphans, ensuring that they remain in school. In addition to providing direct support to orphans, the group builds household assets and empowers guardians to increase their earning power by providing small business loans and livestock. |
Children in Distress, Kalomo Central FHT |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Zambia Red Cross Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| The Zambia Red Cross Society, through the Youth Skills Enterprises Initiative (YSEI), plans to recruit and train 200 youth with 3 skills building workshops and provide refresher workshops for 100 previous participants. In addition, four HIV/AIDS and behavior change workshops will be held for all participants. After completion of the training, YSEI will give the group financial support to make small loans to all participants. |
Student's Self-Helper Initiative |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| SSHINE will provide 3 HIV/AIDS sensitization trainings and 3 behavior change communication workshops for students and teachers in 3 area schools. They will also provide a Life Skills and Human Values Development training to at least 80 primary and post-primary school children. The grant will also cover tuition and school materials for 5 vulnerable children. |
Student's Self-Helper Initiative |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $7,700 |
| SSHINE encourages positive behavior change for HIV prevention among youth. Past Firelight funding has facilitated SSHINE's HIV/AIDS sensitization and communication workshops. This grant helps the organization expand their activities to new audiences through life skills and values training for caregivers, out-of-school youth, and student leaders. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Funding will cover the purchase of a dairy cow, vegetable seeds and other supplies in order to provide income generating activities and improved nutrition to 300 care-giving families and the orphans for whom they care. The Programme will also provide training and instruction in animal husbandry and crop production. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme facilitates the psychological and social adjustment of people living with HIV/AIDS and provides youth with information on how to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Previous Firelight funding covered the purchase of dairy cows, vegetable seeds, and other supplies to provide income-generating activities and improved nutrition to families caring for orphans. It also provided training and instruction in animal husbandry and crop production. Regrant funds help Kyetume extend and replicate their low-cost organic farm project to support child-headed households. The project will also educate community members and young people in child rights and life skills. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Kyetume works to enhance the emotional wellbeing of people affected by HIV and to reduce sexually transmitted infections among youth. With previous funding Kyetume strengthened community-care structures by forming 18 orphan support groups and training 48 community counseling aides. Funds also supported Kyetume's organic farming project, which benefited 77 children in 30 households. With this regrant Kyetume is assisting 30 households caring for a minimum of three orphans each by expanding its integrated organic farming activities. The organization is providing the households with 15 heifer cows and training them in animal husbandry and crop production. It is also training 30 households in entrepreneurial skills and providing a loan fund to seed income-generating activities. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| KCBHCP supports people affected by HIV/AIDS and works to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among young people. This renewal supports the continuation of Kyetume's successful farming and dairy program, which are aimed specifically at households caring for orphans. The organization distributes heifers and crop production supplies to caregivers, who are also supported by educational visits with past participants. Firelight funds also cover the salary of a counselor and a refresher training course for 25 home visit volunteers. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $3,780 |
| This discretionary grant funds a KCBHCP representative to attend the August XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| KCBHCP supports people affected by HIV/AIDS and works to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among young people. They also run programs in reproductive health, maternal/child health, gender and domestic violence prevention, water and sanitation, environmental health, food security, economic strengthening, and orphan support. |
Kyetume Community Based Health Care Programme |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Association d'appui aux Groupements dans le domaine Socio-'conomique |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Funds will cover several HIV/AIDS education workshops and meetings to reach 350 caregivers, orphans and children affected by AIDS. Additional funds will be applied towards educational expenses for local area children affected by AIDS. |
Association d'appui aux Groupements dans le domaine Socio-'conomique |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| Since 2000, AGS has networked with other local service providers in Gikongoro, Western Rwanda, to support people living with HIV/AIDS, their children, and their caregivers. Firelight's previous grant to AGS helped 150 disadvantaged children with education fees and supplies, and follow-up services to help them succeed in school. This two-year grant enables AGS to develop a goat raising income-generating project for orphans and caregivers and to extend educational support to 150 students. |
Association d'appui aux Groupements dans le domaine Socio-'conomique |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| AGS (Association in Support of Groups in the Socioeconomic Domain) is a support network for people living with HIV/AIDS, responding to their needs by linking them to direct providers of psychosocial support, home-based care, and livelihood opportunities. The organization's education-plus assistance program provides school fees, uniforms, and materials to 100 primary and 50 secondary school students. This grant from Firelight contributes to the children's school fees, purchases uniforms and school materials, and supports anti-AIDS clubs that offer psychosocial services and HIV/AIDS prevention education to the children and youth. |
Association d'appui aux Groupements dans le domaine Socio-'conomique |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| A support network of 40 small PLWA associations and four 'Anti-AIDS' clubs, AGS responds to the needs of families affected by HIV/AIDS, linking them to HBC providers, counseling, educational assistance, and livelihood opportunities. Firelight's previous two grants supported AGS with education-plus assistance that benefitted 150 OVC. Fifty secondary school students received kitchen gardening training and 150 vulnerable families received two goats each. In 2006, AGS members identified as their most significant unmet need resources for supporting out-of-school youth. Thus, with Firelight's two-year grant, AGS is initiating vocational skills training programs to reach 20 youth through instruction in sewing with the first year of funding. AGS also plans to couple life-skills training with drivers' education. The livelihood sector responds to a market need identified by the youth. Grant funds cover training equipment and materials (including 10 sewing machines), salaries for trainers, and fuel and communications' costs. AGS is a network of clubs and associations created to respond to the needs of families affected by HIV/ AIDS, linking them to home-based care providers, counseling, and educational assistance. They also teach teens vocational skills such as sewing and driving. |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| ESSIE Development Group provides nutritional programs to nearly 200 children. They also raise awareness among community members about the issues facing children affected by HIV/AIDS. With Firelight's previous grant, ESSIE identified 75 guardians caring for a total of 195 orphaned and vulnerable children and supported them to start small businesses. This grant supports ESSIE's nutrition, fundraising, HIV/AIDS awareness, and caregiving programs. |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| ESSIE promotes education, improvement of household income, and good health among marginalized communities, especially those coping with HIV/AIDS. With previous funding ESSIE convened community workshops on the care of sick and vulnerable children and caregivers, paid secondary school expenses for four youth, and prepared a group of guardians to initiate collaborative income-generating activities. Continued Firelight funding allows ESSIE to introduce a beekeeping activity involving 122 caregivers, to educate 10 secondary-school youths, and to convene a series of three-day camps for 500 vulnerable children during school holidays. |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $13,300 |
| ESSIE works to provide educational opportunities and health care for communities affected by HIV/AIDS. With previous Firelight funding, ESSIE convened community workshops on HIV/AIDS care, paid school expenses for community children, and initiated collaborative income-generating activities. Renewed funding enables ESSIE to continue its capacity-building workshops for 300 community members and to cover secondary school expenses for 10 youth. Through these activities, they hope to see reduced early marriages among young girl beneficiaries and 'dignity ensured' among orphans pursuing secondary education. Funds also cover some administrative expenses. |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
| Education, Self-Sustainabilty, and Improvement of Economy Development Group (ESSIE) aims to empower caregivers economically and to meet the educational needs of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). ESSIE mobilizes community groups to carry out collectively-managed income generating activities, raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and implement support activities. Previous Firelight's funding assisted ESSIE to pay school expenses for 10 secondary school students and hold three capacity building workshops for 300 people. Funds also supported administrative operations. This discretionary grant funds an ESSIE representative to attend the June/July 2007 AIDS Impact Conference in Marseilles. ESSIE supports children and caregivers in 14 different communities by offering training in income-generating activities, paying for schooling, and conducting workshops on children's rights and HIV/AIDS-related issues. $15,000 ' Renewal |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Education, Self-Sustainabilty, and Improvement of Economy Development Group (ESSIE) aims to empower caregivers economically and to meet the educational needs of OVC. ESSIE mobilizes community groups to carry out collectively managed IGAs, raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and implement support activities. ESSIE supports youth and women's empowerment groups and works in 14 communities. Previous Firelight funding assisted ESSIE to pay school expenses for 10 secondary school students and hold 3 capacity building workshops for 300 people. Funds also supported administrative operations. Firelight's renewed funding supports ESSIE's education activities, capacity building workshops for 300 vulnerable children and their guardians, and administrative costs. The workshops cover issues of HIV/AIDS, behavior change, life skills, and children's rights. ESSIE supports children and caregivers in 14 different communities by offering training in income-generating activities, paying for schooling, and conducting workshops on children's rights and HIV/AIDS-related issues. $15,000 ' Renewal |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| ESSIE supports children and caregivers by facilitating the work of groups in 14 different communities that engage in income-generating activities, support children's educational needs, and conduct workshops on children's rights and HIV/AIDS-related issues. |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Education, Self-Sustainability, and Improvement of Economy Development Group |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Association de Soutiens aux Rescap's du G'nocide |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $18,500 |
| ASRG-MPORE has identified over 450 child-headed households in the Mirenge District, resulting from the 1994 genocide and AIDS-related mortality. This grant will enable ASRG-MPORE to improve the livelihoods of 50 child-headed households caring for a total of 75 younger children with training in reproductive health, conflict resolution and agriculture. Each group of five households will be provided with hoes, seeds, labor and livestock to increase their food production and income. |
Association de Soutiens aux Rescap's du G'nocide |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $1,500 |
| Funds will support the salary and transportation expenses of a community development worker assisting 50 child-headed households in rural Mirenge, Eastern Rwanda. |
Association de Soutiens aux Rescap's du G'nocide |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $15,200 |
| ASRG-MPORE assists child-headed households resulting from the 1994 genocide and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With previous support from Firelight, they have trained and set up 50 adolescent heads-of-households in pineapple production and goat raising to generate income for these youth and their 75 siblings. This year, ASRG-MPORE will train these same 50 young people in composting, provide free access to a tutoring center, offer a rotating credit program, and enroll children in the national health insurance program. They will also provide an additional 50 children with education fees. |
Zomba Diocese Home Based Care Programme |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2002 |
Amount Awarded: $6,100 |
| These funds will be used to initiate three small income generating projects'farming, small animal husbandry, and small business ventures'by providing skills-building workshops and start-up materials to approximately 500 guardians and independent children affected by AIDS. |
Funders Concerned About AIDS |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $2,700 |
| Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) was founded in 1987 with a mission 'to mobilize philanthropic leadership, ideas, and resources, domestically and internationally, to eradicate the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to address its social and economic consequences.' Firelight, together with three other funders, had made a grant to FCAA to study the effect of lost productivity and absenteeism and the difficulty for organizations to effectively cope with organizational impacts caused by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of this study should raise awareness within the grant-making community regarding the workplace impact of HIV/AIDS-related illness, death, and attrition on community based organizations, thereby increasing support. Firelight's portion of this grant funds administrative costs such as printing, postage, and a percentage of personnel costs. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $27,000 |
| GRACE will facilitate an organizational development training workshop for representatives of 15 Firelight grantee partner organizations in response to requests for technical assistance in the areas of financial and narrative reporting, accounting and budgeting, program development, and program administration. Funds will also support follow up visits to training participants, to gauge the effectiveness of the workshop in meeting their needs. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grant will support GRACE to establish an office in Nairobi. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| The Grassroots Alliance for Community Education provides leadership development for community health workers and activists serving grassroots communities to address the impact of HIV/AIDS. Previously, Firelight funding enabled GRACE to train representatives from 14 Firelight grantee-partner organizations based in 5 countries on topics relevant to organizational development, including financial accounting and reporting, personnel management, and basic strategic planning. This grant assisted Grace to rent an office space, hire new staff, and cover operating expenses. As a result Grace was able to better coordinate their support to community-based organizations. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
| This grant supports GRACE's administrative and operating costs, such as office rent and personnel expenses, enabling them to work with partner organizations, hold a documentation workshop, and start a youth program and an HIV/AIDS outreach program for the deaf. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $13,800 |
| GRACE supports locally led, grassroots programs to bring about sustainable community building and an improved quality of life. Two previous grants from Firelight covered GRACE's operational and administrative support costs and an organizational development workshop involving representatives from 14 Firelight grantee-partner organizations. This funding enables GRACE to conduct follow-up visits to workshop participants in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. During each visit GRACE staff assesses the organization's progress in implementing action plans developed during the workshop. They review the group's financial and management systems, documentation and reporting practices, program activities, governance, and fundraising capacity. Using the information gathered, GRACE works with organizations toward achieving greater transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency. |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| GRACE, a long-time Firelight grantee, has worked to develop the capacity of community-based organizations to reach communities of children affected by HIV/AIDS. In addition, GRACE has trained Firelight grantee-partners in organizational develpment. With this Firelight grant, GRACE is regranting to five community-based organization and four youth-led organizations in Kenya. GRACE is also providing technical assistance to these organizations. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Grantmakers Without Borders |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Grantmakers Without Borders (GWOB) is a network of individual donors, staff, and trustees of foundations practicing global social-change philanthropy. GWOB advocates for greater investment in social change efforts and functions as an information resource for organizations actively engaged in this type of grantmaking. This grant provides GWOB with core operating expenses, funding a portion of staff salaries. |
Grantmakers Without Borders |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| GWOB is a network of individual donors, staff members, and foundation trustees practicing global social change philanthropy. GWOB advocates for greater investment in social change efforts and functions as an information hub for organizations actively engaged in international grantmaking. This grant provides GWOB with core operating expenses, funding a portion of staff salaries. |
Grantmakers Without Borders |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Grantmakers Without Borders (GWOB) is a network of individual donors, staff, and trustees of foundations practicing global social-change philanthropy. GWOB advocates for greater investment in social change efforts and functions as an information resource for organizations actively engaged in this type of grantmaking. This grant provides GWOB with core operating expenses, funding a portion of staff salaries. |
Grantmakers Without Borders |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Grantmakers Without Borders (Gw/oB) is a network of individual donors, staff, and trustees of foundations practicing global social-change philanthropy. Gw/oB advocates for greater investment in social change efforts and functions as an information resource for organizations actively engaged in this type of grantmaking. |
Grantmakers Without Borders |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Rwanda Women Net will train 47 pairs of women and children on HIV/AIDS awareness and home-based care as a step toward empowering them to meet their physical, psychological and emotional needs. They will also educate 27 women on the basics of small business activities, and provide start-up loans to them. |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| RWN supports sexual-violence survivors, widows, and their children with three core programs: health care and psychosocial support, human and legal rights education, and socioeconomic empowerment. Firelight's initial grant allowed RWN to train 94 people (in adult-youth pairs) to care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, 27 vulnerable youth learned skills in weaving, knitting, and banana leaf card production and business management to promote their livelihoods. With regrant funding RWN is building a community hall for youth activities. The hall will be a gathering place for anti-AIDS clubs, training activities, and community events. Concurrently, RWN is mobilizing greater youth participation in their anti-AIDS clubs, which now involve 100 participants. [For more information on this grantee-partner, please see Page XX.] |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| An offshoot of an organization that supported survivors of gender-based violence, RWN's programs promote women's wellbeing and empowerment. RWN also addresses the needs of urban youth in child-headed households, children affected by HIV/AIDS, and other vulnerable youth. With previous Firelight funding, RWN built a hall that serves as a key gathering place for youth clubs and community activities. Previous grants also trained participants in home-based care, conducted HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs, and offered youth and vulnerable women training in income-generating activities. With this multi-year regrant, RWN is teaching small business management skills to 69 vulnerable youth who were previously trained in handicraft production, 94% of whom are girls. Additionally, RWN is providing 10 youth with a space from which to sell their products, seed funding to set up a group tailoring business, and assistance to establish group savings societies. Funding covers the salaries of trainers for RWN's tailoring and card-making vocational training programs for vulnerable youth. |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| Rwanda Women Community Development Network (RWN) supports survivors of sexual violence, widows, and their children with three core programs: health care and psychosocial support, human and legal rights education, and socioeconomic empowerment. With this discretionary grant, RWN is convening a series of celebrations and public awareness-raising events to commemorate its tenth anniversary. Specifically, funds cover transportation for RWN's grassroots' partners to travel to the festivities and small cash awards for the most creative cultural performances delivered during the celebration. For the past 10 years, RWN has supported survivors of sexual violence, widows, and their children with health care, counseling and emotional support, human and legal rights education, and income-earning programs. |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| Rwanda Women Community Development Network (RWN) supports survivors of sexual violence, widows, and their children with three core programs: health care and psychosocial support, human and legal rights education, and socioeconomic empowerment. With this discretionary grant, RWN is providing small grants to six emerging, child-focused organizations addressing the needs of children in difficult-to-reach communities. To strengthen these organizations and promote their sustainability, RWN is providing leadership training and skill-building sessions to representatives of sub-granted organizations. Funding covers the salary of a monitoring and evaluation officer, a portion of RWN's accountant's wages, as well as communication and transport costs. For the past 10 years, RWN has supported survivors of sexual violence, widows, and their children with health care, counseling and emotional support, human and legal rights education, and income-earning programs. |
Rwanda Women Community Development Network |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $80,000 |
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2000 |
Amount Awarded: $12,500 |
| This grant supports Call to Action, a project to reduce the rate of mother-to-infant transmission in Africa and other developing regions, through community education, health care worker training, HIV counseling and testing, and the provision of antiretroviral prophylaxis. |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,900 |
| NACC was formed to address the needs of orphans, vulnerable children, and the chronically ill, with the goal of mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS and preventing further HIV infections. With Firelight funding, NACC is improving the economic and nutritional status of 90 households caring for vulnerable children. To do this, they are training 80 households caring for 400 children in livestock rearing, and providing each household with three goats, veterinary care, and follow-up. Funds also provide for carpentry training and assistance initiating small businesses to 10 orphans who head households. |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Formed by a group of concerned community leaders, NACC seeks to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic by creating opportunities for addressing the needs of orphans, vulnerable children, and the chronically ill. Located in a trading town about six miles from the Mozambique border, NACC is developing a home-based care network, 43 youth recreation clubs, five community-based childcare centers, six HIV/AIDS resource centers, and an organic farm. Firelight funds are supporting livestock management training for 80 households and carpentry and small business management training for 10 youth over two years. |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Formed by a group of concerned community leaders and members, Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) supports families affected by HIV/AIDS in a town 10 kilometers west of the Mozambique border. 'Our long term goal is to improve the quality of life for orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS, the aged, and the disabled. Handouts will not achieve [this]...Economic and social empowerment is the proper instrument.' |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,700 |
| Formed by a group of concerned community leaders and members, Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC) supports families affected by HIV/AIDS in a town 10 kilometers west of the Mozambique border. 'Our long term goal is to improve the quality of life for orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS, the aged, and the disabled. Handouts will not achieve [this]...Economic and social empowerment is the proper instrument.' |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Namwera AIDS Coordinating Committee |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Kara Counselling & Training Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Building on their current hospice program, Kara Counseling and Training Trust will use this money to provide a day care and 24-hour care facility specifically for children. Furthermore, they plan to train existing hospice staff to care for children living with HIV/AIDS as well as working with in-school youth training them in peer education skills, outreach, and the care and needs of children living with HIV/AIDS. |
Kara Counselling & Training Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| KCTT provides counseling services, home-based care, and hospice care to HIV-affected and -infected people, including children living with HIV/AIDS. Firelight funding enabled the group to train hospice staff for a daycare center and 24-hour care facility that meets the special needs of very young HIV-positive children. With this two-year regrant, Kara is training guardians of HIV-positive children in palliative care. The organization is providing 12 hospice staff members with skills that will help them identify and assist orphans and vulnerable children effectively. KCTT is also training 100 guardians in income-generating skills and providing them with loans. |
Kara Counselling & Training Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Kara Counseling & Training Trust (KCTT) provides counseling, home-based and hospice care to HIV positive people including children. KCTT opened a daycare center for the children of chronically ill patients receiving palliative care in its hospice. KCTT used previous Firelight funding to train guardians and caregivers and to establish two additional daycare centers. Firelight also enabled KCTT to provide nutritional and medical support to 100 children and to cover staff's salaries. With this regrant, KCTT provides food, medical support and school supplies for all children attending the daycare centers. In addition, Firelight funds support training and microcredit loans to 20 guardians as well KCTT's overhead costs. KCTT is extending its support to more communities and providing a place where HIV-positive children can learn while receiving psychosocial care. KCTT provides counseling and hospice care to chronically ill people with HIV/AIDS. They also run daycare centers for children who are HIV-positive and children whose parents are in hospice care. |
Kara Counselling & Training Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
New Global Citizens |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $36,500 |
| Firelight has partnered with Youth Philanthropy Worldwide (YPW) to develop and enhance the Pen Pal Exchange program. Funds will be used to support the existing letter writing activities between Firelight's grantee-partners and US based youth, as well as developing new activities that will build awareness, create a sense of partnership and connection, and foster understanding across cultures and continents. |
New Global Citizens |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $1,300 |
| Funds support the implementation and documentation of youth--led HIV/AIDS projects in communities in Cameroon, South Africa, and Uganda. Each of four youth groups is implementing an event or activity designed to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and to mobilize greater community involvement in prevention, care, and support efforts. Approximately 1,600 people are being reached by these activities. Funding covers the costs of meeting planning, materials, transportation, and post-event documentation. |
New Global Citizens |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $35,000 |
| YPW inspires American youth to engage in global social-change activities by functioning as a hub for sharing information, resources, ideas, and skills. Firelight has previously funded YPW's leadership of 'Youth Together Against AIDS,' originally a pen-pal program including youth in California and youth involved in Firelight's African grantee-partners' activities. With this regrant YPW is increasing the number of U.S. and African youth participants in the Youth Together Against AIDS program, which now includes letter exchanges, creative self-expression projects, social-service activities, and fundraising efforts. Additionally, YPW is using funds to prepare an Activist-Philanthropist Kit, which includes a resource guide designed to lead interested youth advocacy groups into taking action against AIDS. |
New Global Citizens |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $70,000 |
| YPW, a long-time Firelight grantee-partner, connects youth in the United States with their counterparts in Africa as they work together to encourage HIV/AIDS prevention. In the first year of this two-year Firelight grant, YPW completed the Youth Together Against AIDS (YTAA) Action Guide, involving a number of Firelight's African grantee-partners in the revision process. In this second year of funding, YPW plans to double the number of schools participating to eight. Firelight funding covers the salary of a full-time staff member, who is responsible for the overall functions of YTAA, including production of the group's newsletter and helping coordinate youth-focused World AIDS Day events in the United States and Africa. Funding also covers some additional administrative expenses. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Scripture Union Zimbabwe/Chiedza Street Children's Program |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,800 |
| Firelight funding will support the Chiedza Street Children's Program, run by Scripture Union, by providing materials for a drop-in center, including clothes, first aid supplies, toiletries and equipment. Funds will also contribute to administrative costs and staff allowances. |
Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Services (SAfAIDS) is a regional NGO founded in 1994 to promote ethical and effective development responses to the AIDS epidemic. SAfAIDS produces and disseminates cutting edge HIV/AIDS information to promote dialogue and mobilize social action to scale-up the regional HIV/AIDS response in 10 southern African countries. SAfAIDS' first grant from Firelight is co-funded by American Jewish World Service (AJWS). This grant supports the development, testing, dissemination and monitoring and evaluation of a publication titled, 'Supporting Children on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART): A Community Resource Toolkit', used to train community workers and community-based organizations. SAfAIDS plans to translate the toolkit into Ndebele and Shona for distribution across the region. SAfAIDS disseminates cutting-edge HIV/AIDS information to promote dialogue and expand the regional HIV/AIDS response in 10 southern African countries, including community support for antiretroviral treatment for children. |
International HIV/AIDS Alliance |
| Country: UK |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| The International HIV/AIDS Alliance promotes community involvement in the global effort for HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. Firelight funds support the Alliance to present a film representing Nigerian children's views about the effects of HIV/AIDS on their lives and to convene a youth-led skill-building session on Hero Books at the International Conference on HIV/AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in Nigeria. Additionally, the Alliance is documenting and disseminating ethical and logistical guidelines surrounding the participation of children at significant international conferences on HIV/AIDS. |
HIV/AIDS Prevention Group, Belabela Welfare Society |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| Through their bereavement program, Belabela will provide school fees and recreational activities for children. Funds will also cover staff training in psychosocial counseling and administrative costs. |
HIV/AIDS Prevention Group, Belabela Welfare Society |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Belabela Welfare Society operates in a rural underserved area, providing home-based care, orphan outreach, and support groups for vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS. Firelight's first grant paid for school fees and recreational activities for children. Funds also covered staff training in psychosocial counseling and administrative costs. This documentation grant is funding the development of a website and other materials aimed at raising awareness and highlighting the work of the Belabela Welfare Society. |
HIV/AIDS Prevention Group, Belabela Welfare Society |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Belabela operates in an underserved rural area organizing home-based care, orphan assistance, and support groups for vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS. Belabela aims 'to help [all] children live their life... equal to other children.' Previous Firelight funding provided educational assistance and recreational opportunities for vulnerable children and covered some administrative costs. This regrant offers continued funding for Belabela's integrated program of educational, recreational, and counseling support for 80 children. Additionally, Belabela is assisting 60 people living with HIV/AIDS and their families to plant gardens, educating 10 community caretakers in child psychosocial support skills, and training smaller organizations to initiate activities benefiting vulnerable children. |
HIV/AIDS Prevention Group, Belabela Welfare Society |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| HIV/AIDS Prevention Group, Belabela Welfare Society offers home-based care, testing services and anti-retroviral treatment to HIV-positive adults and children affected by HIV/AIDS. This Firelight regrant allows Belabela to continue its comprehensive program of educational support, counseling, and recreational activities for 80 children. Funding also covers administrative expenses and staff development, including training in monitoring and evaluation for Belabela's staff and volunteers. |
Lesotho Girl Guides Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Though originally focused exclusively on the needs of girls, LGGA now serves all street children regardless of gender. With a perspective on the unique issues facing girls and boys, the organization offers educational support, vocational training, and reunification services to children and their caregivers. This two-year Firelight grant facilitates LGGA's comprehensive follow-up activities for 52 former street children who were recently reunited with relatives or foster caregivers. These activities include secondary school fees for 21 children, and educational, psychological, and nutritional outreach to the children and their caregivers. |
Lesotho Girl Guides Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Lesotho Girl Guides Association (LGGA) offers educational support, counseling, and reunification services to former street children and their caregivers. LGGA also runs a vocational training and literacy program. |
Lesotho Girl Guides Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Kakaretso Development and Training Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| This organization formed clubs for local women who come together to work on income generating activities. The women also bring the children that they care for (many who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS) to the meetings. The time spent at the clubs positively stimulates the children and educates the caregivers. This grant will allow the clubs to improve the services for the children by training two women from each club in early childhood development skills and by providing follow-up support. |
Sinosizo Home Based Care |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The primary goal of the Sinosizo orphans and vulnerable children program is to improve the quality of life for children affected with HIV/AIDS, by enhancing their coping skills and resiliency. With this grant, Sinosizo plans to develop 16 training modules to train 50 children and 100 volunteers who work with orphans and vulnerable children. Sinosizo will then replicate this program in at least five other areas. |
Luapula Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Grant funds will cover food, school fees and supplies for children and inputs for farming and income generating activities for caregivers. |
Luapula Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Luapula Foundation addresses the plight of orphans and vulnerable children in the Mansa community, a high-need underserved area. With previous Firelight support, Luapula was able to increase the economic independence and food security of 104 vulnerable children and educate community members on HIV prevention. The grant also provided school fees and vocational training for youth, and provided farming supplies for caregivers and children. With regrant funds, Luapula is providing secondary school fees to 50 orphans, educational fees for 10 previously funded students, agricultural supplies for 30 families caring for orphans, and HIV-prevention education to 160 youth. The entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. With previous Firelight support, Luapula was able to increase the economic independence and food security of vulnerable children, and educate clients on HIV prevention. They provided school fees and trade/business training for youth, and provided farm inputs for caregivers and children. With regrant funds, Luapula is providing secondary school fees to 50 orphans, tertiary educational fees for 10 previously funded students, farm inputs for 30 families caring for orphans, and HIV education to 160 youth. |
Luapula Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,700 |
| With this documentation grant, Luapula is purchasing a computer, a printer, and supporting software to assist in the production of their newsletter and in the daily running of their organization.This discretionary grant funded the purchase of a computer and accessory hardware. |
Luapula Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Luapula Foundation provides social, financial, and educational assistance to HIV-infected and -affected children and their families. Previous Firelight grant funds provided youth-focused HIV awareness raising activities, life-skills education for 160 youth, and conservation farming workshops aimed at improving the food security of vulnerable households. Firelight's funding also supported Luapula to educate 66 young people in secondary school and college. This two-year regrant assists Luapula's efforts to enhance household food security, funding two conferences on improved farming and food storage techniques, and providing agricultural supplies for 40 families. Regrant funding also covers quarterly HIV education for 50 youth, community school fees for 70 young people, secondary school expenses for 50 children, and college tuition for 3 youth. |
Luapula Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Luapula Foundation works toward a 'self sustaining society in which every HIV/AIDS affected and infected person is empowered and is self-reliant.' Since its inception in 2001, Luapula has sponsored primary and secondary education for 485 youth, with an eyes towards ensuring gender equity in their activities. A total of 41 Luapula-supported students graduated from college in 2006. Luapula's most recent Firelight grant provided school fee support for 224 vulnerable children who also received life skills and HIV/AIDS awareness training. The grant also supported farm inputs and training in conservation farming, production of fuel efficient stoves, and use of solar dryers to preserve fruit for 80 families. This two year grant enables Luapula to continue its comprehensive program of educational, psychosocial, and agricultural support to families. Funds cover school fees and supplies for 75 students, training for 20 teachers in guidance counseling, and livelihood training for 50 out-of-school youth. In addition, Firelight support livelihood training for 22 OVCs and overhead costs for Luapula Foundation, including salaries for five staff persons. Luapula promotes self-reliance for adults and children living with HIV/AIDS by funding school fees and supplies; teaching life skills and HIV/AIDS awareness; training teachers in guidance counseling; and offering orphans and caregivers counseling, vocational training, and training in conservation farming methods. |
Anglican Diocese of Lusaka |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $2,100 |
| With this funding, the organizations' St. Margaret's Community School will hold three community-based workshops on HIV/AIDS and two community sensitization workshops on child rights. They will also send four youth for short courses in vegetable growing and chicken keeping and engage all students in small-scale income generating activities. |
Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| With this support, the Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation will train 75 new members of its Child Care Community Support groups in various subjects including: child development, parenting, nutrition, hygiene, counseling, and inclusive education. Additionally, the 75 new members will be trained in entrepreneurship skills and each of the foundation's three sites will be given a small business start-up fund. |
Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| MECCDF works to strengthen the community's capacity to provide holistic childcare services. Previous Firelight funding enabled MECCDF to recruit and train 70 Child Care Community Support Group volunteers in early childhood education, inclusive education for children with disabilities, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and other topics. Each volunteer assumed responsibility for teaching a minimum of 15 children and their caregivers. With this regrant MECCDF is establishing two additional childcare centers (bringing the total number to five), employing more trained caregivers at each center, and training at least 25 community support group members. Grant funds also purchase school uniforms and books for 100 children. |
Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation (MECCDF) provides and promotes early childhood care and development services. MECCDF uses early childhood education as an entry point to address health and other issues affecting children. MECCDF has nine early childhood education centers serving 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children up to age six. Previous Firelight funds supported the purchase of school supplies for the nine centers and training for 20 caregivers. The group is using current grant funds to purchase 500 insecticide-treated mosquito nets and blankets for children. Funds also support PSS training for 30 caregivers, M&E activities and administrative costs. By extending its activities to the poorest communities, MECCDF provides professional care and education to children who would not otherwise have access to them. MECCDF's nine childcare centers provide early education and health care to 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children under the age of six living in poor communities. |
Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| MECCDF's nine childcare centers provide early education and health care to 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children under the age of six living in poor communities. MECCDF uses early childhood education as an entry point to address health and other issues affecting children and their families. |
Mulumbo Early Childhood Care and Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| EMIMA works to empower children around HIV/AIDS prevention and care of those living with AIDS through education and organized sports activities. With this funding, EMIMA will support its youth sports' leaders with 20 full and 50 partial educational scholarships, and 50 vocational training opportunities. Additionally, they will reach hundreds of children in the community through newspaper articles, fliers, leaflets, workshops and seminars. |
Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| EMIMA addresses the physical, social, and emotional needs of children at risk of HIV through a program that combines sports activities and life skills, HIV prevention, and reproductive health education. Additionally, EMIMA trains youth as peer coaches to teach athletic skills and HIV/AIDS-prevention strategies to vulnerable children. These peer coaches receive educational sponsorship or assistance with small business training. A previous Firelight grant supported EMIMA's programs for at-risk youth. With this two-year grant, EMIMA is providing 90 peer coaches with HIV/AIDS-prevention education, awareness-raising materials, and educational sponsorship. They are also providing school materials to 80 children and supporting recreation opportunities for girls. |
Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Since 2001 Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi (EMIMA, 'education, physical activities and sports' in Swahili) has been involving youth in sports activities and helping vulnerable young people stay in school. EMIMA trains peer coaches, who offer HIV/AIDS education and life-skills training to youth. The organization's activities have helped youth to avoid drug use and prostitution, and to more openly discuss sexual and reproductive health. This has contributed to a reduction in STIs and HIV/AIDS among youth in EMIMA's focus communities. With this two-year renewal from Firelight, EMIMA is establishing two new centers in Moshi and Arusha, and reaching 3,000 youth through sports and HIV/AIDS awareness. They are strengthening girl-focused activities by conducting a series of girls' leadership seminars and training more female peer coaches. Funds also support EMIMA's educational and vocational training assistance for 150 vulnerable children. |
Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Since 2001 Elimu, Michezo na Mazoezi ('Education, Physical Activities and Sports' or EMIMA) gets youth involved in sports activities and helps them stay in school. EMIMA trains peer coaches, who offer HIV/AIDS education and life-skills training to youth. The organization's activities have helped youth avoid drug use and prostitution, and more openly discuss sexual and reproductive health. This has contributed to a reduction in sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS among youth in EMIMA's focus communities. |
Millennium Home of Hope |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| With this grant, Millennium Home of Hope will increase their impact in this province by having 40 fully functioning 'mini Homes of Hope' where orphaned babies and children are placed in foster care. They will increase their outreach in the community, screen and train potential foster parents, and provide ongoing training to current foster parents/families and staff. |
Millennium Home of Hope |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| MHH was founded as a transitional home by individuals working in social welfare who recognized a lack of services for abandoned and orphaned babies. MHH identifies foster homes in the community for children up to age six, and provides training and ongoing guidance to foster families. Firelight's initial grant enabled MHH to establish 40 Mini Homes of Hope - foster care placement within the community. This two-year regrant supports MHH to continue its foster parent-support programs. It also supports salary and related costs of identifying, screening, and training 60 new foster parents, refresher courses for 50 foster caregivers, and expenses associated with placing 15 children in foster families. |
Millennium Home of Hope |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $45,000 |
| Millennium Home of Hope (MHH) was created in 1999 to fill a gap in services for orphaned babies and children in difficult circumstances. With Firelight's first grant in 2003, MHH increased their impact by hiring a community animator and social worker to prepare families to foster OVC, creating 40 'mini Homes of Hope'. In 2004 Firelight awarded MHH a two-year regrant to continue their work of identifying, screening, and training foster parents, transferring children from MHH to foster care, supporting new and existing foster parents through home visits and workshops, raising community awareness, and providing support to child-headed families. With this three-year grant, MHH is training potential foster parents in four villages. MHH is transferring children from MHH to mini Homes of Hope, providing support to foster parents by visiting each child every month to ensure his/her progress, development, general well-being and health (including ARV adherence, if necessary). Each month, MHH is training active foster parents on relevant issues and holding life skills workshops for children living in child-headed families. MHH is using second year funding to strengthen its programs and to continue its workshops for young children and teenagers in 3 villages and 4 schools. With the motto 'give a child a family,' MHH works to transition children from orphanages to trained foster families and provides workshops for new foster parents. |
Millennium Home of Hope |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,400 |
| With the motto 'Give a child a family!' Millennium Home of Hope uses Firelight funds to move children from their residential home to trained foster families ('mini-homes of hope') where they experience all the benefits of family and community life. This grant follows a two-year Firelight grant to bring Millennium Home of Hope fully in line with Firelight reporting cycles. It will fund salaries for community animators, workshops for new foster parents and child-headed families, and support visits to existing foster parents. With the motto 'give a child a family,' MHH works to transition children from orphanages to trained foster families and provides workshops for new foster parents. |
Vuleka |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| With this grant, Vuleka will develop and produce audiocassettes and cds with songs that encourage the development of vulnerable children's self-esteem. They will distribute cassettes to local radio programs, media outlets and home-based care programs. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,800 |
| LANESO will enhance the productive energy of 50 orphaned youth fisherman by teaching them appropriate fishing techniques and providing them with improved, environmentally-appropriate fishing nets. The youth will also be trained on the importance of financial savings and on HIV/AIDS prevention through behavior change. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| LANESO, an environmental conservation organization, works with a marginalized community of fisher boys living on Jumaa Island in Lake Victoria. LANESO used Firelight's previous grant to conduct HIV/AIDS awareness workshops for the youth fishermen. They trained 50 boys on sustainable fishing techniques and provided them with regulation nets to improve their livelihood opportunities. Renewed Firelight funding enables LANESO to replicate these effective programs with 40 additional boys. They are also conducting HIV/AIDS awareness-raising programs in the community and holding monthly games, youth-focused activities, and youth forums as a means of strengthening positive behavior among the youth. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,400 |
| LANESO, an environmental conservation organization, works with a marginalized community of fisherboys living on Jumaa Island in Lake Victoria. LANESO used two previous grants to train the boys in sustainable-fishing techniques, to teach them the facts about HIV/AIDS, and to assist them in organizing fishing cooperatives. With this Firelight grant, LANESO is coordinating a pair of three-day learning workshops and exchange visits involving Firelight grantee-partners in the Mwanza area. These exchanges will improve networking among the organizations and encourage participants to share effective orphan-support strategies. Exchange visits revitalize the efforts of individuals working with vulnerable children by reminding them they do not work in isolation. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This Documentation and Dissemination grant supports LANESO to produce audiovisual materials and brochures about HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support strategies, which will raise awareness of the effects of HIV/AIDS in Mwanza. LANESO found the widespread community ignorance about and silence surrounding HIV/AIDS to be one of the obstacles to effective treatment, care, and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Funds enabled LANESO to create a video to inform the community of facts about the virus and strategies for caring for the ill and their children, and also to share strategies for preventing new HIV infections. LANESO plans initially to show the video 15 times, reaching approximately 1,700 community members, and to broadcast the audio program twice on a local radio station. Additionally, they are distributing 500 brochures containing information about HIV/AIDS and prevention. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| LANESO, an environmental conservation organization, works with a marginalized group of fisher boys living on Jumaa Island in Lake Victoria. LANESO serves as a resource center for other community-based organizations in the Mwanza area, making its computer equipment and internet service available to other organizations doing similar work. This grant supports LANESO's office costs, including administrative expenses, internet service, and purchase of a printer and office furniture. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Recognizing the marginalization of fisher boys living on Lake Victoria's islands, LANESO initiated activities to reduce their risk of HIV infection. They have done this by informing the boys about HIV/AIDS and by economic support through fishing cooperatives. Firelight's previous grants to LANESO enabled the organization to train 110 fisher boys in sustainable fishing techniques and to supervise the boys' fishing cooperatives. LANESO has also offered HIV/AIDS awareness-raising programs in Mwanza and other island communities. With this regrant LANESO is continuing its youth-focused activities. In response to the declining profitability of fishing and the strong demand for tailoring services, the organization is training 50 vulnerable youth in tailoring. Funding also covers administrative expenses, including the salary of an evaluation consultant who helps LANESO assess how its program activities are affecting children, youth, and other community members. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $1,700 |
| LANESO, an environmental conservation organization, works with a marginalized group of fisher boys living on Jumaa Island in Lake Victoria. Additionally, this group serves as the 'hub' of Firelight's Mwanza-based grantee-partner network. This grant supports the participation of LANESO's Director in a management training workshop to be held in Lesotho. Funding also covers transportation and associated expenses for the Director's follow-up meetings with individual grantee-partner organizations in order to share lessons learned during the training. LANESO helps marginalized fisherboys on Lake Victoria increase their incomes through business management training and tailoring cooperatives, and works to decrease their HIV risk through community education and lifestyle changes. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| Youth living in Lake Victoria fishing communities face a high risk of contracting HIV due to their mobile lifestyle and underemployment, punctuated by periods of significant income. In response, Lake Nyasa Environmental and Sanitation Organization (LANESO) initiated a two-pronged program to reach fisherboys: first, improve youths' livelihoods through skills and business management training; second, provide them with information necessary to reduce risky behaviors. With the previous grant, LANESO trained 48 youth in business management and provided them with sewing machines to initiate tailoring cooperatives. Their businesses now generate an average of $15 - $25 weekly. Current funding supports a three-day seminar for 60 orphans and caregivers to share economic and social strategies to cope with HIV/AIDS. LANESO plans to highlight the effects of HIV/AIDS during a two-day conference for boat owners, crew, fishmongers, religious leaders, and health workers. Funds also cover office running expenses, stipends for two staff, and activities to commemorate World AIDS Day. LANESO helps marginalized fisherboys on Lake Victoria increase their incomes through business management training and tailoring cooperatives, and works to decrease their HIV risk through community education and lifestyle changes. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| LANESO, an environmental conservation organization, works with a marginalized group of fisher boys living on Jumaa Island in Lake Victoria. LANESO helps the boys increase their incomes through business management training and tailoring cooperatives, and works to decrease their HIV risk through community education and lifestyle changes. LANESO serves as the 'hub' of Firelight's Mwanza-based grantee-partner network. |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,000 |
Lake Nyanza Environmental and Sanitation Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
Institute of Cultural Affairs - Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| ICA-Z focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention education and awareness raising, micro-credit finance, and community capacity building. This grant supports ICA-Z's efforts to establish a youth meeting and resource center, to share HIV/AIDS prevention and care information, and to foster community involvement in meeting the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Institute of Cultural Affairs - Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Focused on building human capacity for social change, ICA-Zimbabwe's children and youth programs educate participants and improve their problem-solving skills, build confidence, and engage youth in community transformation. Firelight has supported ICA-Z to establish a youth-friendly meeting space, the White House, in Mufakose, a high-density suburb of Harare. Young people visit the White House to gather information about HIV/AIDS, to seek counseling, to learn leadership and decision-making skills, and to socialize in a safe environment. With renewed funding ICA-Z continues to operate the White House, provides 50 children with primary school support, and trains 20 volunteers in home-based care. |
Institute of Cultural Affairs - Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| ICA-Z offers child and youth programming that aims to improve problem-solving skills, build confidence, and engage youth in community transformation. Firelight funding supports a 'Youth Friendly Corner' where youth can access peer education, an HIV/AIDS resource center, psychosocial support, and sports activities. Additionally, ICA-Z is providing school fees to 100 orphans and vulnerable children, home-based care training to 50 adults who are caring for 300 people living with HIV/AIDS, and a two-day child rights training workshop for 200 community leaders. |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,700 |
| At SASO's Children's Corner, more than 350 orphaned children gather each Saturday morning for recreation, medical attention, education, a hot meal and, most importantly, care and affection from a team of volunteers. With this grant, SASO will start a Children's Corner in Pemba, a rural locality, and reach up to 200 more children. |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| A membership organization of Salima residents affected by HIV/AIDS, SASO operates holistic-care and support programs for people living with the virus. Through their weekly Children's Corner activities, SASO provides recreation, medical attention, education, and hot meals for hundreds of vulnerable children. Firelight's first grant enabled SASO to start a second Children's Corner, reaching 600 vulnerable children weekly in Pemba. With this regrant SASO is continuing the Children's Corner integrated support activities and is constructing a permanent kitchen for its facility in Pemba. The organization is also training 15 guardians in entrepreneurial skills and providing each trainee with $50 to start businesses. [For more information on this grantee-partner, please see Page XX.] |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Catherine Phiri was one of the first people in Malawi to publicly reveal her HIV-positive status. She founded SASO as a membership organization for other people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Working in 489 villages with community-level committees and volunteers, SASO is now an established and respected HIV/AIDS service provider in Salima District. Firelight funds support activities within SASO's orphan care program, including income-generating activities for caregivers, school fees for vulnerable children, and life-skills training for 10 youth. The grant also covers some administrative costs. |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Founded by the first publicly known person living with HIV in Malawi, Salima AIDS Support Organization (SASO) remains an established service provider and membership organization of people affected by HIV/AIDS. Working in 489 villages, SASO provides a wide range of services to 547 chronically ill clients and 2,331 registered vulnerable children, including home-based care, communal gardens, small business, and vocational skills training. Previous Firelight funding supported holistic programs for vulnerable children, and their caretakers. New funding continues to support diverse holistic support services including a Children's Corner, which provides 650 children a place to play and socialize free from stigma and a weekly meal, seasonal supplementary food for 25 child-headed households and training in food security and nutrition for caretakers. SASO is training 20 youth in peer-education to facilitate HIV-awareness discussions. They will purchase 20 bicycles for home based care volunteers and support loans to five small business groups of people living with HIV/AIDS. SASO'a membership organization of people affected by HIV/AIDS'works in 489 villages providing communal gardens, business and vocational skills training, community centers, HIV/AIDS awareness activities, and home-based care. |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Working in 489 villages, SASO provides a wide range of services to more than 570 chronically ill clients and 2,330 orphans and vulnerable children, including home-based care, voluntary testing and counseling, communal gardens, peer education, anti-AIDS clubs, education support, income-generating activities, and vocational skills training. |
Salima HIV/AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Council on Foundations |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| The Council on Foundations (COF) functions as a networking body and informational resource for charitable foundations operating in the U.S. This Presidential Discretionary grant co-funds exploratory research concerning the feasibility and sustainability of an online central repository of information, for example, documentation regarding funding history, by-laws, local registration, about foreign (i.e., non-U.S.-based) NGOs that could potentially streamline the process of cross-border grantmaking. Funds cover a portion of the research consultant's time and expenses. The COF, the Independent Sector, the Foundation Center, and InterAction are jointly engaged in the initiative. |
Council on Foundations |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Global Fund for Women |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| This discretionary grant is supporting GFW's grantmaking activities. With its focus on increasing girls' access to education, ending violence against women, and empowering women to gain economic independence, GFW is a natural partner in Firelight's efforts to support vulnerable children by strengthening families and communities. |
Fikelela Children's Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This grant will help Fikelela continue its foster care program, which provides both emergency care and supervised placements with long term parents. They also provide comprehensive screening, training and supervision to foster parents as well as outreach and support to the children and the surrounding community. The Centre will also continue to provide daycare, medical care and temporary shelter to HIV+ children and orphans and vulnerable children. |
Fikelela Children's Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Fikelela engages Anglican parishes throughout Cape Town to meet the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS, especially young children living with HIV. Fikelela offers transitional care for HIV-positive and abandoned children while working with communities and social-welfare agencies to recruit and train foster caregivers. Previous Firelight funding has supported the running costs of Fikelela's transitional care facility. This regrant supports Fikelela to offer emergency foster care, including daycare, feeding, and medical care, and to identify, train, and supervise foster parents. |
Fikelela Children's Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Fikelela Children's Centre offers holistic care to many of Cape Town's vulnerable children and prepares foster caregivers to assume their responsibilities. In the coming year, Fikelela hopes to nearly double the number of children placed successfully in foster homes (from 52 to 100) by recruiting more foster parents. As the organization seeks foster placements, Fikelela maintains the capacity to care for 30 children at its Children's Centre. Renewed Firelight funding partially covers the salary for a social worker and the Children's Centre supervisor. The remainder of the grant funds are supporting the costs of running the Children's Centre. |
Sakhisizwe/Grahamstown Foundation |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This program provides training to principals, teachers, parents and students in rural primary schools to empower families affected by HIV/AIDS. Training includes: HIV/AIDS facts, writing skills, management and governance, and crop and vegetable farming. With Firelight funds, Sakhisizwe will expand its outreach program to 44 additional rural schools across 4 districts. |
Chingola Orphan Care |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| The mission of this organization is to address the needs of over 2,500 orphans and vulnerable children in the Chingola region, by providing primary education, food and clothing, medical care, housing and skills training. With Firelight funding, Wilson's will formalize their community school, and train 100 volunteers to work in the school. |
Chingola Orphan Care |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Formed as a partnership of five local service organizations to address the needs of 2,500 orphans and vulnerable children, Chingola Orphan Care Group trains widows, orphans, and street children in skills that help them move toward self-sufficiency. With previous Firelight funds, the organization supported 110 children with educational expenses, and provided shelter, food, school necessities, and medical care to 20 street children. This regrant enables Chingola Orphan Care Group to continue this assistance, reaching 34 street children, and to pay for the educational expenses of 30 additional vulnerable children. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| This grant will allow CADECOM Chikwawa to mobilize communities to address the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. They will sensitize and train 80 local leaders, community members and youth on the issues facing these children and ways to support them. Additionally, they will create two growth monitoring programs for children under five years of age, sponsor vocational training for 12 orphans, and initiate a drug revolving fund to provide affordable access to medicines for 2,000 adults and 8,000 children. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| CDHC, formerly Diocese of Chikwakwa Home Based Care Project, focuses on community mobilization and capacity building through trainings in HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies. Previous Firelight grants were used to construct two community-based care centers. Current Firelight funds continue to support the two centers, fund awareness-raising activities and life-skills trainings, and provide food for the preschool participants. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $14,700 |
| Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission (CDHC), focuses on community mobilization and capacity building through trainings in HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies. With previous Firelight funding, CDHC improved access to HIV testing through youth volunteers and mobile VCT clinics, and supported youth groups and life-skills training for youth, community-based childcare centers (CBCC), trained 20 caregivers and started 2 community gardens during an unusually severe hunger season. With their current grant from Firelight, CDHC continues to support to HIV prevention, VCT, and CBCC programs. CDHC trained 25 youth club members in peer education, provides mobile VCT testing and trained 25 youth outreach and education workers. Currently two caregivers staff each of 10 CBCCs, which they identify is insufficient for proper childcare. CDHC also trained 20 new CBCC caregivers, and provides food to the CBCCs. Renewal CDHC trains community members in HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies, offers improved access to HIV testing through mobile clinics, trains youth in life skills, and operates community-based childcare centers. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission (CDHC), formerly an arm of the Catholic Development Commission of Malawi, mobilizes communities to care for and support families affected by HIV/AIDS, aims to reduce HIV infection, and promotes early childhood development for 1200 orphans and vulnerable children. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $4,400 |
| The Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission (CDHC), formerly an arm of the Catholic Development Commission of Malawi, mobilizes communities to care for and support families affected by HIV/AIDS, aims to reduce HIV infection, and promotes early childhood development for 1200 orphans and vulnerable children. |
Chikwawa Diocese Health Commission |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| FEDOMA is an umbrella organization that supports and advocates for the needs of disabled individuals in Malawi. With Firelight's support, FEDOMA will train 55 caregivers for 100 disabled, orphaned children affected by HIV/AIDS in business management and provide them with seed loans. Additionally, FEDOMA will offer educational assistance to 50 disabled orphans. |
The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,400 |
| FEDOMA's long-term vision is to create a generation of educated youth who will advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. The organization is using Firelight funds to alert policymakers, school authorities, and the public to the vulnerability of children with disabilities. The organization is also providing educational support for 20 children with disabilities. |
The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $11,000 |
| The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA), an umbrella advocacy organization, works to 'enhance the welfare of persons with disabilities and enable them to play their rightful role in society.' With Firelight funding, FEDOMA organizes awareness-raising events in 10 schools to change teachers' and able-bodied children's negative attitudes towards disabled students. Recognizing that the disabled students were facing stigma, FEDOMA supports their school attendance and prevents drop-outs. FEDOMA is an umbrella organization that advocates for the welfare and full societal participation of people with disabilities. They conduct awareness-raising in schools to change teachers' and children's attitudes and help disabled children attend school. |
The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| FEDOMA is an umbrella organization that advocates for the welfare and full societal participation of people with disabilities. They conduct awareness-raising in schools to change teachers' and children's attitudes and help disabled children attend school. |
The Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
National Educational and Agricultural Enhancement Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| In an effort to stimulate the community through income generating activities, this organization will purchase a grain mill that will be used by 10 caregivers, and provide vegetable seeds, provide a treadle pump and an irrigation hose for an additional 10 caregivers. The funds will cover school fees and supplies for 30 primary and 20 secondary school pupils. They will also train caregivers and community members on orphan issues. |
Echoes of Mercy |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grant will help Echoes of Mercy start a pre-school where they will offer free basic education to 15 orphans and vulnerable children and assist 22 children with school fees, uniforms and supplies. They will also continue to run their carpentry shop by training at least five out-of-school youth, and work with local churches to provide training in HIV/AIDS prevention and raise awareness of the challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children. |
Echoes of Mercy |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Echoes of Mercy supports families coping with poverty and HIV/AIDS by providing educational and material assistance, training in vocational skills, and addressing the causes of food insecurity. Previous Firelight funding supported Echoes of Mercy to educate and offer vocational training opportunities to more than 40 vulnerable children. With this regrant Echoes of Mercy is providing 120 children with school assistance and 15 caregivers with training in growing fruit and vegetable gardens. The organization is also convening eight community meetings to highlight the effects of HIV/AIDS and propose ways to encourage prevention, care, and support activities. |
Echoes of Mercy |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,500 |
| Echoes of Mercy supports families in the Copperbelt Province who are coping with poverty and HIV/AIDS by providing educational support, vocational skills training, and assistance in achieving food security. This Firelight grant covers the cost of educating 50 children in Echoes of Mercy's own community school as well as an additional 85 pupils in local government schools. The organization is also using the funds to continue its carpentry training program, to invest additional resources in its successful agricultural income-generating activity, and to partially cover salaries and administrative expenses. |
Echoes of Mercy |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Echoes of Mercy (EOM)'s mission is to provide free education, health care, material and spiritual support to at least 500 children in the township of Chibuluma, Copperbelt province. EOM used previous Firelight funds to pay school fees for 49 youth in secondary school and to run a pre-school for 25 children. EOM paid hospital charges for the sick and provided nutritional supplements to nine children. EOM has come to recognize that it need to include in its programs activities that enable caregivers to be more financially self reliant. Hence, EOM is using current Firelight funds to empower 25 caregivers through carpentry and agriculture professions. In addition, EOM is expanding its education programs to 150 orphans, and nutritional and health care support to 60 children. Firelight funds also cover administrative costs, which include salaries for project staff, office rent and communication. EOM provides free education, health care, and material and emotional support to 500 children affected by HIV/AIDS. Their programs to increase the household incomes of caregivers include carpentry and agricultural trainin |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Ray of Hope for Orphans works to upgrade the life of orphans and vulnerable children by providing for their basic needs such as food, health care, education, social services, counseling, and spiritual guidance. With the Firelight grant, Ray of Hope for Orphans is setting up a revolving loan fund for 30 households with orphaned and vulnerable children. Funds also pay school and health fees for 35 child heads-of-households or children living with elderly caregivers. |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Ray of Hope improves children's lives by developing caregivers' earning capacity, offering psychosocial support to vulnerable families, and providing educational support to children in need. Firelight's previous grant helped Ray of Hope to provide business training and startup loans to 80 caregivers supporting more than 250 orphans and vulnerable children. This two-year Firelight regrant enables Ray of Hope to reach 94 caregivers providing for more than 300 children with business management training and group loans. Loans are given in 20-week cycles and Ray of Hope requires the entire group to meet weekly to make payments. Ray of Hope is also providing 35 children with school funding, and holding camps for 80 children to offer peer support, recreational opportunities, and information about HIV/AIDS. Funds support the staff with program management training and enable Ray of Hope to purchase a computer. |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Ray of Hope improves children's lives through economic strengthening activities, educational support and psychosocial support to vulnerable children and their families. Previous Firelight grant funds provided business training and small loans to 80 vulnerable households, including 10 youth-headed households. Ray of Hope also assisted 30 primary and 20 secondary school students with fees and school supplies. The first year of a two-year grant provides extends micro-enterprise start-up funds to 30 additional families who will also receive business training and technical assistance. In addition, grant funds provide educational and psychosocial support to 20 primary and 20 high school students. Ray of Hope is also sponsoring tertiary education for a youth-head-of-household. Firelight's second year funding support the provision of educational materials for a library and a recreational center as well as school fees for 96 students. Ray of Hope improves children's life-chances by providing school fees, uniforms and school supplies, and offering their caregivers business training and micro-enterprise start-up funds. |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $4,900 |
| Ray of Hope improves children's life-chances by providing school fees, uniforms and school supplies, and offering their caregivers business training and micro-enterprise start-up funds. Their comprehensive, community-owned program operates in a high-need border area and increases the self-determination and confidence of the children and families that they support. |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Ray of Hope for Orphans |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
HIV/AIDS Awareness Project and Youth Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Founded by a pair of Soweto-based youth living with HIV, HAPYD fills a gap in holistic care and support for children under 10 years old who are dealing with the effects of HIV/AIDS. With this Firelight grant, HAPYD provides an interactive educational program for 200 children in five nursery schools. They use theater, music, dance, and role play to teach children their rights and responsibilities. In addition HAPYD is organizing a beadwork income-generating project and support group for 75 people living with AIDS. |
HIV/AIDS Awareness Project and Youth Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Young people living with HIV/AIDS in Jabulani founded HAPYD to serve vulnerable children ages three to 10 years. HAPYD's response combines five interventions: providing an interactive educational program for preschoolers, distributing basic nutritional support to families, starting counseling and support groups for HIV-positive pregnant women, launching income-generating activities, and giving technical support to smaller community-based organizations. With this Firelight regrant, HAPYD is expanding its outreach to 10 nursery schools that address the impact of HIV/AIDS through drama, traditional dance, and poetry. HAPYD is also initiating a weekly after-school psychosocial support group that establishes mentoring relationships between staff members and 35 orphans and child heads-of-households. The grant also covers some administrative costs. |
HIV/AIDS Awareness Project and Youth Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded by a pair of Soweto-based youth living with HIV, HAPYD fills a gap in holistic care and support for children under 10 years of age who are dealing with the effects of HIV/AIDS. HAPYD's response combines five interventions: providing an interactive educational program for preschoolers; distributing basic nutritional support to families; starting counseling and support groups for HIV-positive pregnant women; launching income-generating activities; and giving technical support to smaller community-based organizations. |
Association pour le D'veloppement Agro-Pastoral |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| ADAP was created in 1994 to assist genocide survivors. This grant helps community leaders provide books and pays the salaries of two teachers who will instruct 60 primary school students. It also is used to train 90 vulnerable youth in sewing and tailoring. |
Association Ihorere Munyarwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Ihorere Munyarwanda, Kinyarwandan for 'Hope for Rwandese People,' is a largely volunteer-run group that helps more than 600 people living with HIV/AIDS and their children through an integrated community empowerment and advocacy program. In particular, they target their programs to women and girls who have resorted to commercial sex to meet their basic economic needs. This grant funds educational and vocational support for 46 children and a program that sensitizes community members about the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Association Ihorere Munyarwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Ihorere Munywarwanda (Hope for Rwandese People) provides HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs and educational or vocational training to some of the most stigmatized individuals affected by HIV: women who have resorted to prostitution and their children. With previous Firelight funds, Ihorere provided school fees and HIV/AIDS-awareness training for 91 vulnerable children. With this regrant Ihorere Munyarwanda continues its educational support to this group of 80 primary and 11 secondary school students. These children will also benefit from further training in HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. |
Association Ihorere Munyarwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Association Ihorere Munyarwanda (AIM) implements an holistic program of support for families living with HIV/AIDS, including support groups, vocational training, income generating activities, and educational and nutritional assistance. Their special focus has been assisting young women who have turned to sex work to meet their families' needs. Previous Firelight funding has supported AIM's program of education-plus, covering 90 children's school fees, uniforms, school materials, and participation in HIV prevention, children's rights training, and anti-AIDS clubs. Firelight's two-year grant supported AIM's program of educational assistance for 50 primary and 40 secondary school students. Beneficiary students participated in children's rights clubs, designed by AIM to combat rising instances of child abuse and exploitation. Firelight's second year funding allowed AIM to continue to support primary and secondary students and to reinforce the capacities of youth clubs to promote children's rights. AIM promotes children's rights and HIV prevention through youth clubs; and provides support groups, vocational training, and educational and nutritional assistance for families living with HIV/AIDS. |
Association Ihorere Munyarwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| AIM promotes children's rights and HIV prevention through youth clubs. They also provide support groups, economic strengthening, and educational and nutritional assistance for families living with HIV/AIDS. Their special focus has been assisting young women who have turned to sex work to meet their families' basic economic needs. |
Association Ihorere Munyarwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
Association Bamporeze |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| With this grant, Bamporeze will initiate a twining program for 75 child-headed households with neighboring adults who will act as mentors or godparents with training on HIV/AIDS awareness and psychosocial support. They will also create an animal husbandry project for the youth and create 14 anti-AIDS clubs. |
Association Bamporeze |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Association Bamporeze enhances the income and emotional wellbeing of households headed by women and children devastated by war, HIV/AIDS, or natural disasters. Working in rural Kigali, Bamporeze used previous grant funds to train 75 child heads-of-households in animal husbandry, providing each trainee with two goats. Additionally, Bamporeze paired each youth and his/her family with an adult guardian who visited each family weekly to share material and emotional support. With this regrant Bamporeze is establishing a carpentry workshop to train 70 child heads-of-household, who collectively care for 179 younger siblings. This two-year grant also provides these young people with startup carpentry materials and a year of follow-up assistance. Funds support ongoing guardian relationships, pay a social worker's salary, and cover program-monitoring and evaluation costs. |
Association Bamporeze |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Launched to support children orphaned or separated from their families by the genocide, Association Bamporeze trains groups of 30 to 50 youth in vocational and life skills. The organization also pairs child heads-of-households and their siblings with a parrain, or godparent. These adults extend material and emotional support to the children and discuss HIV/AIDS with them. Previous Firelight funding helped Bamporeze offer carpentry training to 70 child heads-of-households. With this two-year regrant, Bamporeze is training 35 child heads-of-household (mostly girls) in Rulindo, Northern Province, in basketry, an activity suggested by the youth. The organization is also continuing its godparent program. |
Association Bamporeze |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Association Bamporeze was created to support children orphaned or separated from their families by the genocide. They pair child-headed households with a godparent who extends material and emotional support. The group also provides vulnerable youth with livelihood and HIV-prevention skills. |
Association Bamporeze |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Ejo Nzamera Nte Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| The Ejo Nzamera Nte Association, which translates as 'How shall I be tomorrow?', assists youth in meeting their material and emotional needs and provides them with job opportunities. They offer vocational training, loans, and reproductive health education. This grant will enable Ejo to extend this support to 178 youth-headed households in Murambi District, Umutara Province, a district bordering Uganda with one of the country's highest rates of HIV infection. |
Ejo Nzamera Nte Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Ejo Nzamera Nte Association (How Shall I Be Tomorrow) assists child-headed households and vulnerable youth with vocational training and startup capital for income-generating activities, while also educating youth about HIV prevention. Previously Ejo used Firelight funding to train 40 vulnerable youth, 75 percent of them young women, in carpentry, masonry, and tailoring skills. The organization supported the youth with HIV-prevention information and technical assistance. Two years of regrant funding enable Ejo to build upon this training program, providing the 40 previously trained youth with tools, startup funds, and ongoing advice. These youth will, in turn, offer vocational skills training to 138 peers as well as provide HIV/AIDS and reproductive health education. With Firelight Foundation support, Ejo is also purchasing health insurance for 178 families and distributing a goat to each of 120 vulnerable households to be used to generate income. |
Syndicat du Personnel de l'Education au Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Recognizing the extensive impact that teachers have on the attitudes and beliefs of children and youth, Project EER/SNEP has initiated a national effort to educate secondary school teachers on topics such as HIV/AIDS prevention and sexuality, and how these issues intersect with Rwandan culture. This grant will support training of 1,000 secondary school teachers on these issues. |
Syndicat du Personnel de l'Education au Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Projet EER/SNEP (Project EER/SNEP) is a cooperative effort of the Teacher Teams of Rwanda and the National Union of Primary School Teachers. The organization has trained 10,000 teachers in HIV-prevention strategies and facilitation of school-based anti-AIDS clubs. A component of Project EER/SNEP's initiative is to educate primary and secondary school teachers about how HIV/AIDS relates to Rwandan culture. By educating and empowering teachers, Project EER/SNEP addresses the threat of HIV infection and the stigma of AIDS among school-going youth in Rwanda. Firelight's first grant supported the group's training of 1,000 secondary school teachers. With renewed funding Project EER/SNEP is training 424 teachers in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support strategies using participatory learning techniques. These teachers, drawn from the 106 districts of the country, also learn how to facilitate youth anti-AIDS clubs and are committed to training other teachers. |
Syndicat du Personnel de l'Education au Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| With this grant Projet EER/SNEP (Project EER/SNEP) is producing and distributing a comic book entitled Kibondo (Nice Kid) to 2,500 school-going youth in 90 schools throughout Kigali. Kibondo describes the facts about HIV/AIDS and prevention methods in a youth-friendly format. |
Syndicat du Personnel de l'Education au Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Projet EER/SNEP (Project EER/SNEP) has trained 10,000 teachers in HIV/AIDS related education and prevention strategies through in-school anti-AIDS clubs. EER/SNEP also educates students about reproductive health. With this regrant from Firelight, EER/SNEP is training 30 school authorities and teachers in psychosocial support strategies, with a particular focus on meeting the needs of HIV-positive children. Additionally, EER/SNEP is providing two years of educational assistance to 200 vulnerable children. The organization is using this opportunity to identify and understand the unique challenges the children face, which will inform its ongoing advocacy for educational access and holistic support programs. |
Syndicat du Personnel de l'Education au Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Les Equipes Enseignants du Rwanda (Teacher Teams of Rwanda) and Syndicat National des Enseignants du Primaire (National Union of Primary School Teachers) joined as Projet EER/SNEP to respond to HIV/AIDS, an ongoing concern for both teachers and pupils. Projet EER/SNEP trained 10,000 teachers in HIV-related facts, prevention strategies, and facilitation of in-school anti-AIDS clubs. Firelight's previous grants supported this teacher training program, achieving nationwide training coverage for both primary- and secondary-school teachers. To respond to member teachers' frustration over their inability to address the most vulnerable pupils' material and healthcare needs, with its most recent, two-year Firelight grant, Projet EER/SNEP responded to the educational, medical, and PSS health needs of 200 OVC attending schools in Kigali. Projet EER/SNEP also trained 54 teachers and school officials in psychosocial support strategies. This regrant supports Projet EER/SNEP to replicate this model in Rulindo, Northern Province, ensuring educational access for 150 vulnerable children and improving educators' capacity to offer effective emotional support to children affected by HIV/AIDS. Projet EER/SNEP trained 10,000 primary and secondary school teachers in HIV prevention and in facilitating school-based anti-AIDS clubs. They now provide health care and other assistance to 200 orphans and introduce teachers to counseling methods. |
Hope for Children Organization |
| Country: Ethiopia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Hope for Children Organization will partner with a documentary photographer to teach children how to express their experiences of orphanhood and HIV/AIDS through photography. The children's photos will be used to raise awareness locally and internationally of the challenges faced by children affected by HIV/AIDS and their strategies for responding to HIV/AIDS. |
ODPI / Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| Through the ODPI program, the Tumaini Women will initiate a revolving loan fund for 20 widows who care for 48 children and youth. The group will provide educational, medical and nutritional support to 60 widows and their children, allowing the women to focus on building successful businesses. Tumaini will also educate the women and older children on HIV/AIDS prevention, home-based care, counseling and nutrition. |
Diocese of Southern Highlands |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| With this grant, the Diocese of the Southern Highlands will: enumerate orphaned and vulnerable children around Mbeya; assess their situation; and raise awareness within the community of their needs, with special emphasis on working with faith-based organizations to assist these children. |
Diocese of Southern Highlands |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| Diocese of Southern Highlands, a Diocese of the Anglican Church, mobilizes and educates clergy and communities about the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and families in an effort to mobilize greater care and support. With previous Firelight support, DSH trained community volunteers and conducted a house-to-house assessment and registry of orphans and vulnerable children. For the 60 most vulnerable orphans, DSH offered educational assistance and met their health care needs. This emergency grant covers expenses associated with restoring children's property and repairing damage suffered during a fire at the Good Samaritan Girls' Secondary School. |
Diocese of Southern Highlands |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| Moved to act by the increasing numbers of children and caregivers affected by HIV/AIDS, DSH began an Orphan Support Program. DSH's clergy and volunteers minister to the social, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of community members. Firelight initially funded DSH to conduct an orphan enumeration and needs-assessment exercise. Firelight subsequently supported DSH's program of educational assistance for identified children and a pilot economic livelihood improvement project for caregivers. With renewed funding DSH is providing educational assistance, psychosocial support, and medical care to 100 orphans, and is distributing seed capital for income-generating activities to 30 orphan caregivers. Funds to DSH are also assisting 15 youth with vocational training and covering administrative costs. |
Diocese of Southern Highlands |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| DSH launched its orphan support program to assist families affected by HIV/AIDS and to mobilize Mbeya's community to respond to challenges presented the challenges of the pandemic. With previous Firelight grants, DSH conducted a door-to-door needs assessment and as a result provided educational assistance and vocational training support to vulnerable children and youth. DSH is using Firelight funds to provide small business management training to 40 caregivers and to distribute livestock to each caregiver for income generation. Livestock offspring are distributed to additional beneficiaries on a rotating basis. The organization is also extending educational support to 130 primary and secondary school students. |
Diocese of Southern Highlands |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Butogwa Women's Health and Development Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| In an effort to empower and educate women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, BUWOHEDE will train 25 caregivers in business management and marketing skills, and provide small loans to 20 women to establish income-generating activities. |
Butogwa Women's Health and Development Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| BUWOHEDE was started by a group of village women who wanted equal rights for marginalized women and children living on 5 islands and 10 villages adjacent to Lake Victoria. They used previous Firelight funding to conduct HIV/AIDS awareness meetings for children, train caregivers on business management, and provide the trainees with start-up loans. The trainees' businesses now realize a monthly profit that enables them to pay for their families' food, medical treatment, and school needs. With this regrant, BUWOHEDE is training 18 youth heads-of-households in tailoring and is facilitating income-generating activities for 15 caregivers. |
Butogwa Women's Health and Development Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $6,500 |
| Women in rural Itanagumba village started BUWOHEDE to address discrimination against women and orphans. Previous Firelight funding enabled BUWOHEDE to train 19 youth heads-of-households in tailoring and to teach youth HIV-prevention and life skills. BUWOHEDE also trained 33 orphan caregivers in business management and distributed a small amount of startup capital to a subgroup of these caregivers. With renewed funding BUWOHEDE is continuing its tailoring training and HIV-prevention education program for 20 youth. Five tailoring program graduates, all youth heads-of-households, receive sewing machines. In addition BUWOHEDE is offering startup capital for small businesses to 10 previously trained caregivers as well as continuing the organization's community HIV-prevention activities. |
Butogwa Women's Health and Development Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Women in Itabagumba Village established BUWOHEDE out of concern for the increase in the number of vulnerable children and youth. With two previous Firelight grants, BUWOHEDE trained youth in tailoring, prepared caregivers to initiate small businesses, and provided them with small loans. The organization also conducted a variety of HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities in Itabagumba and the surrounding area. This Firelight regrant supports BUWOHEDE's tailoring training, which is complemented by behavior change workshops for 30 youth. Funds also cover administrative expenses, including the salary of a program officer. |
Faraja Community Based Health Care |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Makiungu CBHC Programme will provide weekly outreach to AIDS orphans and families in Singida, an isolated rural area. They will train 3 HIV/AIDS counselors, and hold 13 workshops around Singida to raise community awareness of the needs and rights of orphans and vulnerable children and how to support them. |
Faraja Community Based Health Care |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Since 1992 Faraja CBHC (formerly Makiungu Community Based Home Care) has provided outreach to children and families in Singida, an isolated rural area in northern Tanzania. Firelight's previous grant to Faraja allowed 15 children to attend school and provided direct monthly household support payments to 40 caregivers. This Firelight grant helps Faraja CBHC to provide educational assistance to 30 students, and through its network of village health workers and volunteers, to continue visiting the homes of 35 people living with HIV/AIDS. The organization is also raising awareness about the needs and rights of vulnerable children. |
Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| REAP has developed a program of home-based care and HIV/AIDS awareness in their rural community. With this support, they will train 110 children in vocational skills, provide secondary school expenses to 10 youth, educate 20 caregivers about infant nutrition, and continue community outreach and education. |
Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| Concerned about the low level of HIV/AIDS awareness and the impact of HIV in rural Malawi, Christian missionaries started REAP. In 2003 the missionaries departed and community members assumed leadership. REAP educates the community about HIV/AIDS and mobilizes their support for affected children and youth. With their first Firelight grant, REAP purchased materials and trained 80 youth in carpentry, bricklaying, and tailoring skills. This two-year regrant supports REAP to continue their vocational training activities, to refer graduates to apprenticeship opportunities, and to provide tools and startup materials to training graduates. For this second year of funding, REAP continues their tailoring and carpentry vocational training, and aims to support their graduates with youth cooperatives, as well as a communal livestock and farming project. |
Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program (REAP) is a strong and growing organization in the northern district of Malawi that organizes orphan and vulnerable children support, home-based care, education, skills training, and economic strengthening. REAP was founded by missionaries and operated as part of the Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu for six years. In 2007, REAP began a long and methodical process of separating themselves from the church to become an independent organization. |
Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $500 |
Rumphi HIV/AIDS Education Awareness Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Church |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| This grant will assist four Orphan Trusts in Murewa that have demonstrated capacity to provide both material and development opportunities to vulnerable children within their communities. Each Trust offers a comprehensive program of outreach and care, including caregiver training on locally appropriate income generating activities, providing micro-credit loans, educational assistance, training home care volunteers in counseling and psychosocial support. |
Mavambo Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Firelight funding will enable Mavambo Trust to construct offices for staff and volunteers and space for meetings with children and families seeking assistance. Mavambo Learning Centre offers comprehensive assistance ' including educational support, counseling, and food relief ' to families affected by HIV/AIDS in Mabvuku and Tafara, high-density suburbs of Harare. |
The Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| The Centre promotes positive living for HIV-positive people through nutrition, survival skills, counseling, and advocacy. This grant enables The Centre to develop its youth-focused psychosocial support program. The program includes life skills education, recreational activities, and information about good nutrition, all aimed at supporting young people living with HIV. It also provides young people with the tools and knowledge to prevent new HIV infections. |
The Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| The Centre supports people living with AIDS with therapeutic counseling, psychosocial support, nutritional advice, and advocacy to promote their human rights. With their first Firelight grant, The Centre developed and implemented a series of workshops for HIV-positive youth, emphasizing strategies to develop mental and physical wellbeing. This round of funding supports another series of workshops to increase young people's knowledge of how to live positively using nutrition, information, emotional support, and income generation. Funds also support 10 vulnerable youth with educational assistance and legal advice to young people who have faced discrimination as a result of their HIV-positive status. |
Remera Catholic Contre le SIDA |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
| Working with ten adolescent girls, RECASIDA will open a hair and beauty salon as an income generating activity. These young women will complete a training program that includes information on HIV/AIDS and life skills, and participate in a mentoring program. If successful, RECASIDA plans to expand its activities to address the needs of more young women. |
Child Care & Adoption Society, Chilenje Transient Home |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| The Chilenje Transit Home will use this funding to train their staff in counseling and issues related to orphans and vulnerable children. They plan to send two staff members to a six-month training in psychosocial counseling and provide training to caregivers in hygiene, nutrition for HIV+ babies and children, first aid, and counseling for traumatized children. |
Child Care & Adoption Society, Chilenje Transient Home |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| The Child Care & Adoption Society is one of Zambia's oldest child protection organizations. It consists of ten branches, including two transit homes focusing on adoption and fostering. More than 50 children pass through Chilenje Transit Home each year and the Society reintegrates more than 70 percent of these children into families. Firelight funds are helping the Society train 60 community members in fostering and adoption, child abuse prevention, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Firelight's second year funds are supporting training of youth and community members' awareness about HIV prevention and child abuse. In addition, funds cover the cost of production of information, education and communication materials for outreach activities. |
Child Care & Adoption Society, Chilenje Transient Home |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Action for Children |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| AFC is a child rescue and advocacy agency that uses child and adult counselors to provide psychosocial support and life skills training to children affected by the war in Northern Uganda. The organization also offers revolving loans to support income-generating activities. They reach children through youth clubs that meet twice a week to help them cope with the effects of HIV/AIDS. This Firelight grant enables AFC to train 30 counselors who will reach 100 adolescents and train 18 youth in leadership skills. |
Action for Children |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| AFC is a child rescue and advocacy agency that uses youth and adult counselors to provide psychosocial support and life-skills training to children. The organization also supports income-generating activities through revolving loans. AFC reaches youth through clubs called Children's Brigades. With its first Firelight grant, AFC trained 30 youth in childcare counseling, 18 youth in leadership skills, and 200 youth in life and vocational skills. In the first year of the current two-year regrant, AFC is offering training in leadership skills to more than 400 children in 10 Brigades and 20 caregivers. AFC is also supporting the caregivers' income-generating activities, which enables participants to pay for school fees, medication, and household needs. In the second year of the regrant, AFC plans to extend its income-generating support to an additional 20 Brigades and 20 caregivers. |
Action for Children |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| AFC is a child rescue and advocacy agency that employs child and adult counselors to provide psychosocial support, leadership, and life skills training to children affected by the war in Northern Uganda. AFC also supports caregivers' income-generating activities, which enables families to pay for school fees, medication, and household needs. |
Pietermaritzburg Child Welfare Community Care Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Pietermaritzburg Child Welfare Community Care focuses on placing HIV+ children with extended family members or in foster care within their community. Due to substantially increasing demand, the Special Needs Placement Unit will use this grant to expand the pool of screened and trained foster parents, as well as increasing awareness among community leaders. |
St. Nicholas Children's Hospice |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| St. Nicholas offers palliative daycare and in-patient services, a preschool, bereavement counseling, and nutritional support to children with life-threatening illnesses in three underserved communities. This Firelight grant supports their nutrition services and bereavement program, which offers support groups and individual therapy for orphans. |
St. Nicholas Children's Hospice |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| With this two year Firelight regrant, St. Nicholas is expanding its wide-reaching palliative care programs in Botshabelo, an informal settlement area with a more than 90 percent unemployment rate. Firelight funds pay two staff salaries and a portion of the administrative costs for the newly established Botshabelo Community Palliative Day Care Centre. St. Nicholas is also holding six community training sessions on child development, ARVs for babies and children, prevention of mother to child transmission, and psychosocial support in the informal settlements, reaching 200 families. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Empilweni |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $7,800 |
| Empilweni implements a Children's Support Group Program, addressing the significant lack of emotional support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. With this grant they will assist 40 children in coming to terms with their parents and/or caregivers illness and approaching death. Empilweni will also facilitate workshops for parents and caregivers so they can understand and support their children during this hard time. Finally, they will provide skills training and development workshops for teachers and community leaders, exploring the psychosocial effects of HIV/AIDS on children and addressing stigma reduction. |
Empilweni |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Empilweni, a community-based organization, offers emotional support to families coping with ill health, violence, and poverty. Empilweni brings child-centered, culturally appropriate mental health interventions to children in Khayelitsha, one of Cape Town's largest and poorest townships. Firelight's first grant funded Empilweni's HIV/AIDS child- and parent-support groups, and a beadwork income-generating activity for parents in its support group. With this two-year regrant, Empilweni continues its array of psychosocial-support interventions, including children's and parents' support groups, as well as peer-led outreach and radio programs that target secondary school-age youth. The grant also covers the salaries of mental health counselors who will supervise Empilweni's various community-based support groups. |
Empilweni |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Established in 1994, Empilweni, located in Khayelitsha, one of Cape Town's largest and poorest townships, facilitates individual crisis counseling for children and families. In addition, they hold support groups for sexually abused and HIV positive children and parents and engage in community outreach, capacity building, and advocacy on mental health issues. Empilweni's therapeutic model incorporates western child and adolescent psychology with the traditional and cultural approaches to supporting children's development. Firelight's first grant provided funds for Empilweni's HIV/AIDS children's support group, a parent support group, a parents' income generating group, and community outreach programs. Now in their second year of their second two-year grant, Firelight funding supports portions of salaries for the psychologist and community mental health counselors, as well as rent and office running costs. Covering these costs enables Empilweni to provide individual and family counseling, group therapy for children, and the soccer program for adolescent boys. In addition, Empilweni engages in training, community development, and community outreach. Located in one of Cape Town's poorest townships, Empilweni offers crisis counseling for children and families; conducts support groups for sexually abused and HIV-positive children and parents; and engages in advocacy on mental health issues. |
Empilweni |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Nceduluntu Sanctuary Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| With this grant, Nceduluntu will train caregivers in their foster care program in income generating skills and sustainable methods of food production. The goal is to secure food and income for the households of orphans and vulnerable children, and to improve the livelihood opportunities for the surrounding community. |
Ikamva Labantu |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Under the umbrella organization of Ikamva Labantu, Khumbulani Day Care, located in the informal settlement of Khayelitsha, will provide daycare and urgent overnight care for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Specifically, this grant will pay for the construction of a building that will house the daycare facility for 40 children. |
Ikamva Labantu |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,400 |
| Under the umbrella organization of Ikamva Labantu, Khumbulani Day Care provides daycare for HIV-infected and -affected preschool-age children. They also provide overnight care for those who cannot go home due to their own or a family member's severe illness. With Firelight's first grant, Ikamva Labantu purchased a house for Khumbulani Day Care that accommodates 50 children. Khumbulani is using this regrant to make minor repairs to the house and to purchase furniture, appliances, and recreational equipment for the daycare center. In addition the grant supports training and accreditation expenses for two Khumbulani caregivers. |
Ikamva Labantu |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $26,600 |
| Ikamva Labantu ('The Future of Our Nation' in Xhosa) initiated a network of preschools in the Cape Flats 37 years ago in the midst of the apartheid era. With a previous Firelight grant, Ikamva Labantu repaired and refurnished Khumbulani Daycare Center. Renewed funding from Firelight with a multi-year grant is doing the same for Masibambane Educare, founded in 1998 to address the increasing need for consistent, high-quality care for vulnerable children in Joe Slovo Park, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Cape Town. The first year of improvements includes a new structure, toilets, and a security gate. The second year follows with the building of two more structures, increasing the number of children being served. |
Ikamva Labantu |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Ikamva Labantu ('The Future of Our Nation') initiated a network of preschools in the Cape Flats 37 years ago in the midst of the apartheid era. Currently, Ikamva Labantu serves as a fiscal sponsor and technical assistance provider to a community forum of caregivers called Siyakathala ('We Care') as it previously did for Khumbulani Daycare Center with earlier Firelight grants. |
Nehemiah Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Nehemiah Project will support 140 children living on the streets or in child-headed households through intensive community outreach and mobilization. They will establish drop-in centers where children can obtain food, clothing, counseling, and school fees and materials. Funds will cover the salaries of two community workers to visit these children regularly. Finally, they will recruit community members to invest in the care and education of children. |
Nehemiah Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,400 |
| The Nehemiah Project responds to the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Sauerstown, a historically marginalized, mixed-race community in urban Bulawayo. Previous Firelight funding supported the group's programs for vulnerable children, which include: outreach and counseling, educational assistance, food aid, workshops and training, and youth clubs. Renewed funding from Firelight enables Nehemiah Project to train 50 teachers in psychosocial support techniques for children, to offer educational assistance to 50 children, and to develop school-based Kids' Clubs. |
Nehemiah Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,700 |
| The Nehemiah Project responds to the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Sauerstown, a historically marginalized, mixed-race community in urban Bulawayo. Previous Firelight funding supported the group's programs for vulnerable children, which include: outreach and counseling, educational assistance, food aid, workshops and training, training 50 teachers in psychosocial support techniques for children, educational assistance to 50 children, and school-based Kids' Clubs. This discretionary Monitoring & Evaluation and Technical Assistance (META) grant supported the Nehemiah Project's director to attend an M&E course that will enhance their programming and its capacity to reflect on the outcomes of its work. Following the training, the Project Director formally met with Firelight's six Bulawayo-based partners to share knowledge and skills gleaned from the three-week course and to learn more specifically what types of M&E activities these peer organizations have established. Nehemiah provides programs for children affected by HIV/AIDS through school-based kids clubs and camps designed to help them cope with grief and loss. They also train children and caregivers in income- generating activities. |
Nehemiah Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Nehemiah Project serves children affected by HIV/AIDS, people living with HIV/AIDS, and sex workers in Sauerstown, a community on the outskirts of Bulawayo. With their previous grant from Firelight, Nehemiah offered community psychosocial support camps to 250 kids and established school-based kids clubs, the 'foundation' of their work. They reported great success with the camps due to a strong curriculum and camp counselors who themselves are orphans. They also trained 20 teachers in psychosocial support, provided education assistance to 50 children and trained 30 community volunteers and caregivers. Their grant from Firelight also supported the salary of an orphan care coordinator in the community. With their current grant, Nehemiah Project continues these activities while offering an additional income generating project to address the current economic crisis. They provide training and supplies in candlemaking for 20 vulnerable youth and caregivers to address food security concerns. Nehemiah provides programs for children affected by HIV/AIDS through school-based kids clubs and camps designed to help them cope with grief and loss. They also train children and caregivers in income- generating activities. |
Nehemiah Project |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Tuamoyo Family Children's Centre, St. Alban's Street Children Society |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| Tuamoyo will identify 20 street children for reunification with their families. By providing the children with temporary shelter, food, clothing, counseling and education, Tuamoyo will facilitate the reunification process. After reunification, they will follow up with the families until the children successfully complete primary school. |
Tuamoyo Family Children's Centre, St. Alban's Street Children Society |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| Tuamoyo offers street boys temporary shelter and provides transitional support during family tracing and reunification. Firelight's previous support helped to reunify 15 children with their families and to pay the salary of a social worker. With renewed funding, Tuamoyo is reunifying an additional 20 children with their families. The grant also covers transportation costs, staff support, and materials. |
Power of Love Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| POL develops effective methods to strengthen the community response to HIV/AIDS, including home- and hospice-based palliative care for HIV-positive children. The organization also operates a network in which best practices are shared between clinical officers and nurses working with terminally ill HIV-positive children. Firelight funds are supporting staff expenses for health workers who are providing prevention, treatment, and advanced HIV/AIDS medical care to children. |
Power of Love Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Power of Love aims to strengthen community responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa by developing a well-documented model of community-based care for HIV-positive children. The motto of POL's community care program is 'everyone a caregiver,' and the organization is increasingly working to involve not only extended families and health workers but also neighbors and community leaders in the care of these children. Previous Firelight funding supported POL's comprehensive community care system for 60 HIV-positive children for six months. This second grant enables POL to scale-up the program previously supported by Firelight, extending its reach to 450 HIV-positive children. Funds cover salaries for the clinic coordinator and head nurse as well as stipends and training for community caregivers. With the motto 'everyone a caregiver,' POL works to involve not only extended families and health workers but also neighbors and community leaders in the care of children living with HIV/AIDS. |
Power of Love Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| With the motto 'everyone a caregiver,' Power of Love works to involve not only extended families and health workers but also neighbors and community leaders in the care of children living with HIV/AIDS. |
Power of Love Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| This grassroots, community group provides home-based care, counseling services, and food parcels to 45 orphans in their area. Tsosane HIV/AIDS Support Group will fund the educational expenses of 6 preschoolers, 18 primary school students, and 10 secondary school students. They will also provide food parcels to 40 vulnerable children and supply materials for behavior change workshops. |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| T_osane provides home-based care, counseling services, and food parcels to orphans. Previous grant funding covered educational expenses for 10 primary and 2 secondary school students and purchased materials for an HIV-prevention workshop. With this grant from Firelight, T_osane is providing school and material support to 18 orphans and income-generating activities for youth and caregivers. Grant funds also provide for ongoing home-based care and support for orphans living with HIV. |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| TSG has become a replicated model for community-based care initiatives in Lesotho. New support groups frequently approach TSG for assistance, which the organization has informally provided. This discretionary grant gives TSG the resources to mentor new groups without depleting the organization's existing programmatic funds. With these grant funds, TSG is holding workshops for 12 support groups on children's rights, overcoming stigma, and organizational management, and offering technical assistance to these groups through ongoing site visits. |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $18,000 |
| Working in a Maseru township, Ts'osane Support Group (TSG) offers home-based care, counseling services, and food support to orphans. The organization also serves as a mentor to groups doing similar work. With its third grant from Firelight, TSG continues its orphan assistance activities, serving 25 children and 14 caregivers. This program supports the educational, nutritional, and medical needs of children, with special attention paid to child-headed households. TSG also provides caregivers with opportunities to generate income through tailoring. In addition, Ts'osane holds workshops for 20 OVC and 30 caregivers on child protection. |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Working in a Maseru township, Ts'osane Support Group (TSG) offers home-based care, counseling services, and food support to vulnerable families. The organization also serves as a mentor to groups doing similar work and provides technical assistance to them in child protection and basic organizational development. |
Ts'osane Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Rescue Mission Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| A youth-initiated, youth-led group, RMZ advocates for children's rights and aims to build youth leaders into effective agents of change. With this grant RMZ is establishing 10 school-based anti-AIDS clubs and 20 soccer teams for out-of-school youth. These clubs enable youth to share information about HIV/AIDS and build children's confidence, self-esteem, and peer-support networks. RMZ also operates the Nangoma Children and Youth Empowerment Centre, where it offers workshops on HIV/AIDS, teaches vocational skills, and offers space to play and study. Firelight funds purchase a sound system and games for the Centre, an important gathering place and resource center for the community. |
Rescue Mission Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $11,000 |
| Working in 28 villages in rural Nangoma, RMZ is a youth-initiated and -led group working to sensitize children and youth about HIV/AIDS. Through clubs, recreational activities, and training workshops, RMZ strengthens young people's capacity to advocate for children's rights. The organization has achieved significant positive results from its activities, including a surge in school attendance records. With renewed Firelight support RMZ is purchasing recreational equipment and jerseys and covering transport and administrative costs. The grant is also partially supporting RMZ's Empowerment Centre, which engages 200 young people in a variety of activities to promote positive behavior change toward the prevention of HIV/AIDS. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Rescue Mission Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Rescue Mission Zambia (RMZ) is a youth-led group that raises awareness about HIV/AIDS in 28 villages in rural Nangoma, located in the central province. Through anti-AIDS clubs, meetings, training workshops, and recreational activities, RMZ strengthens young people's capacity to advocate for children's rights. With previous Firelight funding, RMZ established 10 anti-AIDS clubs and a network of 20 soccer teams for out-of-school youth. Additionally, Firelight funded recreational and 'edu-tainment' activities for youth, informal education, and skills seminars that RMZ conducted at its Nangoma Children and Youth Empowerment Centre (NCYEC). Current funding supports construction of a new Youth Empowerment Centre on donated land. RMZ also launches two new training programs to enable skilled youth to participate more effectively in community health care and HIV/AIDS work. Funds also cover administrative costs. Youth-led RMZ runs a vocational training program and raises awareness about HIV/AIDS in rural Nangoma through anti-AIDS clubs, meetings, workshops, and recreational activities such as soccer. |
Rescue Mission Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Youth-led RMZ runs a vocational training program and raises awareness about HIV/AIDS and children's rights in 28 villages in rural Nangoma through anti-AIDS clubs, meetings, workshops, a drop-in center, and recreational activities such as soccer. |
Lesotho Save the Children |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Lesotho Save the Children is well known for building proactive programs that reflect the needs of infants and children. This grant will help support a new initiative to train community members to create orphan care plans for vulnerable children within their home villages. |
Lesotho Save the Children |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| For more than 40 years, LSC has provided child protection services and, more recently, hospice care, education, and community-based HIV/AIDS-support programs for abandoned infants and neglected children. A previous Firelight grant supported LSC to train community members on how to prepare orphan-care plans for vulnerable children within their villages. Funds also covered the costs of materials for income-generating activities of guardians caring for abandoned children. With this funding LSC trains four HIV/AIDS support groups in psychosocial support techniques, home-based care, children's rights, and livestock husbandry for income generation. LSC also provides food parcels to households with disabled or vulnerable children. [For more information on this grantee-partner, please see Page XX.] |
Lesotho Save the Children |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| This discretionary grant enables LSC to help Firelight communicate with our growing portfolio of Lesotho grantee-partners and improve the network of child rights organizations within Lesotho. Building on its own experience, LSC will also facilitate the provision of technical assistance to Lesotho partners on a range of issues, including grant reporting and organizational and program development. |
Lesotho Save the Children |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| For more than 40 years, LSC has provided child protection services, hospice care, education, and community-based HIV/AIDS support programs for abandoned infants and neglected children. |
Tsepong Counselling Centre |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| This grant will assist Tsepong Counseling Centre operationally, and also enable the program to continue working with 30 families and 15 orphaned children. In addition, they will offer life skills training for children, and training for caregivers and village support groups in orphan issues, home-based care, and counseling skills. |
Matelile Tajane Development Trust |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| In 1997, Matelile Tajane Development Trust (MTDT) formed as a result of cooperation between the German-run Mafeteng Development Project (MDP), the local community, and the Ministries of Local Government and Agriculture. Through education programs and community projects with farming associations, the aim was to empower local communities to 'handle their own affairs.' The organization is now completely run by the community, providing training and assistance to 25 groups, such as dairy cow and pig farming associations, burial societies, and schools, reaching an estimated 50,000 people. All groups that belong to MTDT pay a annual subscription of about $14. In 2002 MTDT realized the need to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Ten support groups have been trained in home-based care and five CHH were given vocational training and are now supporting their younger siblings. Firelight funds support a chicken and garden IGA to train 266 OVC on providing for themselves. Chickens and produce from the garden go to feed OVC. The surplus is sold and proceeds supply OVC with clothing and other daily needs. Reaching 50,000 people through 25 member groups, MTDT provides agricultural, livestock, and other technical assistance; vocational and income-generating trainings; and nutritional and daily life support for children. |
Matelile Tajane Development Trust |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Reaching 50,000 people through 25 member groups, MTDT provides agricultural, livestock, and other technical assistance; vocational and income-generating trainings; and nutritional and daily life support for children. |
Lesotho Youth For Christ |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Youth for Christ's (YFC) mission is to address challenges of urban youth such as unemployment, lack of educational opportunities, and negative role models that result in teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and HIV/AIDS infection. Through this grant, YFC plans to build a youth center in one of the poorest and densely populated townships near the capital city. The youth center will offer educational and recreational activities, while promoting community involvement and service. |
Lesotho Youth For Christ |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| This discretionary grant provides funding to support operational and administrative costs for the running of the youth center. |
Lesotho Youth For Christ |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| YFC empowers youth in the Maseru area by offering recreational and educational opportunities that support physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Previous Firelight funding was directed toward construction of YFC's youth center, which now functions as a meeting place and resource center for youth from the surrounding high-density township. This Firelight grant supports ongoing activities at the center and covers the salaries of two full-time and two part-time staff. |
Lesotho Youth For Christ |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| YFC empowers urban youth in the Maseru area by offering recreational and educational opportunities that support physical, mental, and spiritual growth. |
Hope for a Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,400 |
| HOCIC is a consortium of faith-based organizations that works to address the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. HOCIC trains orphan care program coordinators and provides direct support to children affected by HIV/AIDS. They also establish income-generating activities, the profits of which support orphan care programs. With Firelight funding, HOCIC is training 75 young community representatives on strategies for responding effectively to vulnerable children's needs. In their respective communities, these representatives will reach a total of 30,000 vulnerable children. |
Hope for a Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| HOCIC, an umbrella body involving 25 faith-based organizations, works with member religious institutions to support and advocate for vulnerable children. With previous Firelight funding, HOCIC initiated a program of income generation to improve the sustainability of its members' orphan support programs, and initiated training in psychosocial support strategies for member groups. With this multiyear regrant, HOCIC is continuing this training, assisting 14 faith-based organizations to enhance the quality of the psychosocial support and increase the number of vulnerable children who are benefiting. Firelight funding also supports parenting training for caregivers, childcare professionals, and child-headed households. Funds enable HOCIC to conduct follow-up activities, carry out exchange visits, and document and share members' achievements and lessons learned. In their second year of this grant, HOCIC continues offering PSS to OVC and supporting their member FBOs. |
Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The mission of RSBSC is to bring hope and healing through therapeutic play interventions to bereaved, orphaned, and vulnerable children in communities affected by death, loss, and HIV/AIDS. With Firelight funds, RSBSC is holding therapeutic play intervention groups for 100 children, training community volunteers on basic play skills, and providing direct psychosocial support to 48 families |
Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Using therapeutic play interventions, such as puppetry, RSBSC brings hope and healing to bereaved, orphaned, and vulnerable children. With Firelight's initial grant, RSBSC convened therapeutic play-intervention groups for 100 children, trained six community volunteers in facilitating children's support groups, and taught 70 adult volunteers to use play to help children cope with distress and grief. With this regrant RSBSC is holding play-intervention groups for an additional 100 children and training six more community volunteers in introductory play therapy skills. To enhance its capacity, RSBSC is also training representatives of 24 strategic-partner organizations in its model of psychosocial support. |
Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children (RSBSC) offers psychosocial support to bereaved children, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. Firelight funding has supported RSBSC in training additional members to support vulnerable children and their families. The organization's activities are reaching nearly 150 community members and an additional 60 families caring for children who have lost both parents. Funds also cover staff training in play therapy and management coaching, partial salaries for therapists and administrators, and other administrative expenses. |
Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $14,700 |
| Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children (RSBSC) offers psychosocial support to bereaved children, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. Using therapeutic play interventions such as puppetry, RSBSC brings hope and healing to bereaved, orphaned, and vulnerable children. |
Rob Smetherham Bereavement Service for Children |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| A group of HIV-positive widows founded Tumaini to improve their families' livelihoods and overcome AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. Tumaini, Kiswahili for Mutual Help, educates the community about the effects of HIV/AIDS while supporting members to improve their economic and physical wellbeing and that of their children. Firelight's two previous grants to Tumaini, which Orphans' Development Programme International administered on our behalf, funded the group's economic livelihood improvement and awareness-raising programs and helped Tumaini to address the increasing need for educational support faced by its 39 members' children. With this grant the group is providing educational assistance to 60 youth, funding 15 caregivers as they start income-generating activities, and teaching 35 young people to serve as peer educators in HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. |
Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Feeling the acute emotional, economic, and health effects of living with HIV, a group of HIV-positive women banded together for 'mutual help' (Tumaini in Swahili) and psychosocial support. Firelight's previous grant to Tumaini Women's Development Group assisted 60 children with educational support and furnished 15 caregivers with start-up loans for income-generating activities. All caregivers repaid their loans. With this Firelight regrant Tumaini is continuing its educational support of 60 children and is offering start-up capital to 15 additional caregivers. The group is also covering administrative expenses, purchasing food for ill children, and supporting HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities. |
Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Feeling acutely the multiple challenges of living with HIV, a group of widows banded together for tumaini (Kiswahili for 'hope') and emotional support. With previous Firelight funding, Tumaini assisted 65 members' children with school fees. Thirty caregivers received start-up loans of between $75 and $100 each. Their businesses now earn sufficient monthly income to meet household expenses and cover loan repayment costs. This regrant assists Tumaini to pay four staff members' allowances and cover office running expenses. Additionally, Tumaini is renewing its commitment to children's educational access by assisting 43 primary school and 14 secondary school children with school expenses. Older children will also participate in behavior change workshops toward HIV prevention. Finally, ten youth will train in brick-making and receive tools and materials to start a brick-making workshop as an economic strengthening activity. |
Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Tumaini Women Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Community for Human Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CHD manages eight community schools for orphans and vulnerable children. CHD also provides income-generating activities, business management training, and holistic care training for women caregivers, and helps them secure small business loans. With Firelight support, CHD is assisting 20 street children from Lusaka and reintegrating them into school. Funds also cover administrative expenses and CHD's purchase of educational materials for its network of community schools. |
Community for Human Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| ...[E]ducation is an investment for the future. Not only is it vital for the country's development, but it is also each individual's right, especially children,' affirms CHD. CHD founded a network of community schools to mobilize greater community involvement in meeting vulnerable young people's needs. CHD has used previous Firelight funding to integrate former street children, mostly young girls, into community and government schools. It has also purchased materials for its 10 schools, which together educate 1,200 children living in isolated rural areas and high-density urban neighborhoods. This grant enables CHD to enroll 40 girls from rural areas in government schools, to distribute school supplies to all of its pupils, to train 16 teachers, and to provide allowances to 10 of these educators. |
Community for Human Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Responding to the high number of children dropping out of school as a result of HIV/AIDS and poverty, Community for Human Development (CHD) established a network of community schools focused specifically on young girls living in isolated rural and high-density urban settlements. Firelight's two-year grant supports CHD's efforts to purchase educational material for 10 community schools serving 1,200 children in five districts. Funding also assists with 10 teachers' salaries. In addition, funds pay for construction of a classroom block and school fees for 60 rural girls in the formal school system. Firelight's second-year funding enables CHD to expand support to 40 other girls and 10 teachers, in addition to construction of a classroom block at another school. |
Community for Human Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Community for Human Development (CHD) supports a network of 10 community schools serving 1,200 children. The organization focuses specifically on young girls living in isolated rural and high-density urban settlements. Community involvement is crucial and is evident in an extensive network of volunteers who help to construct new classrooms, teach classes, and administer the schools. |
Community for Human Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2003 |
Amount Awarded: $3,800 |
| These funds will support the Catholic Diocese in Cyangugu, western Rwanda, to meet the educational expenses (uniforms, shoes, exercise books, etc.) of 250 Batwa children and the health care needs of 432 Batwa children. The Batwa are an indigenous ethnic group in Rwanda who have been displaced from their homelands. |
Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Initiated by a Catholic priest who challenged his congregation to respond to the marginalization of the Batwa people, the Amajyambere-Iwacu Association works in 10 parishes in western Rwanda to promote the wellbeing and development of the Batwa. The Batwa, an indigenous, previously forest-dwelling, nomadic tribe, also known as the pygmies, suffer discrimination due to lack of access to land, jobs, education, and health care. Firelight's previous funding enabled the Association to enroll more than 800 Batwa children in primary and secondary schools and provide them with uniforms and shoes, school supplies, and medical care. This regrant provides ongoing support for the Association's program of educational assistance by purchasing school supplies, uniforms, and shoes for Batwa children. Funding also enables the group to address the medical needs of ill children and covers administrative and transportation costs. |
Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $19,600 |
| A Catholic priest and 40 volunteers formed the Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association (Association for Help in Our Community) in 2003 to respond to the needs of the Batwa, an extremely marginalized indigenous group representing less than two percent of the population. The Association provides educational assistance, health care, and psychosocial support to Batwa children. Funds cover educational expenses (uniforms, shoes, and school materials) for about 440 primary and eight secondary school students and students' emergency health care needs, with a higher percentage of girls receiving support. Funds also support a percentage of the program's administrative costs. |
Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| This discretionary regrant from Firelight to the Association provides bridge funding to ensure the continued registration of 455 primary school children by providing school fees and material assistance. |
Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu/ Amajyambere-Iwacu Association |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A Catholic priest challenged his congregation to respond to the marginalization of the Batwa people, resulting in the formation of Association Amajyambere-Iwacu of the Dioc'se Catholique de Cyangugu. The Association works in 10 parishes in western Rwanda to promote the well-being and development of the Batwa people--an indigenous, previously forest-dwelling, nomadic tribe commonly known as the pygmies. The Association provides educational assistance, medical care, and psychosocial support to Batwa children whose families suffer discrimination due to lack of access to land, jobs, education, and health care. |
Hesperian Foundation |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| This grant helps the Hesperian Foundation to revise and expand its publication 'HIV, Health, and Your Community.' This book, first published in 1999, is an information source and teaching tool for community groups and non-governmental organizations addressing HIV/AIDS in the developing world. This important resource is distributed internationally. |
Hesperian Foundation |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Hesperian Foundation is a non-profit publisher of books and educational materials that help people take the lead in their own and in their community's health care. This Firelight grant is partially funding the Foundation's revision and expansion of its publication HIV, Health, & Your Community: A Guide to Action, which is used by health workers throughout the world. |
Reformed Open Community Schools - Lundazi |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| ROCS-Lundazi provides literacy and skill-building opportunities for orphans in order to encourage their future self-sufficiency. Their activities also include psychosocial support, HIV/AIDS and gender awareness training, and water supply and sanitation provision. With Firelight funds, ROCS-Lundazi is initiating carpentry-training programs in two primary schools. They are also training teachers at 25 schools in a sports and recreation curriculum and are providing each school with sports equipment and a bicycle to facilitate this work. |
Reformed Open Community Schools - Lundazi |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| ROCS - Lundazi, an initiative of the Reformed Church in Zambia, established and supports 56 schools in seven rural and peri-urban areas. The organization's mission is to increase literacy levels among orphans and vulnerable children by providing basic education and livelihood improvement opportunities in partnership with the country's community schools. Firelight funds are supporting ROCS' behavioral change camps, school feeding programs, and administrative costs. |
Reformed Open Community Schools - Lundazi |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS), an initiative of the Reformed Church in Zambia, believes that 'education has a multiplier effect on society and can provide the skills and knowledge to enable people to face their challenges and make positive changes.' ROCS established and now supports 60 community schools with over 10,000 vulnerable children enrolled. Previous Firelight support has enabled ROCS to offer training for teachers, life skills programs for students, and income-generating opportunities for schools concerned about sustainability. This regrant enables ROCS to expand its successful life skills and HIV/AIDS peer education program to 10 community schools in the Copperbelt. Teachers, parents, and students receive training and form school-based clubs to facilitate community learning and on-going dialogue about HIV/AIDS and vulnerable children. Firelight's second year fund continue to support behavior change workshops and capacity building in 13 community schools in Chongwe and Lusaka districts. ROCS established and now supports 60 community schools through income-generating projects, and teaches 10,000 vulnerable children standard academic subjects, life skills, and HIV prevention. |
Reformed Open Community Schools - Lundazi |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Family Support Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| FST operates closely with hospitals, the police, and a strong network of community volunteers to address both the immediate and ongoing needs of child sexual abuse survivors. FST offers emotional support and medical care, including post-HIV exposure prophylaxis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. The organization works with sexual abuse survivors from the time of their trauma to the prosecution of the perpetrators in court. It also conducts community education programs on child sexual abuse. This grant supports FST's integrated program of care and outreach. |
Family Support Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Collaborating with the Chitunguiza General Hospital, FST provides psychosocial support, medical examinations, post-exposure HIV prevention drugs, and follow-up care to sexually abused children ages 10 to 16 years. The organization also conducts outreach activities and trains community members in counseling techniques. Funding from Firelight allows FST to pay staff salaries and to provide counseling services, medical examinations, and medication to approximately 1,200 children. Funding also trains six additional counselors who are directly assisting more than 600 children. |
Family Support Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Family Support Trust (FST) provides direct health care, counseling, and legal services to abused children in the Chitungwiza and Harare areas of Zimbabwe. Past Firelight funding supported FST's clinics, located in area hospitals, which offered over 1,860 sexually abused children (up to 16 years, mostly girls) medical examinations, post-HIV exposure prophylaxis, counseling, and follow-up care. In addition to direct services, FST support community-led outreach programs to raise community 'awareness, understanding and sensitivity to child sexual abuse' through television, drama, and support groups. Building on the previous one-year grant, FST received this multi-year regrant to continue FST's community awareness training sessions and meetings, as well as continued staff and administrative costs for operating the clinics. |
Family Support Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $2,850 |
| This Firelight discretionary grant assists FST with the purchase of two computers and two printers, which will allow better communication between area medical clinics and FST's administrators, enabling them to better serve children. |
Simukai Street Youth Programme |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Simukai Street Youth Programme aims to meet the needs of street children by offering counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness training, and recreational activities. The organization also conducts community awareness campaigns to convince children not to leave their homes for the streets and to reunite current street children with their families or integrate into foster families when it is appropriate. With this Firelight grant, Simukai is running two camps providing 80 current and former street children with recreational opportunities and psychosocial support. Firelight funds are also allowing Simukai to hold parenting workshops for caregivers, to provide material assistance to 40 caregivers, to organize a child protection workshop for 25 community members, and to offer career guidance workshops to 25 youth. |
Simukai Street Youth Programme |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Formed by Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT) and Scripture Union (SU) in 1999, Simukai Street Youth Programme provides street children an emergency care shelter and a two drop-in centers where they can receive food supplements, counseling, life-skills training, recreational activities, and referrals and aim to reunite them with their families. With their first grant from Firelight, Simukai ran two PSS camps for 43 children, supported four families with chickens for income generation, trained seven youth in carpentry and motor mechanics and provided agricultural inputs to 27 families. Their current grant funds holistic support to children, youth and their caretakers. Simukai provides psychosocial camp for 50 children, nutrition for 75 children and supplies for the centers. For youth and caretakers, they provide agricultural inputs for families, vocational training for 9 youth, training for 20 caregivers, and community outreach activities. The Simukai Street Youth Programme provides children living on the streets with emergency shelters and runs drop-in centers where they receive meals, counseling, vocational training, recreational programs, and assistance in reuniting with their families. |
Simukai Street Youth Programme |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $2,300 |
| The Simukai Street Youth Programme provides children living on the streets with emergency shelters and runs drop-in centers where they receive meals, counseling, vocational training, and recreational programs. Simukai also conducts community awareness campaigns and reunites street children with their families or integrates them into foster families. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Focusing on the needs of youth, women, and children, MATYO provides counseling and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS education. They establish clubs for out-of-school youth, train peer educators, and educate communities on topics such as human rights, natural resource management, and food security. With support from Firelight, MAYTO is providing vocational training to 30 orphaned youth and agricultural supplies to 100 caregivers. Funding also covers the training of 40 youth and 100 caregivers on HIV/AIDS prevention and children's rights. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| Concerned youth started MATYO in order to create a sense of hope for the marginalized, youth, children, and their families. Operating in 40 villages, MATYO provides economic and emotional support programs. MATYO used a previous grant to purchase sewing machines and train 30 child heads-of-households in tailoring to increase their income and meet their livelihood needs. Ninety guardians, many of them grandparents, received farming inputs. With this two-year regrant, MATYO is promoting food security by training 90 caregivers in sustainable agricultural practices and livestock management. Funds also support the participation of 80 orphans in life-skills training and cover the salaries of three staff members. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| MATYO is a youth-founded organization working to improve livelihoods in 60 villages outside of Blantyre. The group's previous Firelight grant supported the continuation of MATYO's holistic HIV/AIDS activities, including the initiation of an income-generating program with a tailoring project for five youth. With Firelight's previous multiyear grant, MATYO's income-generating program reached 160 OVC and 130 caregivers with skills building in tailoring and agriculture. MATYO also trained 80 OVC in life-skills, trained 35 caregivers and 80 vulnerable children on livestock care, and distributed 2,150 chicks and 190 goats. MATYO's current grant covers the cost of six pigs, as well as feed, medication, and construction of kraals, for three 'care committees' comprised of volunteers and youth trained in income generating skills. Profits from this project cover school fees for 64 children. In response to a rising number of out of school youth, this grant also supports 20 primary students with materials and 20 secondary students with fees and covers set-up costs for 10 community gardens to fund school fees and nutritional support for orphans and vulnerable children. Youth-founded MATYO works to improve the lives of vulnerable children and caregivers in 60 villages through its school-attendance and income-generation programs that focus on agriculture, livestock, tailoring, and life skills training. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| Matindi Youth Organisation (MATYO) is a youth-founded organization which is 'preparing the tomorrow nation today' through holistic HIV/AIDS activities and livelihood improvement projects in 30 villages in rural Blantyre. MATYO has provided care and support services to more than 5,000 home-based care patients and 1,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the past three years. More than 20,000 youth have benefited from MATYO's youth projects. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Matindi Youth Organisation (MATYO) is a youth-founded organization which is 'preparing the tomorrow nation today' through holistic HIV/AIDS activities and livelihood improvement projects in 30 villages in rural Blantyre. MATYO has provided care and support services to more than 5,000 home-based care patients and 1,000 orphans and vulnerable children in the past three years. More than 20,000 youth have benefited from MATYO's youth projects. |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Matindi Youth Organisation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Boona Baana Centre for Children's Rights |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,400 |
| Boona Baana cares for the physical and emotional needs of abandoned infants, many of them HIV-positive, who are awaiting foster care or adoption. Boona Baana is using Firelight funds to meet the health care and support expenses for 10 HIV-positive mothers and their infants, to purchase play equipment, and to conduct advocacy campaigns aimed at preventing the physical and emotional abuse of children. |
Teens Against AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| TTAA is a youth-led organization with nearly 4,000 members. They conduct HIV/AIDS training for peer educators and facilitate caregiver support groups. Through their 'Angel Network,' 147 older orphans visit 1,000 vulnerable children to provide tutoring and psychosocial support. With Firelight funds, TTAA is expanding their current programs and holding a three-day camp for orphaned and vulnerable children. This camp will provide an outlet for children to share their experiences with each other, as well as with policymakers and resource providers, such as non-governmental organizations and government agencies. |
Teens Against AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Motivated Tanzanian youth founded Tanzania Teens Against AIDS (TAA) so youth could '... start an open dialogue where young people's views [would] be respected and taken into account' in HIV/AIDS programming. TAA, now a national youth-led organization with nearly 4,000 members, hosts annual leadership camps for vulnerable youth from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. With this three-year renewal grant, TAA is convening annual camps for 100 participants, where AIDS-affected young people discuss and plan strategies that enable them to participate actively in caregiving, income generation, advocacy, public-awareness raising, and peer prevention. Funding also supports TAA's post-camp follow-up and documentation activities and covers some administrative costs. |
Teens Against AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,300 |
| This grant funds TAA to host a youth leadership workshop involving representatives from 14 of Firelight's grantee-partner organizations, as well as young leaders from Chad, Ghana, and the Sudan. The training provides opportunities for participants to gain new strategies for responding to HIV, to experience the value of cross-cultural exchanges, and to better appreciate the role that youth play in addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS. The workshop affirms young people's capacity to lead and to inspire communities to be more involved in the response to the challenges of HIV/AIDS, especially as they affect children and youth. |
Teens Against AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Motivated Tanzanian youth founded Tanzania Teens Against AIDS (TAA) so youth could '... start an open dialogue where young people's views [would] be respected and taken into account' in HIV/AIDS programming. TAA, now a national youth-led organization with nearly 4,000 members, hosts annual leadership camps for vulnerable youth from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. |
Teens Against AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $2,900 |
| This grant covers travel expenses associated with the YOCIC Program Manager's participation as a youth representative at the XVth International Conference on HIV/AIDS in Bangkok, Thailand in July 2004. |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,500 |
| YOCIC is a youth-led organization that has pioneered 'Kids' Clubs,' where hundreds of children come to play, have fun, and learn about HIV prevention and care. They also discuss with peers how to cope with the loss of their parents and other challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. With Firelight funds, YOCIC is establishing a fund to meet emergency needs, training 20 youths in income-generating activities, and providing start-up grants for small businesses. The grant also helps the organization purchase a computer and printer and covers administrative costs. |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,140 |
| This discretionary grant funds a YOCIC representative to attend the August XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| YOCIC started when a group of young counselors from Salvation Army's Masiye Camp, a life skills camps modelled along the Outward Bound concept, organized to provide ongoing emotional support to participants within their home communities. Providing peer-to-peer support, youth leaders facilitate 26 Kids' Clubs in Bulawayo, bringing together over 700 vulnerable children for recreation and group counseling. With this second Firelight grant, YOCIC is supporting training 100 adolescent girls and boys in leadership skills and memory work, planning for an income-generating program, and offering an emergency fund to Kids' Club leaders, who are often child heads-of-households themselves. |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $19,000 |
| YOCIC emerged when young counselors from the Salvation Army's Masiye Camp organized themselves to provide ongoing post-camp psychosocial support to participants within their home communities. Providing peer-to-peer psychosocial assistance, YOCIC supports 15 kids clubs in urban Bulawayo, bringing together more than 700 vulnerable children for recreation and counseling. |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
Youth For A Child in Christ |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Lesotho Child Counselling Unit |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,800 |
| LCCU was established as a temporary place of safety for sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children. They provide treatment, psychosocial support, trauma therapy, legal advocacy, and a temporary place of safety for children and then return them to the community with follow-up care. |
Lesotho Child Counselling Unit |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| LCCU provides a temporary, safe home and rehabilitative care for sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children. LCCU also prepares concerned citizens to serve in Child Welfare Forums. These forums identify vulnerable children and refer them to essential service providers. Previous Firelight funding allowed LCCU to begin construction of a shelter for 30 abandoned and abused children under its temporary care. This regrant from Firelight enables LCCU to complete this transitional shelter, which will better enable LCCU to prepare children for reintegration into their families and communities. The facility includes a nutrition garden and a fenced yard for cows, chickens, and pigs, promoting the group's efforts to generate an income for the home and activities for the children. [For more information on this grantee-partner, please see Page XX.] |
Lesotho Child Counselling Unit |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $19,000 |
| Lesotho Child Counseling Unit (LCCU) provides a temporary, transitional home for the rehabilitative care of sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children, most of whom are girls. They offer trauma therapy and legal advocacy to children and families dealing with abuse and conduct community trainings to promote awareness and action for abused children. With Firelight's first two grants, LCCU purchased two plots of land and began constructing buildings to serve 40 children as a transitional home. However, as the only organization providing this service in Lesotho, the two staff members are overburdened by direct service provision and administrative duties. With this grant, LCCU pays the coordinator and hires a financial administrator, housemother, and driver, as well as supports technical assistance in organizational development. In addition, this grant funds medication, transport, electricity, communication, and other administrative costs for the home. LCCU provides temporary housing and rehabilitative care for sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children. |
Lesotho Child Counselling Unit |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Lesotho Child Counselling Unit provides temporary housing and rehabilitative care for sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children. Firelight's first two grants to LCCU were largely focused on helping LCCU build a new larger structure which is not yet complete. On April 18, 2007, Lesotho Child Counselling Unit's transitional home burned, due to a faulty cellphone charging. The house mostly burned down, however all the children and staff of LCCU are safe. In the meantime, winter is approaching and LCCU has lost most of their material possessions in the fire. Firelight emergency funds will repair the roof of the transitional home with corrugated iron sheets. Firelight funds will also purchase replacement school uniforms for 21 children, winter clothes and blankets, bedding, and eating dishes and utensils. LCCU provides temporary housing and rehabilitative care for sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children. |
Lesotho Child Counselling Unit |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Lesotho Child Counseling Unit (LCCU) provides a temporary, transitional home for the rehabilitative care of sexually, physically, and emotionally abused children, most of whom are girls. They offer trauma therapy and legal advocacy to children and families dealing with abuse and conduct community trainings to promote awareness and action on child abuse. |
Mofumahadi Wa Tshepo Care |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Mofumahadi Wa Tshepo Care is building a center to care for up to 64 abandoned, HIV-positive children in family units. Firelight funding will cover the purchase of security fencing, a fire prevention system, and medical supplies. |
Keep A Child Alive |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Keep A Child Alive is a unique campaign aimed at mobilizing public support for the provision of life-saving HIV/AIDS medicines directly to children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and other impoverished countries. This grant supports Keep A Child Alive's launch through a targeted media campaign. The grant award also supports the production of educational materials and purchases essential office equipment. |
Tusa Munyandi Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Widows, widowers, caregivers, and children founded Tusa Munyandi to provide area orphans and vulnerable children with moral, spiritual, and material support. With this grant Tusa Munyandi is purchasing school uniforms and supplies for 60 orphans and vulnerable children and paying their health care costs. The organization is holding a home-based care training workshop for 15 volunteers. Funding also supports income-generating projects for caregivers. |
Tusa Munyandi Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Tusa Munyandi works to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Livingstone area by offering 'moral, spiritual, and material support' to vulnerable families. Members of this growing organization operate a pre-school and make regular visits to the homes of HIV/AIDS and TB patients to monitor the welfare of children in these homes. Previous Firelight funding enabled Tusa Munyandi to provide educational support to 60 children and income-generating opportunities to 26 caregivers. The group reports that 85% of funds loaned for income-generating activities have already been repaid, a rate they consider extremely successful. This second grant to Tusa Munyandi covers educational support for 58 children, an expansion of the successful income-generating activities, and HIV/AIDS training for 50 community leaders. Funds also enable Tusa Munyandi to hire its first paid staff member and to purchase the building housing their office, further anchoring the organization in the community. Focused on families affected by HIV/AIDS, Tusa Munyandi runs a preschool; makes home visits to monitor child well-being; provides support to keep children in school; trains community leaders in HIV prevention; and offers income-generating opportunities for caregivers. |
Tusa Munyandi Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Tusa Munyandi works to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Livingstone area by offering 'moral, spiritual, and material support' to vulnerable families. Members of this growing organization operate a preschool and make regular visits to the homes of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients to monitor the welfare of children in these homes. |
Tusa Munyandi Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Nkhoma Community HIV/AIDS Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| CCAP/NCAP responds to the needs of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS by offering peer education, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, orphan care, counseling, and economic empowerment training. With this Firelight grant, Nkhoma is educating community leaders about issues facing vulnerable children and ways to support them emotionally. Funds also purchase supplies and food for 12 community-based childcare centers that assist more than 100 children. CCAP/NCAP is also teaching 60 orphan caregivers strategies for dealing with stress, grief, and other emotional challenges. |
Nkhoma Community HIV/AIDS Program |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| Nkhoma Mission Hospital staff founded NCAP under the auspices of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in response to the needs of area children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. NCAP implements HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities and mentors smaller community-based organizations. With this Firelight grant, NCAP is supporting community-based childcare centers with materials and supplementary meals. The organization is also providing 30 child-headed households with psychosocial support and material assistance, including gardening inputs like maize and soya bean seeds. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,500 |
| NASO seeks to fight HIV/AIDS and promote health and quality of life for those infected. NASO provides home-based care, offers group therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS, conducts HIV-prevention activities, and administers four community childcare centers. Firelight's grant will enable NASO to provide carpentry and tailoring training to 10 young people and pay school fees for 10 youth in their final year of high school. Funds will also help NASO assist 20 guardians and orphans who head households with income-generating activities. With Firelight funds, NASO will also conduct HIV-prevention activities for more than 200 youth and supply classroom materials for 4 community childcare centers. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,900 |
| NASO provides home-based care and group therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS. The organization also administers four community childcare centers. A previous Firelight grant enabled NASO to pay school fees and supply classroom materials for children in these centers. With this Firelight regrant, NASO is paying for operational expenses and salaries for four staff members. Funds also allow the organization to support two youth-focused resource centers by providing training for volunteer staff. NASO is also leading study tours focusing on peer health education and training 20 youth in metal work and knitting. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,800 |
| NASO provides home-based care, offers group therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS, conducts HIV prevention activities, and administers four community childcare centers. This discretionary grant helps to complete their office building and resource center, unifying NASO's 28 full-time staff. Surmounting this logistical barrier enables NASO to focus on providing essential programs to the community. NASO's holistic support programs reach 60,000 young people, 3,800 people living with HIV/AIDS, and 70 sex workers. NASO's 'Children's Corners' provide space for children to gather for meals, education, vocational training, and recreation. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Promoting health and quality of life for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Malawi for over 15 years, NASO's holistic support programs reach 60,000 young people, 3,800 people living with HIV/AIDS, and 70 sex workers. With support from Firelight, NASO has provided Children's Corners where 300 children aged 5-17 can assemble for meals, play, education, and training in carpentry and tailoring. With this fourth grant from Firelight, NASO builds shelters for 2 of the 15 Children's Corners while increasing support services in child abuse prevention and reporting. The grant also supports ESAs for 10 caregivers of children on ART through training and start-up capital. With grant funds, NASO is holding a child rights awareness campaign and a community debate on literacy. This grant also provides a portion of four staff salaries. NASO's holistic support programs reach 60,000 young people, 3,800 people living with HIV/AIDS, and 70 sex workers. NASO's 'Children's Corners' provide space for children to gather for meals, education, vocational training, and recreation. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Promoting health and quality of life for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Malawi for more than 15 years, NASO's holistic support programs reach 60,000 young people, 3,800 people living with HIV/AIDS, and 70 sex workers. With support from Firelight, NASO has provided Children's Corners where 300 children aged 5-17 can gather for meals, play, education, and training in carpentry and tailoring. |
Nkhotakota AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Muungano Community Based Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| MCBO provides educational and psychological support to adolescent orphans, emphasizing education as a path to greater opportunity. This grant purchases schoolbooks, school supplies, and uniforms for 42 orphaned youth who would otherwise not be able to continue their education. |
Muungano Community Based Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Three teachers working in Etaro Village started MCBO to ensure children's access to education. Previous Firelight funding enabled the group to provide 42 orphaned children with textbooks, uniforms, and school materials. This grant offers continued support for MCBO's program of educational and psychosocial assistance. As part of its psychosocial support, MCBO provides tutoring support and visits children and their families regularly to assess their situations and to offer moral support. Funding enables MCBO to buy textbooks and school materials for 58 students, to purchase teachers' guides for eight primary texts in the school curriculum, and to pay the stipends of two junior teachers, both MCBO program graduates. |
Muungano Community Based Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Three teachers working in Etaro Village started MCBO to ensure children's access to education. Previous Firelight funding supported MCBO's psychosocial and educational assistance programming, including home visits to children and their families, tutoring support, purchase of textbooks, school, materials, and teachers' guides. The previous grant also covered steipends for 2 junior teachers, both MCBO graduates. The group's current grant covers start-up costs for a poutry income generating activity, involving 700 chickens, established to allow MCBO to sustain and eventually expand their child--centered activities. This grant also covers schools fees for six orphans and vulnerable children. Working to ensure that orphans remain in school through the secondary level, MCBO teachers educate, tutor, counsel, make home visits, and provide school materials to orphans from preschool through secondary school age, and also mobilize community support to meet their needs. |
Muungano Community Based Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Three teachers working in Etaro Village started MCBO to ensure that vulnerable children attend school. Through their evening school, MCBO educates and counsels double orphans (from preschool through secondary school age) and visits them at home. In addition, MCBO works more broadly in the community to raise awareness of and mobilize support for vulnerable children's needs. MCBO's previous grant covered the costs of a poultry project aimed at building the organization's self-sustainability. In response to inflation in Tanzania, this discretionary grant assists MCBO to cover the rising costs of commodities associated with their poultry project. This grant also allows the purchase of educational supplies for 88 primary school students. Working to ensure that orphans remain in school through the secondary level, MCBO teachers educate, tutor, counsel, make home visits, and provide school materials to orphans from preschool through secondary school age, and also mobilize community support to meet their needs. |
Muungano Community Based Organization |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Three teachers working in Etaro Village started MCBO to ensure that orphaned children remain in school through the secondary level. MCBO teachers tutor, counsel, make home visits, and provide school materials. |
Rural Women's Movement |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| RWM was founded to advocate for and secure rural women's land rights. The organization's current work also focuses on HIV/AIDS awareness, income-generating activities and other legal rights. Through this work, RWM has identified support to widows and caregivers of orphans as a priority area for programming. With the Firelight grant, RWM assists 35 primary school children with school fees, uniforms, and supplies. Priority is given to primary-school-aged girls who are heading households. |
Rural Women's Movement |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Firelight is funding RWM with a two-year regrant. In the first year, RWM held four awareness-raising workshops reaching 870 children and 1054 adults. They also held two gender workshops reaching 1636 children. They also purchased school uniforms and supplies for 80 children, and groceries for 50 children. Firelight funds also covered stipends for three volunteers and other administrative costs. In the second year, Firelight funds will help support a strategic planning process for RWM. They will also hold 9 gender workshops reaching 225 children and two two-day gender workshops for 40 government officials and decision makers. RWM will also purchase school uniforms for 90 primary school students and 65 seconday school students. This entire grant was funded through Firelight's Donor Advised Fund at Tides Foundation. |
Rural Women's Movement |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| SOLF 3X3 provides psychosocial support to youth-headed families affected by the genocide and HIV/AIDS. By offering love and familial warmth to orphans, they help children regain self-esteem and achieve improved mental and physical wellbeing. Using Firelight funds, SOLF 3X3 is expanding their program to include income-generating activities. They will create 6 associations comprised of 10 youth each, who will be trained in pig and rabbit rearing. The youth will also receive management training coupled with HIV/AIDS prevention education. |
Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
| Women in an isolated, rural area of Western Rwanda founded SOLF 3x3, believing that by working together to visit vulnerable households in groups of three, they could restore dignity to women traumatized by the country's genocide and its aftermath, including HIV/AIDS. Among their highest priorities, SOLF's members identified support for child heads-of-households. Firelight funding previously enabled the group to initiate a livestock (pig and rabbit) breeding program as an income-generating activity for 60 child heads-of-households. Youth also learned the facts about HIV/AIDS and prevention strategies, and as a result 25 percent chose to be tested for HIV. With this two-year grant, SOLF is assisting 96 vulnerable households to grow organic vegetables for consumption and sale. Funds cover the cost of training workshops, seeds, fertilizer, farming tools, and a crop production expert's salary. |
Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Concerned that the genocide and HIV/AIDS have resulted in a high number of orphans, a few women in rural Western Rwanda united with the shared mission of restoring hope and dignity to child-headed-households. Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 (SOLF) adopted a two-pronged approach: training CHH in livelihood skills and visiting them at home. With Firelight's first grant, SOLF initiated a pig and rabbit breeding project with 60 CHH as a livelihood strengthening activity. These children also received HIV/AIDS prevention education. Firelight's recent, two-year grant supported SOLF's efforts to shift child-headed households toward food security. SOLF trained 96 youth (caring for 384 younger siblings) in small-scale gardening techniques, offered fertilizer and tools, and contracting an agronomist who provided ongoing technical support. Each family now has a dedicated vegetable garden that contributes to household food security. With Firelight's regrant, SOLF continues to engage child-headed families in similar activities. Funding purchases seeds, enabling SOLF to expand garden cultivation efforts. Additionally, two goats and two chickens will be distributed to each of 96 CHH. Goats' and hens' rapid reproduction and fertilizer production promote household food security. Finally, this grant includes allowances for volunteers, a computer, and office rent. Founded by community women, SOLF visits the homes of orphans caring for younger siblings and trains them in livelihood skills such as vegetable gardening and raising animals to improve the nutritional health of their households. |
Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Concerned that the genocide and HIV/AIDS resulted in an alarming number of orphans, local women founded Solidarit' Femmes 3x3 (SOLF). They mobilize community members to visit the homes of children without parental care and train them in livelihood skills such as vegetable gardening and raising animals to improve the nutritional health of their households. They also offer emotional support and HIV prevention education. |
Youth Activists Organization |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,800 |
| YAO facilitates youth camps, primarily for boys, to increase their knowledge of reproductive health and promote a climate of community support. With Firelight funds, YAO is expanding their youth football program and health camps into four rural areas. These activities include assessing youth knowledge about health issues and offering targeted educational workshops to address their needs. |
Youth Activists Organization |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $26,000 |
| With its first year of Firelight funding, YAO ' a youth-led organization ' organized three six-day Community Football and Sexual Reproductive Health Camps in rural communities in Northern and Luapula provinces. These training camps incorporated 12 coaches, 30 drama group members, more than 120 traditional and spiritual leaders, and nearly 300 youth. This second year of Firelight funding supports soccer camps serving 400 youth and 250 leaders in four communities in Eastern and Luapula provinces. |
Youth Activists Organization |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Youth Activists Organization (YAO) is a youth led organization working in three provinces of Zambia. With a previous two-year grant from Firelight, YAO organized sport camps including training in peer education, theatre for community action, and parent-child communication in five villages in the eastern Provinces. Using their own IEC materials, YAO trained local coaches to link sport and sexual reproductive health. In addition, YAO organized neighborhood health committees and trained traditional and faith leaders in advocacy and communication. With Firelight's renewed funding, YAO organizes five additional sport camps and uses data from local clinic statistics to determine communities' health needs and priorities. Moreover, YAO conducts outreach sessions on family planning and reproductive health with young mothers and schools, and uses peer education and a 'mobile cinema unit' to reach wider audiences. Firelight funds also support YAO's overhead costs and monitoring and evaluation activities. Youth-led YAO organizes neighborhood health committees and sport camps where coaches discuss HIV prevention and reproductive health. Their theater programs are designed to inspire community action and train youth leaders in advocacy. |
Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| DEDI believes poverty can be eradicated through empowerment and community support programs. Their Family Support Program works with parents on small business ventures, group savings schemes, early childhood development skills, and children's learning programs. These integrated programs help families find creative ways to solve problems and overcome challenges. This Firelight grant covers the costs of implementing the Family Support Program in six rural communities. |
Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Diketso Eseng Dipuo (Actions and Not Talking), in southern Sotho, believes that empowering and supporting people to act on their own behalf can eradicate poverty. Observing increasing levels of family disintegration, unemployment, alcohol abuse, and violence, DEDI designed participatory interventions that help families respond creatively to their young children's growth and development needs. Firelight's first grant funded integrated Family Support Programs in six communities in the Central Free State, reaching 130 children under seven years old with exercise, nutrition, and educational activities. DEDI trained six Family Support Workers, who then trained 117 caregivers in skills and strategies for supporting children in early childhood development programs. With this two-year regrant, DEDI is continuing the six Family Support Programs initiated with their first grant and administering a Women's Group Saving Society to develop savings' schemes in four communities. |
Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| With Firelight's previous two-year grant, Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust (DEDI, 'actions, not just talking' in southern Sotho) facilitated action-oriented workshops on child and family wellbeing in 10 communities in the rural and informal areas of Bloemfontein. They reached 369 caregivers and 664 children and established 9 new saving societies, with 99 members now supporting each other as savers and as parents. With this renewal grant, DEDI is adapting their model to help 13 start-up Community Resource Organizations (CROs) effectively conduct family support work by providing training in organizational and financial management. They are training 50 Family Support Workers (FSWs) to support parents through workshops on data collection, first aid, child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, early childhood development, and accessing government grants. FSWs connect families to services and share information through home visits. Firelight funds the salary of the training facilitator, rent of the training room, and catering, as well as some administrative costs. DEDI's workshops on child and family well-being train nearly 400 caregivers and 700 children in first aid, child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, early childhood development, and available government services. |
Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust (DEDI, 'Actions and Not Talking') designs and implements participatory interventions that help families respond creatively to their young children's growth and development needs. DEDI's workshops on child and family well-being have trained nearly 400 caregivers and 700 children in first aid, child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, early childhood development, and available government services. |
Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $80,000 |
Soutien aux Initiatives de Lutte Contre le SIDA en faveur des Enfants Economiquement et Socialement Defavorises |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Focusing on street children and children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS, SIDECO provides education and vocational training to marginalized youth in Bugesera, a region that has suffered greatly under the dual burdens of the 1994 genocide and HIV/AIDS. Firelight funding supports HIV-prevention activities and psychosocial support. Programs include HIV/AIDS prevention training for 99 children, literacy and vocational training for 32 street children, the creation of 3 anti-AIDS clubs, and educational assistance for 43 orphaned children. SIDECO is also creating a small fund to assist child victims of sexual violence. |
Soutien aux Initiatives de Lutte Contre le SIDA en faveur des Enfants Economiquement et Socialement Defavorises |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| SIDECO (Support of Initiatives in the Fight Against AIDS in Support of Children Who Are Economically and Socially Disadvantaged) provides skills training and educational opportunities to marginalized youth in its area. With previous funding from Fairelight, SIDECO offered HIV/AIDS awareness-raising seminars, psychosocial support for vulnerable youth, and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing. In response to beneficiary feedback, SIDECO is using Firelight regrant funds to open an income-generating kiosk at the local school and continue with skills training activities. Specifically, Firelight funds are allowing SIDECO to train 15 children in accounting and sales and to purchase necessities such as school supplies, soap, and food for the kiosk. Half of the profits sustain the store, the other half cover school fees for 50 children, with priority given to young girls. |
Soutien aux Initiatives de Lutte Contre le SIDA en faveur des Enfants Economiquement et Socialement Defavorises |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $14,300 |
| Concerned teachers, parents, and students started SIDECO to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable youth attending the school they had co-founded. Now in its third year of Firelight funding, SIDECO has established anti-AIDS clubs involving 60 youth educators whose effectiveness has been celebrated by peer groups, the community, and local authorities. With Firelight's last grant, SIDECO started a small kiosk at the school to sell uniforms, school materials, and other necessities to the school and local communities. SIDECO uses profits generated from this and other small initiatives to meet the needs of vulnerable students and families affected by HIV/AIDS. In its first trimester, the shop earned $337. With this regrant, SIDECO proposes a series of interventions to enhance the livelihood skills of 114 vulnerable youth not who are succeeding in their studies. SIDECO is establishing four vocational training programs that include training in business management: metalworking and bicycle repair; carpentry and woodworking; tailoring; and mushroom cultivation. A portion of funds cover program administrative costs. SIDECO operates vocational training programs, including metalworking, bicycle repair, carpentry, tailoring, and mushroom cultivation. The group also runs youth-led anti-AIDS clubs as well as small businesses that support vulnerable students. |
Centre Presbyterien d'Amour des Jeunes |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CEPAJ conducts outreach to children who have taken to the street in an effort to escape violence, abuse, or severe poverty. CEPAJ provides short-term stability for these children in the form of counseling, vocational training, and housing. Staff then work to reunite children with their families or with other caregivers. The organization also offers HIV/AIDS counseling and prevention activities and works to raise community awareness of the needs of vulnerable children, especially those living on the street. With Firelight's grant, CEPAJ is facilitating two income-generating activities for youth: clay tile production and sale, and goat raising. CEPAJ is also creating five anti-AIDS clubs in schools and holding an HIV/AIDS prevention workshop for 20 street children. |
Centre Presbyterien d'Amour des Jeunes |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| The Presbyterian Church of Rwanda created CPAJ (Center for the Love of Young People) to provide care and support to children living on the street. CPAJ operates a transitional boarding school and training facility where children learn vocational skills. Previous funding from Firelight facilitated the development of five anti-AIDS clubs, which draw 100 youth to weekly meetings. With Firelight regrant funding for two years, CPAJ is managing income-generating projects, which include running an internet caf', leasing meeting space on the organization's campus, and raising livestock. Funding from Firelight also supports the reunification of 25 children with their families, educational assistance for more than 150 children, and vocational and professional training for 70 youth. |
Centre Presbyterien d'Amour des Jeunes |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Centre Presbyterien d'Amour des Jeunes (CPAJ) (or 'Centre for the Love of Young People') conducts outreach to children who have taken to the street in an effort to escape violence, abuse, or severe poverty. CPAJ provides short-term stability for these children in the form of counseling, vocational training, and housing. Staff then work to reunite children with their families or with other caregivers and to improve their livelihoods. The organization also offers HIV/AIDS counseling and prevention activities and works to raise community awareness of the needs of vulnerable children. |
Centre Presbyterien d'Amour des Jeunes |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Motivation Community Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Motivation Community Development creates holistic community-based programs that work with Khoisan youth to strengthen their connections to their Khoisan cultural heritage. Firelight funding is supporting a preschool for 50 children in a disadvantaged community and initiating an HIV/AIDS information and support center. The center provides youth-friendly counseling, prevention education, HIV testing, and disease treatment and management. |
Motivation Community Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Youth in the mostly KhoiSan township of Roodepan founded MCD to respond to the area's high rates of addiction, violence, and HIV infection. MCD offers community-based daycare and youth programs. With its initial Firelight grant, MCD established the first daycare center in Doek Doek, a rural, underserved community. Every school day the center provides hot meals and teaches social and play skills to 50 children ages 2 to 6 years. This two-year regrant supports the expansion of MCD's daycare center, which reaches 100 children and 20 caregivers. MCD will also use funding to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and teach life skills to 500 youth via radio shows and workshops, as well as offer youth-friendly clinical HIV and sexual health services to 300 young people. |
Motivation Community Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| In response to high rates of gang activity, drug use, crime, HIV-infection, and unemployment, youth in the primarily KhoiSan township of Roodepan founded Motivation Community Development (MCD). MCD members organized to 'motivate children and youth to reclaim their identity, become educated, socially skilled, mature, productive, and responsible.' Firelight's current two-year grant to MCD supports the day care center serving 80 children, a community garden that feeds 500 people in a daily soup kitchen, and a testing and counseling center that serves as a launching pad for outreach to local schools and community groups. Funding also supports weekly community talk shows reaching more than 3,000 youth and a life skills program which teaches local youth and youth returned from incarceration communication, conflict resolution, peering counseling, anger management, and health and hygiene skills. In all their work, MCD incorporates and promotes KhoiSan culture, working with elders to rekindle local languages and games. A portion of Firelight's grant supports the salaries of four staff and some administrative costs. MCD operates a daycare center, community garden, soup kitchen, an HIV testing and counseling center, a community talk show, life skills trainings, and cultural programs that promote the local KhoiSan culture. |
Motivation Community Development |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Law and Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| In response to widespread property grabbing, widow inheritance, and early forced marriages, LADA provides legal advice, training, and income-generating activities to improve the status of women and girls. With the Firelight grant, LADA launches a 'paralegal kids' program to teach children, especially girls, about their human rights. This program empowers children to report child abuse directly to the police or LADA members. |
The Law and Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $45,000 |
| LADA's mission is to reduce property grabbing, forced marriages, child abuse, and widow inheritance. They do this by providing legal advice, training community-based paralegal assistants, and advocating for the rights of vulnerable children and their guardians. LADA has used previous Firelight funding to train 41 Paralegal Kids. These youth identify cases of child exploitation and then work with LADA staff and authorities to end and redress abuse. This three-year regrant enables LADA to strengthen the paralegal kids program by hiring a full-time coordinator and providing previously trained youth with a refresher course. First year funding assisted 30 of the paralegal kids to start an income-generating project. The grant funds supported computer and Internet access to improve communication and enhance research capacity. Second year funding supported human rights workshops in 18 schools, school fees for 8 female students. Funds were also used to support income generating activities for 50 children as well as cover administrative costs. Third year funding support workshops in three communities, school fees and educational materials for 8 students and LADA's overhead costs. |
The Law and Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| A membership organization that provides legal advice and training, LADA focuses on preventing property grabbing, early forced marriages, and widow inheritance. The organization used its first Firelight grant to train 41 children as Paralegal Kids ' a program that teaches children to be peer educators around children's rights issues. This discretionary grant from Firelight enables LADA to launch its Paralegal Kids program on a national level. Funding supports the gathering of 24 traditional chiefs to discuss how to best address the issues affecting children in their communities. |
The Law and Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Yatima Kwa Wazazi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| YAWA teaches local youth about HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and the importance of working hard in school. The organization helps address vulnerable children's fear, isolation, and stigma by bringing together orphaned youth and other children for recreation and learning. YAWA is using Firelight funds to provide primary and vocational education support to 20 children and youth and offer business training and start-up loans to 7 youth-headed households and grandparent caregivers. Funds also support recreational activities for children and HIV/AIDS seminars. |
Yatima Kwa Wazazi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| YAWA (Orphan with Grandparents) is a volunteer-driven and community-owned organization assisting orphans who are living with grandparents. This women-led group provides school fees, recreational activities, and HIV/AIDS education to the children. Previous Firelight funding assisted YAWA as it initiated income-generating activities to support skills development for 15 orphans who had left school. This regrant from Firelight provides more than 70 orphans with school fees, 100 orphans with food and clothing, and 150 orphans with school uniforms. |
Yatima Kwa Wazazi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Women living in villages near Mount Kilimanjaro operate Yatima Kwa Wazazi (YAWA, Orphans with Grandparents in Swahili). The group reaches orphans living with their grandparents, who struggle to meet the needs of their grandchildren. With previous Firelight funding, YAWA offered educational assistance and a package of services tailored to young people's needs. This service package can include school fees, uniforms, clothing, meals, recreational activities, abuse-prevention seminars and/or HIV/AIDS education. YAWA also convened community members for social activities, including sports, choir practice and 'eating together days' to reduce AIDS-related stigma. With this renewal, YAWA continues its educational and vocational training assistance to 69 vulnerable children and youth. School-going children (50 in primary, 4 in secondary) also benefit from home visits and tutoring. These activities serve 21 new beneficiaries, as those previously supported by Firelight have reached self-sustainability. YAWA also continues its HIV/AIDS education seminars, recreational activities, and monthly 'eating together days.' Finally, YAWA is purchasing used office equipment and paying office rent, utilities and volunteers' allowances. YAWA provides educational assistance, vocational training, meals, recreational activities, and HIV/AIDS education to orphans living with their grandparents. |
Yatima Kwa Wazazi |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,500 |
| Women living in villages near Mount Kilimanjaro operate Yatima Kwa Wazazi (""""Orphans with Grandparents"""" or YAWA). The group reaches orphans living with their grandparents, who struggle to meet the needs of their grandchildren. YAWA provides educational assistance, vocational training, meals, recreational activities, and HIV/AIDS education. |
Trust and Care |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| Trust and Care's goals are to improve access to education and health care, provide food security, and offer HIV/AIDS education to vulnerable groups. Trust and Care addresses the needs within vulnerable communities by providing primary health care training to community volunteers, facilitating community-based needs assessments of children, and assisting households to secure shelter. With Firelight's support, Trust and Care is establishing income-generating activities for 150 child-headed households and is providing them with both business management and HIV/AIDS prevention training. |
Trust and Care |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $24,000 |
| Five Rwandan staff members of the departing organization Refugee Trust International founded Trust and Care with the mission of giving 'hope, protection, and support to vulnerable groups in Rwanda.' Trust and Care provides primary health care training, conducts needs assessments of vulnerable households, and works with communities to create employment opportunities. With their first Firelight grant, Trust and Care established 15 associations for 150 child heads-of-households to manage beekeeping and goat raising projects. They trained participants in business management, bookkeeping, and the facts about HIV/AIDS. This two-year regrant enables Trust and Care to extend similar opportunities to 170 caregivers and vulnerable youth. Twenty children are pursuing tailoring training and 150 households are raising goats and rabbits for income generation. |
Trust and Care |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Founded by former staff of Refugee Trust International upon the organization's exit from Rwanda, Trust and Care strives to improve the psychosocial wellbeing, economic security, and food security of genocide- and HIV/AIDS-affected households. The group works in a region of south-central Rwanda with among the highest HIV prevalence rates nationwide, due in part to the intensity of violence experienced during 1994. With its most recent, two-year grant Trust and Care trained 60 vulnerable youth in tailoring, started a cooperatively-managed shop run by 20 vocational training graduates, and provided goats and rabbits to 75 child-headed households and 25 caregivers living with HIV/AIDS.With this two-year regrant, Trust and Care is training 40 families in organic farming and livestock rearing techniques. Renewed funding covers the cost of two cows and construction of an enclosed pen for them, as well as the purchase of vegetable seeds and a grinding mill, to help generate income from maize grown on the farms. Second year funding covers the expansion of an organic farm, monitoring and evaluation activities as well as administrative costs. Trust and Care strives to improve the well-being, emotional health, economic security, and nutritional health of family members living in genocide- and HIV/AIDS-affected households by offering vocational and agricultural training and farming supplies. |
Trust and Care |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Action pour le D'veloppement du Peuple |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Situated in Gisenyi, five kilometers from Rwanda's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), individuals founded Action pour le D'veloppement du Peuple (ADEPE) to address the situation of women, youth, and children traumatized by prolonged guerilla warfare. Over time, the group's efforts focused on mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS on widows and children using anti-stigma campaigns and direct assistance. To date, ADEPE has reintegrated 56 former child soldiers into productive livelihoods. The group provided integrated assistance to 60 vulnerable children through health insurance, food, school uniforms, and PSS. To ensure emotional support for households, ADEPE trained 43 community mentors in PSS strategies. Funding covered operational expenses including one social worker's salary. ADEPE works with women, youth, and children traumatized by prolonged guerilla warfare and stigmatized by HIV/AIDS. They provide counseling and emotional support; fund health insurance and education; and reintegrate former child soldiers into the community by engaging them in productive work. |
Action pour le D'veloppement du Peuple |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| ADEPE works with women, youth, and children traumatized by prolonged guerilla warfare along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and those stigmatized by HIV/AIDS. The group provides counseling and emotional support; funds health insurance and education; and reintegrates former child soldiers into the community by engaging them in productive work. |
Action pour le D'veloppement du Peuple |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Gwai Grandmothers' Group |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| The Gwai Grandmothers' Group visits homes to help strengthen the coping capacity of families and children. They assist with feeding and bathing children and the sick and teach caregivers basic home-care techniques. With Firelight's support, the Grandmothers' Group is maintaining a vegetable garden to provide food to orphans, continuing weekly home visits, and purchasing sewing and knitting machines. These machines help the Grandmothers' Group generate income for their activities and also allow them to train young women. |
Gwai Grandmothers' Group |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Gwai Grandmother's Group cares for abused and orphaned children and strengthens families' and caregivers' ability to care for these children. The group visits up to 25 homes a week to feed and teach life skills to small children and their caregivers. With Firelight funding Gwai Grandmother's Group is providing material assistance to 25 children and purchasing seed and garden supplies, a maize grinding mill, and materials for sewing and knitting income-generating activities. |
Gwai Grandmothers' Group |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| Gwai Grandmothers' Group is comprised of ten women who care for 70 children, primarily living in child-headed households. While providing basic support and care to the children, Gwai mentors other women's groups to support OVC and advocates for food security, health care and pediatric anti-retroviral treatment. With their current Firelight grant, Gwai improves their community garden, supports 56 children to attend school, trains youth in sewing and knitting, and provides blankets and food. Gwai Grandmothers' Group works at a very local level to improve the lives of children by providing them school fees, food, vocational training, and community food gardens, as well as advocating for health care and antiretroviral drugs for children. |
Gwai Grandmothers' Group |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Gwai Grandmother's Group supports OVC with nutrition, clothing, play and counseling with the aim of nurturing """"responsible, peaceful and independent citizens."""" Gwai Grandmothers' Group work closely with the children, providing them with school fees, vocational training, and gardening training, as well as advocating for health care and anti-retroviral drugs for children. |
Gwai Grandmothers' Group |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Organisation for African Herbalists |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Traditional healers founded OAH with the aim of 'using cultural medicine to heal.' As its members recognized healers were treating dying parents and trying to address the needs of their patients' children, OAH integrated home-based care, peer education, and orphan response programs into its training and awareness campaigns. With support from Firelight, OAH is training 70 children in gardening for food production and life skills. The organization is also teaching parenting skills to 70 orphan guardians, many of whom are new to parenting. |
Organisation for African Herbalists |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| As they came to recognize the severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their area, the traditional healers who founded OAH began to participate in HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. As their involvement increased, OAH leveraged Firelight funding to hold a series of workshops for both caregivers and children. They trained 70 foster parents, many of them first-time caregivers, on parenting and communication skills, and 70 children on life skills. These lessons included information about children's rights, child abuse, and substance abuse. OAH also distributed food parcels to 23 orphans and their families. OAH's activities have resulted in increased awareness of the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. Firelight's renewed funding is supporting OAH to provide training for a new group of 70 orphans and their foster parents and to continue the organization's education and food distribution activities. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Eye of the Child hosts a paralegal aid service and juvenile justice forum, and works to protect children from sexual and labor exploitation. With Firelight's grant, Eye of the Child is recruiting and training 20 community-care committees on children's rights and strategies for working with vulnerable youth. These committees will then identify 300 youth (at least 40% girls) for vocational training in carpentry, tailoring, and sheet-metal work. The youth will be organized into clubs to support one another in establishing income-generating activities. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Eye of the Child builds community care capacity while monitoring and supporting the Malawian government as it implements children's rights legislation. Eye of the Child is using Firelight funds to form community committees and train members on children's rights, childcare techniques, and beneficiary identification. Community committees also partner with youth groups to provide vocational and life-skills training. In the second year of this two-year grant, Eye of the Child will continue to support its community committees with an emphasis on vocational training, while simultaneously initiating workshops for volunteers on monitoring, documentation, and reporting. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $3,800 |
| Eye of the Child builds community care capacity while monitoring and supporting the Malawian government as it implements children's rights legislation. This grant funds an audit to obtain an independent assessment of financial management accountability systems. The audit allows EYC to come into compliance with the NGO Act of 2001 and to continue to qualify for government and multilateral funding. Eye of the Child works to protect children from dangerous and exploitative situations by training local and national leaders on child rights and providing children with counseling, support groups, vocational training, and formal education. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Eye of the Child's (EYC) mission is 'to promote and protect child rights and encourage young people's participation in issues that affect them through lobbying, advocacy and other child rights programmes.' With this grant, Eye of the Child trains resource people on child labor issues and enforcement strategies. These resource people then raise awareness with local leaders, employers, teachers, children and the general public. They also conduct awareness-raising workshops with communities to dialogue with local committees (consisting of local leaders, employers, labor unions, and church and school officials) to identify and withdraw children from extremely hazardous and exploitative work situations. These children then receive formal education (for 200 children), non-formal education (for 100) and vocational training (for 200). EYC also provides counseling to these children through support groups that focus on building their dignity, social competence, and problem-solving skills. Eye of the Child works to protect children from dangerous and exploitative situations by training local and national leaders on child rights and providing children with counseling, support groups, vocational training, and formal education. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Eye of the Child works to protect children from dangerous and exploitative situations by training local and national leaders on child rights and providing children with counseling, support groups, vocational training, and formal education. Eye of the Child builds community caring capacity while monitoring and supporting the Malawian government as it implements children's rights legislation. Eye of the Child has grown from a very small community-based organization to a well-established organization, providing leadership within Firelight's Malawi partner network and technical assistance to our other partners on protecting children from exploitation and abuse. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,014 |
| Eye of the Child works to protect children from dangerous and exploitative situations by training local and national leaders on child rights and providing children with counseling, support groups, vocational training, and formal education. Eye of the Child builds community caring capacity while monitoring and supporting the Malawian government as it implements children's rights legislation. Eye of the Child has grown from a very small community-based organization to a well-established organization, providing leadership within Firelight's Malawi partner network and technical assistance to our other partners on protecting children from exploitation and abuse. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,800 |
| Eye of the Child works to protect children from dangerous and exploitative situations by training local and national leaders on child rights and providing children with counseling, support groups, vocational training, and formal education. Eye of the Child builds community caring capacity while monitoring and supporting the Malawian government as it implements children's rights legislation. Eye of the Child has grown from a very small community-based organization to a well-established organization, providing leadership within Firelight's Malawi partner network and technical assistance to our other partners on protecting children from exploitation and abuse. |
Eye of the Child |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Thandukuphila Community Based Organization |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Thandukuphila cares for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization also cares for orphans and vulnerable children in the community. Their daycare center serves 80 children, and their drop-in center reaches 277 orphans. Firelight funding covers training for home-based care workers in counseling and training for caregivers in poultry farming. In addition, the grant allows Thandukuphila to provide school supplies to 60 children and bedding for terminally ill children. |
Thandukuphila Community Based Organization |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,900 |
| More than 700 families in Empangeni benefit from Thandukuphila Community Based Organization's services, which include daycare, skills development training for vulnerable children, and a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. Renewed Firelight funding is providing salaries for childcare workers in a new satellite center, which offers daycare, before- and after-school programming, and meals for 550 vulnerable children. Firelight is also funding Thandukuphila's quarterly workshops for 250 youth, which provide training in decision making, and weekly skills development sessions for 355 children. Regrant funds are also enabling Thandukuphila to make microloans of around $160 to 10 income-generating groups supporting more than 80 children. |
Thandukuphila Community Based Organization |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Thandukuphila cares for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and for orphans and vulnerable children in the community through community centers that offer daycare, before- and after-school programs, and kids clubs. Their staff and volunteers also carry out home-based care for terminally ill children and caregivers; income-generating activities and microfinance for caregivers; life skills training for youth; and community awareness-raising activities on women's and children's rights. |
Les Enfants de Dieu |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Les Enfants de Dieu (God's Children) provides short-term shelter for more than 100 street boys, equipping them with literacy and vocational skills while working to identify biological or foster families. With Firelight funding Les Enfants de Dieu is purchasing school materials for 104 boys, paying the salaries of four teachers, and covering the fees, supplies, and uniform expenses of 60 street children now studying at government schools. Les Enfants de Dieu's school teaches the boys literacy and mathematical skills, enabling them to reenter government schools, to join vocational training, or to secure jobs. |
Les Enfants de Dieu |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $12,900 |
| Les Enfants de Dieu (God's Children) offers holistic care to children rescued from life on the streets of Kigali. Firelight's previous grant covered salaries for four teachers at Les Enfants' school and paid classroom expenses for 60 children. With this Firelight regrant Les Enfants is continuing its education program, making it possible for 96 children and youth to attend school by paying for their school expenses. Grant funds also pay the salaries of the school's four teachers. Les Enfants is also starting a reintegration program aimed to reunify children with their families when appropriate. |
Les Enfants de Dieu |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Kigali-based Sulfo Industries' employees founded Les Enfants de Dieu (Les Enfants) out of shared concern for the growing numbers of children living on the city's streets. Initially, Les Enfants conducted outreach to street children, offering hot meals once weekly and listening to them. In time, the group established a center to shelter, feed, educate, and rehabilitate the children. Firelight has supported Les Enfants' school, where children study the national curriculum to prepare to rejoin government schools. Firelight's most recent grant covered four teachers' salaries and the cost of text books, uniforms, supplies, and vocational training materials for 121 children. Twenty-five of these children study at Les Enfants' center. The remainder have been integrated into government schools. In 2006 Les Enfants initiated a reintegration program, staffed by a Reintegration Officer and grounded in an extensive participatory planning process. Firelight funding assists Les Enfants to implement this reintegration program, funding the costs of reintegrating 40 children as well as four staff members' salaries. Each child receives a 'reunification kit' that includes a family-appropriate mix of medical insurance, bedding, two small livestock, and funds for education and micro-enterprise development, as needed. LLCCM operates a social service center for orphans; runs vocational training and health education classes for youth and children; and provides vegetable gardening supplies and tools to vulnerable families. |
Les Enfants de Dieu |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,900 |
| Sulfo Industries employees founded Les Enfants de Dieu to assist street children in Kigali by offering them shelter, hot meals, schooling, and vocational training. The group also helps to reunite the children with their families and return to their former communities. |
Les Enfants de Dieu |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Young Basotho Professionals Forum |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $4,500 |
| YBPF promotes volunteerism by involving youth in HIV/AIDS awareness activities and by empowering children to speak directly to the community about their experiences as orphans. Through training programs, volunteers address the social, economic, and health-related problems youth face. With Firelight funds, YBPF is training 25 child heads-of-households and 25 caregivers in life skills, HIV/AIDS prevention, nutrition, home-based care, counseling, and food production. |
Khanya Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Khanya Support Group provides home-based care to 16 families, distributes food parcels and clothing, operates a weekly soup kitchen, hosts educational activities, and supports a pottery and ceramics cooperative. This youth-led support group is using Firelight funds to provide sewing training to 20 youth, as well as to pay school fees for 10 primary and 5 high school students. |
Hoohlo AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| Hoohlo AIDS Support Group organizes community members to help pay school fees and secure food and clothes for vulnerable children. With Firelight funding, the organization is purchasing supplies for income-generating activities, such as agricultural materials and carpentry tools. |
Lefikeng Disabled and Social Training Centre |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Serving over 200 youth, Lefikeng addresses the lack of employment opportunities facing orphans by providing them with skills training, income-generating activities, and school fee sponsorship. In addition, they provide HIV/AIDS and drug abuse counseling and advocacy programs on children's rights. With Firelight funding, Lefikeng is purchasing poultry and materials for a poultry-raising income-generating project and training 70 youth in record keeping, sales, and accounting. |
Re Tsepile Morena Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| Re Tsepile Morena Support Group helps provide care to those who are sick and dying and offers support to children whose parents have died. Youth members and volunteers currently supply 140 children with food, clothes, and medicine. With funding from Firelight, Re Tsepile Morena is paying for school fees, uniforms, and school supplies for 18 children. They are also purchasing additional food and medicine, and providing materials for income-generating activities. |
Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2004 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| The primary aim of Phopholetsa is to care for and support those affected by HIV/AIDS. The group addresses urgent concerns such as hunger, stigma, abuse, and lack of access to education through community programs and income-generating activities. With this grant, Phopholetsa provides educational support and food to nine students. Funding also covers the cost of training 30 caregivers in counseling and helps with administrative costs. |
Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $11,400 |
| Community members formed Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group to address their four most urgent concerns: hunger, rejection and stigma, abuse, and lack of access to education. Previous Firelight funding paid the educational expenses of 13 children and enabled Phopholetsa to train 36 caregivers in basic counseling. With regrant funding Phopholetsa continues these programs, extending educational assistance to 18 children and training 40 more caregivers in psychosocial support strategies. In addition Phopholetsa is starting a candle-manufacturing project to generate income for at least 20 caregivers. |
Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Community members formed Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group to address their four most urgent concerns: hunger, rejection and stigma, abuse, and lack of access to education. Their work includes home-based care, counseling, educational support for orphans, food parcels for orphans, the aged, and the sick, HIV/AIDS education, and home gardens. |
Phopholetsa HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Lubhancho House |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Lubhancho House operates a drop-in center for people living with HIV/AIDS and a program of home-based care and outreach support. Lubhancho House has mobilized and trained 60 volunteers to address the needs of HIV-positive individuals and their families. With Firelight funding Lubhancho House will identify 200 additional children to receive services. It will also provide educational assistance to 250 children, organize a recreational camp for 20 youth, and provide food assistance to 36 child-headed families. |
Lubhancho House |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Catholic Diocese of Hwange started Lubhancho House in 1989 to serve youth with HIV prevention activities. Since then they have expanded to bring well-being to families through community mobilization, home-based care, child and youth services, small-scale agricultural activities and a drop-in center for people living with AIDS. Lubhancho's first grant funded school fees for 81 children, peer education training for youth who then formed Youth Alive Clubs, and provided awareness raising 'talk shows' for 63 youth. In their current grant, Lubhancho prioritizes education support for 90 youth (45 girls/45 boys) and respond to a need identified by the Youth Alive Clubs for a Youth Friendly Center, a place for 300 adolescent girls and boys to have meetings and access HIV information and life-skills materials in local languages. Also, this grant supports a peer counseling workshops for 15 youth and a salary for their Youth Officer. Lubhancho's Youth Alive Clubs offer access to HIV prevention information and life skills materials in local languages. They also provide school fees, training in small-scale agricultural projects, home-based care, and youth drop-in centers. |
Botleng Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Botleng Support Group offers a variety of services to children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS, including educational support, home-based care visits, and training in income-generating activities. The organization also engages the community to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. As an advocate for the rights of children, Botleng frequently seeks legal action against people who abuse vulnerable children. With Firelight's support Botleng is providing school fees for 10 students and uniforms and school supplies for 110 orphans within its community. |
Botleng Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| A group of people living with HIV/AIDS formed Botleng in 2003 out of concern about the impact of the disease on the children of Ha Seoli. The organization cares for 24 child-headed households, 6 of which include children who are on ART, and provides palliative care for 95 people living with HIV. With their first grant from Firelight, Botleng provided 110 primary school students with uniforms and paid school fees for 16 high school students. Through community meetings, visits to schools and churches, and radio talk shows, 'the situation facing affected children and their family changed a little because the community was educated about HIV/AIDS and alleviated stigma so the number of neglected people was reduced.' With renewal funds, Botleng is paying secondary school fees for 16 children and purchasing school uniforms for 6. They state that they did not need to buy as many uniforms this year as they bought uniforms for only those children who are changing schools. As part of their effort to give nutritional support to children on ART, Botleng is providing milk for 10 infants whose parents have died. Botleng cares for 24 child-headed households; provides palliative care for 95 HIV-positive adults; and provides vulnerable children nutritional and educational support, including school fees and uniforms. $2,600 ' Renewal |
Matumaini Mapya |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| Twelve concerned individuals founded Matumaini Mapya in order to address the increasing numbers of children living on the streets in Bukoba, many of whom migrated to town in search of work following their parents' deaths. Through their Street Children's Participation and Empowerment Project, the organization is using Firelight funding to gather 100 street children each week to engage in sports competitions, games, tutoring, and an open forum where they can speak their minds. Each week 75 street children are receiving counseling and healthcare. Matumaini Mapya is working to reunify these children with their families. The organization is also distributing children's rights brochures to inform the community about the challenges children face living on the street and to offer the appropriate ways to respond. |
Matumaini Mapya |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| An organization that advocates for children's rights, Matumaini Mapya offers holistic care, support, and training to street children on the western shore of Lake Victoria. With a previous Firelight grant, Matumaini Mapya held weekly Baraza la Watoto (Children's Voices Meetings) for approximately 100 young street children. At the meetings Matumaini Mapya shared facts about HIV/AIDS and offered health care, counseling, and a hot meal. Matumaini Mapya also trained concerned adults as youth paralegals and foster guardians. With this multi-year regrant, Matumaini Mapya continues to support street children through education, health care, and entrepreneurship training. The group also continues to educate 180 village leaders and concerned community members about children's rights, with special attention to the cultural and religious beliefs and behavioral and biological changes facing adolescent girls and boys. Additionally, the group will support its newly-established widows' Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) by training SACCOS staff in financial management and training 100 prospective creditors on small business initiation and loan management. These 100 widows will also receive loans to initiate their businesses. |
Matumaini Mapya |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Twelve concerned individuals founded Matumaini Mapya in order to address the increasing numbers of children living on the streets in Bukoba. In addition to advocacy, Matumaini Mapya provides holistic care, support, and training to street children on the western shore of Lake Victoria. |
Matumaini Mapya |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $3,900 |
| Twelve concerned individuals founded Matumaini Mapya in order to address the increasing numbers of children living on the streets in Bukoba. In addition to advocacy, Matumaini Mapya provides holistic care, support, and training to street children on the western shore of Lake Victoria. |
Matumaini Mapya |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Tlamelang-Sediba Home Care Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Tlamelang Home Care Centre started in 2004 when a nurse at the local clinic approached the pastor to discuss the lack of services for orphans and mentally challenged children in the area together they mobilized the community to care for the children. The villages of Bodibe have been hit hard by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and Tlamelang sees the disease as the 'root cause of the many orphans we have.' Operating from a basic structure with few amenities, Tlamelang began offering basic items like food, clothes and blankets and then grew to a learning center where the children are taught reading, writing, math and life skills, 'geared towards helping children to be self supportive with basic human skills.' Firelight funds will pay for the renovation and construction of eight toilets, four showers and two baths to aid with hygiene of children. Firelight funds will also be used for tables, chairs, and dishes for the dining/recreation hall. The remaining funds will be used for learning materials, medicines, and toiletries. Tlamelang-Sediba Home Care Centre operates a learning center geared towards helping orphans and mentally challenged children become self-supporting. Subjects include reading, writing, math, life skills, and basic hygiene. |
Tlamelang-Sediba Home Care Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Tlamelang-Sediba Home Care Centre operates a learning center geared towards helping orphans and children with mental disabilities become self-supporting. Subjects taught include reading, writing, math, life skills, and basic hygiene. |
Tlamelang-Sediba Home Care Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Human Sciences Research Council / Fatherhood Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| Concerned about the increasing levels of child abuse, neglect of children by their fathers, and the crisis in childcare resulting from the AIDS epidemic, a few social scientists at the Human Sciences Research Council initiated the Fatherhood Project. The Fatherhood Project runs advocacy and awareness-raising programs aimed at increasing men's participation in children's care, protection, and development. With Firelight funding the Fatherhood Project is maintaining and expanding its awareness-raising programs through a variety of strategies, including producing 5,000 copies of a 2005 calendar featuring men in caring and protective relationships with children and updating its website. |
Basilwizi Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Basilwizi Trust, created by ethnic minority groups in the Zambezi River valley, who were displaced by the Kariba Dam project, formed in 2002 to facilitate civil society participation for community empowerment and sustainable livelihoods. Recognizing the significant impact of HIV/AIDS in their communities, in 2006 Basilwizi added HIV/AIDS programs and sponsorship for 70 students. With this first-time grant from the Firelight Foundation, Basilwizi expands their HIV/AIDS program to include a garden income-generating project, provide an HIV/AIDS awareness workshop for 50 youth, training for 10 caregivers and teenage girls on farm skills and business management, an awareness-raising conference on 'The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Youth as Leaders of Tomorrow' for 100 youth, and support to 10 orphans with secondary school fees.' Created by minority groups displaced by dam construction, the Basilwizi Trust is a community development organization providing HIV/AIDS education programs for students, an income-generating garden project, caregiver training, and agriculture and business skills for teens. |
Basilwizi Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| FCP promotes extended family fostering of orphans within the communities of Masala and Kantolomba on the outskirts of Ndola. More than 250 pupils study, receive hot meals, and participate in sports and drama clubs at FCP's community school. This grant covers the costs of feeding, clothing, and educating these children and purchasing sports equipment for their recreational enjoyment. The grant also funds business training and startup capital for each of 20 caregivers. |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| More than 250 pupils study, receive hot meals, and participate in sports and drama clubs at FCP's community school in Ndola. FCP's focus is on primary education and income-generating activities, but the organization also emphasizes the importance of food security in ensuring children's school attendance. FCP also encourages the full participation of caregivers in sustaining efforts to improve children's survival and wellbeing. Renewed Firelight funding enables FCP to continue to meet the material needs of community school students, with a higher percentage of girls receiving support. Funds are also providing food to 50 households, training 25 caregivers in vocational skills, and covering some administrative costs. |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Families for Children Project (FCP) aims to ensure primary education for OVC, promote household food security, and empower elderly caregivers and child heads-of-households. FCP encourages the full participation of caregivers in sustaining efforts to improve children's survival and wellbeing. Previous grant funds provided educational assistance for nearly 250 pupils, basic food supplies to 150 vulnerable families, and training in tailoring and craft making for 45 youth. Current grant funds support a school feeding program, the purchase of classroom furniture, and allowances for four teachers at FCP's community school. Funds also provide school fee and material support for 20 secondary school students. To reinforce FCP's long-term sustainability, grant funds support a small investment in a chicken micro- enterprise and cover administrative costs. FCP works to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children receive primary education by providing school fees, a school food program, classroom supplies, and teacher salaries. They also train youth and caregivers in tailoring and craft making. |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,200 |
| Working in a shanty township on the outskirts of Ndola, FCP works to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children receive primary education by providing school fees, a school food program, classroom supplies, and teacher salaries. They also promote household food security and train child heads-of-households and elderly caregivers in tailoring and craft-making skills to increase their incomes. |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Families for Children Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Hope After Rape |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Founded to give care and moral support to genocide and rape survivors and children affected by HIV/AIDS, Hope After Rape promotes the psychosocial wellbeing and human rights of these vulnerable groups. Working in five provinces, the organization offers counseling, microfinance and vocational training, educational assistance, and 'anti-violence' advocacy campaigns. This grant covers vocational training fees and related expenses for 50 young people affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Hope After Rape |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Founded by nine Rwandans to promote human rights awareness among women and children and to 'give care and moral support to survivors of genocide and AIDS,' Hope After Rape (HAR) has four key programs. They offer HIV/AIDS counseling through support groups, a counseling center, caregiver training with special focus on the psychosocial needs of beneficiaries, and an anti-violence advocacy program. HAR invests in youth and vulnerable caregivers by providing vocational training and microfinance. Firelight's grant enabled HAR to meet the educational expenses of 50 youth pursuing courses (such as catering, hairdressing, and tailoring) at Rwanda Vocational Institute. Among the graduates, several have been employed by local hotels. Others have initiated training programs and small-scale business endeavors using their new skills. With this regrant, HAR covers its office running costs, including rent, communications, and transport expenses. Additionally, the group is supporting 60 vulnerable caregivers to engage in spaghetti making, 40 caregivers to sell charcoal, 48 caregivers to be trained in hairdressing, and 56 guardians to learn to manufacture handicrafts. Funds also purchase three sewing machines for ongoing use in tailoring training. In addition to providing vocational training and small business loans for youth and caregivers, Hope After Rape's programs include HIV/AIDS support groups, a counseling center, and an anti-violence advocacy program. |
Hope After Rape |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $3,800 |
| By training caregivers to read to their children, FLP strives to develop both adults' and children's literacy skills. Noting the dramatic impact of HIV/AIDS on families, FLP expanded its programs to include HIV-prevention, health care, and early childhood development activities. Creatively adapting their successful support group model for literacy promotion, FLP formed Health Support Groups and trained group facilitators (elected by the rural communities) to teach caregivers to improve family health. Facilitators then visit their neighbors, sharing information about the importance of immunization, breast feeding, play and stimulation, and HIV prevention. Firelight funding enables FLP to recruit a consultant skilled in management of early childhood illness to train Health Support Group facilitators. |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| When it started, FLP's goal was to bolster child literacy by training caregivers to read to their children. In response to the impact of HIV/AIDS on families, FLP expanded its programs to include training in HIV/AIDS prevention. The group formed health support groups and trained group facilitators from rural communities to work with caregivers, offering advice on hygiene, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS prevention. With this Firelight grant, FLP is expanding its reach to other areas of KwaZulu Natal, training six facilitators to run health support groups and spearhead the home-based care program. Part of the grant also purchases food parcels for 125 home-based care volunteers. |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $1,000 |
| CONFIDENTIAL Family Literacy Project (FLP) is a responsive organization. Their original purpose was to bolster child literacy by training caregivers to read to their children. Recognizing the impact of HIV/AIDS on families in the rural areas in which they work, they expanded their programs to include training in HIV/AIDS prevention, then expanded again to form health support groups. They have trained facilitators to work with caregivers, offering advice on hygiene, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS prevention. This grant fills a small gap in operating costs. At first established to bolster child literacy, FLP now also encourages caregivers to read to their children and offers them training in hygiene, nutrition, child development, and HIV prevention. |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
| The Family Literacy Project (FLP) started as an effort to bolster children's literacy by training caregivers to read to their children. In response to the impact of HIV/AIDS on families, FLP expanded their programs to include training in HIV prevention, childcare, and ECD. 'By contributing to the building of strong, resilient families we contribute to the sustainability of our hard-won democracy in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.' With their third Firelight grant, FLP is conducting regular training visits to the five sites that were established with earlier Firelight funding. To enrich the health knowledge of each group, they are also visiting five sites that have been operating for several years. As the groups are 'deeply rural' and far from good roads and facilities, the budget includes travel and accommodation costs. As in previous years, FLP compensates home visitors for their time and care by providing food vouchers for local supermarkets. At first established to bolster child literacy, FLP now also encourages caregivers to read to their children and offers them training in hygiene, nutrition, child development, and HIV prevention. |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| At first established to bolster child literacy, FLP now also encourages caregivers to read to their children and offers them training in hygiene, nutrition, child development, and HIV prevention. |
Family Literacy Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
HelpAge Zimbabwe, Southern Region |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| HelpAge Zimbabwe, a national NGO, identifies the needs of and provides services for elderly persons in Zimbabwe. To support the growing number of grandparents caring for orphaned and vulnerable children, the organization's branch in Bulawayo is providing educational and material assistance, while also working with elderly guardians to establish community gardens and goat raising projects to address their livelihood needs. The grant enables the organization to assist 52 children with school fees and uniforms, to train 30 elders in goat rearing, and to provide their families with two goats apiece. Additionally, HelpAge is conducting a workshop on child-abuse prevention for 140 caregivers, who parent 200 children. |
HelpAge Zimbabwe, Southern Region |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| HelpAge Zimbabwe works to improve living standards and health care options for older people in southern Zimbabwe. These beneficiaries are frequently grandparents caring for orphans. With its first Firelight grant, HelpAge assisted the grandmothers by covering school fees for more than 50 orphans and vulnerable children. This year's regrant allows the organization to expand support to more than 110 additional children, organize a child-abuse prevention workshop for 240 caregivers, support several youth clubs and a child protection committee, and maintain a vegetable garden for 40 caregivers. |
HelpAge Zimbabwe, Southern Region |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| HelpAge, which 'works for and with older persons throughout Zimbabwe,' included services to orphans and vulerable children in 1999 when they found that 'more [than] 50% of orphans in our community are cared for by grandmothers who, in most instances, have no income of their own.' With their prior regrant, HelpAge provided school fees for 45 boys and 69 girls, formed two kids clubs for 74 children, held workshops for 160 caregivers and 60 children on children's rights and abuse prevention and established a garden at a school. With their current grant from Firelight, HelpAge continues this support for children and their elderly caregivers. They provide school fees for 95 children in primary school and 19 in secondary school, continue child abuse awareness campaigns for in four villages to ensure that students have 'a good home environment' and have formed three new kids' clubs. HelpAge, a national organization for the elderly, now also provides school fees for children in the care of elderly caregivers; establishes community kids clubs; and runs child abuse prevention campaigns. |
HelpAge Zimbabwe, Southern Region |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Positive Women in Action and Development |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Started by eight women living with HIV, PWAD counsels women and young people living with the virus. Their activities include referring sick individuals to health care providers, educating the public about the concerns of women living with HIV/AIDS, and training members in strategies for income generation. This grant supports three workshops to train 30 women in small-business management and funds business startup loans for each of them. These 30 women will join 25 members already trained in cash crop and poultry production, who now grow and sell produce to support their families. The grant also provides educational support to 30 students. |
Positive Women in Action and Development |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Founded by eight women who banned together to face stigma, abuse, and poverty as a result of their HIV/AIDS status, PWAD provides skills training and material support to women and children facing similar challenges. PWAD offers counseling, home-based care, and group income-generating activities to more than 2,000 members nationwide. With these Firelight funds PWAD is extending educational support to 240 children and is establishing pig and poultry production and maize gardens in underserved areas in Lilongwe and Ntcheu districts. PWAD's second year of funding on this multi-year grant continues the prior year's programs in educational support, livestock and garden income-generating activities and supports the organization's administrative costs. |
Positive Women in Action and Development |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $3,280 |
| This discretionary grant funds a PWAD representative to attend the 2006 XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. For more information on the activities in Toronto. |
Developmental Gender Network |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Formed to respond to the HIV pandemic and an increasing level of child abuse and violence in its region, DGN, formerly Gompo Abused Children Centre Services, works to benefit disadvantaged children living in the informal settlements and rural areas of the Eastern Cape. This region remains underserved and underfunded despite substantial need. DGN provides holistic support to nearly 200 orphans and HIV-infected children and youth, including educational assistance, violence-prevention campaigns, food relief, HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities, and home visits. With Firelight funding DGN is helping to meet the nutritional needs of 185 vulnerable children and training 60 caregivers, including 20 teachers, to care for children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Operating in an underserved border area near Livingstone, WCI serves the community through a network of five community centers. WCI raises awareness of HIV/AIDS, trains young people in various trades, and operates revolving loan funds for caregivers of vulnerable children. WCI is using Firelight funds to provide educational support for 50 students and to conduct workshops for 30 community leaders, sensitizing them about the issues that face families coping with HIV/AIDS. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| This Firelight regrant builds on earlier funding to cover the cost of uniforms, school supplies, exams, and counseling for 50 vulnerable children. This renewed funding also supports a four-day sensitization workshop addressing HIV/AIDS issues for 50 community members, including local officials and leaders. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| WCI addresses poverty and HIV/AIDS in rural Kazangula, with special focus on the needs of orphans and street children. The organization operates a network of five centers that support vulnerable children, raise HIV/AIDS awareness, and offer revolving loan funds. This Firelight discretionary grant allows WCI to fill a gap in its funding for educational expenses. A total of 50 children and youth previously supported by Firelight funding will receive fees and school materials for additional school terms. The grant also covers the cost of national final exam preparation for 16 potential secondary school graduates. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
| Welfare Concern International (WCI) provides education support to orphans and street children and raises awareness on HIV/AIDS in rural Kazungula, near Livingstone. WCI operates a network of five community centers and offers revolving loans to community members. Previous funding allowed WCI to provide school fee and material support for 50 orphans and vulnerable children. They also trained 50 community leaders on HIV/AIDS awareness. Current grant funds support education expenses for 75 youth and expansion of a vegetable gardening project. Funds also pay overhead expenses. Through five community centers, WCI provides orphans and street children with school supplies, fees, and material assistance; and trains community leaders on raising HIV/AIDS awareness. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $13,100 |
| Through five community centers in an under-served border area, WCI provides orphans and street children with school supplies, fees, and material assistance; and trains community leaders to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. |
Welfare Concern International |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Started by two community members with a vision of raising the standard of living among the local poor, ISRL has developed a holistic approach to achieving sustainable rural development. Current program activities focus on food security, civic and human rights education, literacy, and care for orphans and vulnerable children. Current Firelight funds are helping ISRL reach 400 vulnerable children. ISRL is also conducting a local forum on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and children as well as a workshop on home-based care. ISRL is also training female- and child-headed households in sustainable agricultural projects and food preparation and preservation. |
Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $11,500 |
| Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (ISRL) supports sustainable rural development and addresses the problems faced by rural populations. The organization focuses on enhancing food security through sustainable agriculture, strengthening human rights through civic education, and increasing support for vulnerable children through psychosocial support and home-based care. ISRL used its first Firelight grant to support home-based care training for 35 community members. To support economic empowerment, ISRL also provided training in agro-based income-generating activities for 35 adolescent and female-headed households. Current Firelight funds will provide goats and training in goat rearing for previous beneficiaries, as well as fruit tree seedlings for longer-term income. Finally, ISRL will use funds to support a workshop on HIV/AIDS and stigma and festivals on the Day of the African Child and World AIDS Day. ISRL works to improve household food security by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and income- generating projects, and assists vulnerable children through counseling and home-based health care. |
Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,500 |
| Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (ISRL) supports sustainable rural development and addresses the problems faced by rural populations. The organization focuses on enhancing food security through sustainable agriculture, strengthening human rights through civic education, and increasing support for vulnerable children through psychosocial support and home-based care. |
Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| KWOCS works to enhance the community's sense of collective responsibility to address the effects of HIV/AIDS. Its 56 community volunteers function as the cornerstone of outreach to vulnerable households, providing home-based care and legal advice. This grant enables KWOCS to electrify a hammermill used by the community to grind maize meal, which will generate funds for ongoing care and support activities, including other income-generating projects. The organization is also providing educational assistance to 30 children. |
Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| KWOCS addresses the economic, legal, and nutritional needs of women and children in the rural Masaiti area. Previous Firelight funding helped KWOCS install a grain mill, which now funds its activities. This Firelight regrant enables KWOCS to build on its success with income-generating activities by offering business management training to 50 caregivers, each caring for an average of four children. Working in groups of 10, caregivers receive business startup funds as well as ongoing technical assistance and follow-up training. |
Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society (KWOCS) empowers its 300 members to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. The group also supports vulnerable children through education assistance and a home-based care program. KWOCS used previous grant funds to support a revolving loan program for 40 caregivers caring for 120 children. KWOCS created a forum for caregivers to support each other and discuss health issues by using a group lending model. Current Firelight funds are being used to support training for an additional 60 caregivers in business management and provide each with $100 in business start-up funds. KWOCS is also using funds to provide ongoing technical assistance, including follow-up business training for caregivers whose businesses are struggling. KWOCS' empowerment approach encourages an active and engaged membership, which holds the organization's staff accountable. KWOCS empowers its 300 members to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children through educational support. They also run a home-based care program, and provide a revolving loan program and training in business management for caregivers. |
Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $17,500 |
| KWOCS empowers its 300 members to meet the needs of orphans and vulnerable children through educational support. They also run a home-based care program, and provide a revolving loan program and training in business management for caregivers. |
Kabwata Widows and Orphans Community Society |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Association des Jeunes Orphelins Rwandais |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Association des Jeunes Orph'lins Rwandais (AJOR) (Association of Young Rwandan Orphans) was founded by 14 child heads-of-households to 'solve the problem facing orphans by combining our efforts in preparing for our future.' AJOR members use a united approach to overcome their adversities because, 'nobody understands our problems better than we since it is we ourselves who live through these sad daily realities.' Firelight's funding for AJOR covers materials and room rental for an eight-week HIV/AIDS education course that teaches orphans HIV prevention strategies. Additionally, funds enable AJOR to offer a 32-week vocational training program in carpentry and metalworking for 60 youth by paying for equipment and raw materials as well as instructors' fees. The group plans to establish six associations of 10 trained youth each to encourage the youth's productive employment upon completion of training. Founded by teen orphans caring for younger siblings, AJOR teaches orphans HIV prevention strategies and provides vocational training programs in carpentry and metalworking. |
Association des Jeunes Orphelins Rwandais |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded by 14 teen orphans caring for younger siblings, AJOR teaches orphans HIV-prevention strategies and provides vocational training programs in carpentry and metalworking. The group also facilitates sports and recreation activities and promotes youth rights and poverty alleviation. |
Association des Jeunes Orphelins Rwandais |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Lesotho Durham Link Coalition |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| LDLC is composed of eight child-focused organizations supporting vulnerable young people, including deaf children and those living with physical and cognitive disabilities. The Coalition provides counseling services and recreational opportunities to children served by its member organizations. Firelight Funds support the participation of more than 2,000 children and 300 caregivers in canoeing, rock climbing, cycling, swimming, and other outdoor adventures. Through these activities the Coalition improves the participants' self-confidence and strengthens the image of vulnerable children, especially those with disabilities, as vibrant, capable individuals. In turn the community begins to acknowledge vulnerable children's rights, which aids in reducing stigma and discrimination. |
Lesotho Durham Link Coalition |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,480 |
| This discretionary grant funds an LDLC representative to attend the August XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. |
Lesotho Durham Link Coalition |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Ngwangwa Orphan Care and Chitukuko Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,100 |
| Parents in Balaka who had lost children to HIV/AIDS or had taken orphans into their homes formed the Ngwangwa Orphan Care and Chitukuko Group in 2000. Ngwangwa's services include providing caregivers with daycare services and training in early childhood development and counseling. This grant from Firelight is being used to provide small business loans to benefit 100 orphans. It also helps Ngwangwa provide meals and daycare for 30 additional children and allows the organization to train 60 foster guardians in psychosocial support and counseling. |
Friends of Orphans |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Established by a group of six university-trained young men, themselves former child solders, FRO responds to the needs of former child soldiers and their families in northern Uganda. FRO's core program includes educational support, sports and recreational activities, counseling, and food assistance. Through these activities FRO intends to address the income needs of beneficiaries, while also addressing issues of stability, nutrition, and education. FRO is using Firelight funding to initiate an income-generating activity for 50 vulnerable children and nine caregivers. The program includes vocational training in tailoring, poultry raising, and crafts production, along with education about HIV/AIDS. |
Friends of Orphans |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Established by six university-trained former child soldiers from war-torn Pader district in northern Uganda, Friends of Orphans (FRO) serves former child soldiers, children affected by conflict, widows, caregivers, and OVC. With their first grant from Firelight, FRO trained 36 caregivers caring for 95 children in 3 successful ESAs: raising and selling chickens and eggs, sewing and tailoring, and crafts production. With renewal funds, supported a gathering of local leaders to select 150 families caring for more than 5 OVC and facing other hardships. The families were to be provided with three months of ESA training on life skills, relationships, how to manage and feed goats, entrepreneurship, and financial management. Then 300 local breed, disease-resistant goats were planned for distribution, two per family. The community chose a goat ESA because goats have a ready market, multiply rapidly, and were herded before the conflict. Now that relative peace is returning, the government promotes restocking livestock, and free pasture is available. Older OVC can assist in goat care, 'empowering them with skills on how to manage their own ESAs in the future.' FRO provides former child soldiers, widows, caregivers, and orphans in a war-torn region help with starting small businesses, including technical assistance and management skills for chicken- and goat-raising, crafts, sewing, and tailoring enterprises. |
Friends of Orphans |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $19,000 |
| FRO supports former child soldiers, widows, caregivers, and orphans in the war-torn region of Northern Uganda. FRO provides help with starting small businesses, including technical assistance and management skills for chicken- and goat-raising, crafts, sewing, and tailoring enterprises. |
Mara Widows Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| In our community' orphans are seen like the lost among the living,' reports Mara Widows Development Group. A membership organization, the group reaches approximately 120 vulnerable children by assisting caregivers, including widows and families who have opened their homes to orphans. Firelight funding is supporting the participation of 40 caregivers in its economic-livelihood program, which involves training caregivers in small business development and management, operating a revolving loan fund, monitoring their progress, and providing feedback to participants. |
Mara Widows Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,200 |
| Four women founded Mara Widows Development Group to help widows affected by HIV/AIDS meet their families' needs. The group distributes revolving loans with a flexible repayment schedule to widows and families who foster orphans due to HIV/AIDS. With previous Firelight funding, Mara Widows provided loans to 76 caregivers. Successful micro-enterprises helped beneficiaries to provide food and educational support for 104 vulnerable children. With renewed Firelight funding, Mara Widows is providing loans to 60 caregivers. Repaid loan funds are used to provide loans and training to an additional group of beneficiaries. Continued Firelight funding also allows Mara Widows to continue monthly childcare education workshops for 76 caregivers and to support their community school, which serves 45 children. In addition, funds pay fees for a financial audit and fund the salary of a loan officer. The Mara Widows Development Group offers revolving loans with a flexible repayment schedule to widows and families who foster orphans, and conducts monthly education workshops for caregivers. |
Mara Widows Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Four women founded Mara Widows Development Group to help widows affected by HIV/AIDS meet their families' needs. The group distributes revolving loans with a flexible repayment schedule to widows and families who foster orphaned children. Mara Widows also conduct monthly education workshops for caregivers. |
Mara Widows Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Mara Widows Development Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Church of God, Arusha Branch |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| COG Arusha, administered by a group of local leaders and church elders, has been serving vulnerable children through community committees since Canadian missionaries founded the organization in 1974. Working in Ngarenaro, a high-density slum area on the outskirts of Arusha, COG Arusha offers counseling, educational support, health education, economic strengthening activities, and basic relief to vulnerable children and their guardians. The organization considers legal assistance and income-generating opportunities to be the most significant unmet needs of vulnerable families in Ngarenaro. With this grant, COG Arusha is expanding its legal advocacy and economic strengthening programs by offering 25 caregivers entrepreneurship training and training 15 local council members and judicial officials on children's and widow's rights. Firelight funding covers a package of services for 100 vulnerable youth, including educational support, medical care, and psychosocial counseling. Funds also partially cover volunteer stipends and salaries for COG Arusha's two staff members. Working in a high-density slum, COG Arusha offers counseling, educational support, health education, legal assistance, income-earning opportunities, and basic relief to vulnerable children and their guardians. |
Church of God, Arusha Branch |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Administered by a group of local leaders and church elders, Church of God (COG) Arusha serves vulnerable children through community committees in Ngarenaro, a high-density slum area on the outskirts of the city. COG Arusha offers counseling, educational support, health education, economic strengthening activities, and basic relief to vulnerable children and their guardians. |
Church of God, Arusha Branch |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Church of God, Arusha Branch |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,500 |
Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Founded by community members concerned about the effects of HIV/AIDS, widespread unemployment, and increasing numbers of school dropouts, Chentelelwe works in Mushili township, on the edges of Ndola. Their volunteer-driven programs include vocational training and livelihood support, food security, and psychosocial support. This grant enables Chentelelwe to purchase two sewing machines and a knitting machine to be used for vocational training and group income-generating activities. Additionally, 50 guardians are learning about small-business management and each is receiving $30 of seed capital. Chentelelwe is also teaching 30 caregivers and youth-peer educators in psychosocial support strategies. |
Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Founded by members of Mushili township who were concerned about increasing rates of HIV/AIDS, unemployment, and school drop outs, Chentelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme employs an innovative twin track approach to income-generating activities. The organization provides caregivers with loans, while also offering them temporary food support. Chentelelwe has found this approach helps caregivers grow their businesses quickly because they do not have to spend loan funds on their basic needs. Funds from this Firelight grant are supporting twin track costs for 50 caregivers, along with peer education activities and a supplemental feeding program at a local community school. |
Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $17,000 |
| When a community mobilization exercise identified HIV/AIDS as the greatest challenge facing the peri-urban township of Mushili, concerned citizens founded Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme (Chintelelwe). Over time, Chintelelwe has developed a comprehensive set of programs to strengthen families and serve children, including a community school and peer education programs. Chintelelwe's unique 'twin-track' loan approach, which gave families receiving business start-up funds a food parcel for three months to meet their basic needs while they build up their businesses, resulted in a better loan repayment rate. Firelight funds support a sustainable farming activity for 20 households and a feeding program for 378 students. Funds also support school fees for 40 youth, a business management refresher course for 50 loan recipients, as well as purchase of one knitting and two sewing machines. Chintelelwe's comprehensive programs to strengthen vulnerable families include a community school and school feeding program, peer education, and vocational and small-business training and loans. |
Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| Chintelelwe's comprehensive programs to strengthen vulnerable families include a community school and a school feeding program, peer education, and vocational and small-business training and loans. |
Chintelelwe Health Education and Livelihood Programme |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,200 |
| Lupwa Lwabumi (Families for Everyone) views family life as vital, not only in meeting the needs of orphans and vulnerable children, but in creating a better future for Zambia. It works to reunite children on the street or in institutional care with extended family members, tracing their relatives and then offering family counseling through the reunification process. Firelight funds support a needs assessment covering 10 communities designed to collect baseline data and inform reunification work plan development. Funds also enable Lupwa Lwabumi to host 20 community mobilization meetings and begin reuniting 70 children with extended family members. |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| LLT focuses on maintaining and restoring families, empowering communities, and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in ten villages in the Lusaka, Chirundu and Kapiri Mposhi districts. The organization utilizes a Family Circles approach whereby groups of families living in close proximity develop solutions to local problems. Children receive wide support from the circles as families become intimately bonded. Firelight funds support existing and new Family Circles and support individual families with counseling, life-skills training, and income-generating activities. The second year of funding will continue support for family circles through counseling and iongoing technical assistance for ncome generating activities. In addition, LLT will facilitate youth group discussions and pay school fees for 4 students. Funds will also cover staff training, salaries and other administrative costs. |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,880 |
| This discretionary grant funds an LLT representative to attend the August XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| LLT convenes and facilitates family circles, which help families and communities provide counseling, business skills training, and other support to each other. A new organization, LLT has expanded its reach with Firelight's support and now serves 110 households with 479 children. This grant covers the cost of a four-day facilitated planning retreat for LLT staff, board members, and other stakeholders. Funds also enable LLT to purchase its first computer. LLT convenes and facilitates family circles, which provide counseling to vulnerable families and communities; implement a village savings and loan program; and offer general support to one another. |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| LLT convenes and facilitates """"Family Circles"""", which provide counseling to vulnerable families and communities; implement a village savings and loan program; and offer general support to one another. LLT's """"Family Circles approach"""" enables groups of families living in close proximity to develop solutions to local problems. Children receive wide support from the circles as families become intimately bonded. |
Lupwa Lwabumi Trust |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Lulisandla Kumntwana |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Lulisandla Kumntwana (Reach Out to the Child) developed as the community outreach arm for the Mseleni Children's Home in KwaZulu Natal, serving the growing number of orphans who would benefit from foster care. Lulisandla Kumntwana identifies vulnerable children, acquires documentation for orphans, recruits and trains foster caregivers, and assists families in obtaining foster-care grants. With this grant Lulisandla Kumntwana is initiating recreational and psychosocial support activities for approximately 400 vulnerable youth, most of them in foster care. Additionally, the organization is training young people in life skills, children's rights, and coping with loss. |
Lulisandla Kumntwana |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Lulisandla Kumntwana ('Reach Out to the Child') works with community members to identify vulnerable children and assist foster families. The group's 48 Family Support Teams offer 1,500 orphans material, spiritual, and psychosocial support. Lulisandla is currently expanding its activities into two new regions: Manaba and Mlamula. Renewed Firelight support allows Lulisandla to introduce two new youth clubs, where participants are trained to improve their decision-making skills. Lulisandla is also holding a series of workshops to provide psychosocial support to as many as 1,000 orphans and is continuing two progressive agricultural projects. Additionally, funding covers some salary expenses. |
Lulisandla Kumntwana |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Lulisandla Kumntwana ('Reach Out to the Child') is the community outreach arm for the Mseleni Children's Home in KwaZulu Natal. The organization serves the growing number of orphans who can benefit from foster care by identifying vulnerable children; acquiring documentation for orphans; recruiting and training foster caregivers; and assisting families in obtaining foster-care grants. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| A young person, inspired by his experience at Masiye Camp to support children affected by HIV/AIDS, founded Esandleni Sothando in his home community. Esandleni Sothando mobilizes community members to respond to the needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS, trains them in basic physical and psychosocial care methods, and provides life skills and emotional support to vulnerable children. With Firelight funding the organization is convening a workshop on AIDS-related stigma and discrimination for 30 children and community leaders. Esandleni Sothando is extending educational assistance to more than 40 children and buying sports equipment for youth clubs involving 500 youth. Additionally, the group is working with communities to establish several communal granaries that will increase food security, especially benefiting the most vulnerable households. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Esandleni Sothando (Hands of Love) was founded by a young man inspired by his experience at Masiye Camp, a life-skills training camp in Bulawayo. Esandleni, the first organization of its kind in this region, works to mobilize community support in Mangwe District for the care of vulnerable children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS, specifically regarding basic care and emotional support. With Firelight funds Esandleni will conduct a life-skills camp for 40 orphaned and vulnerable youth ages 12 to 16 years. The organization's goal is to help participants form four peer support clubs after the camp is completed. Firelight funds also provide educational support for 90 children and four community-based food security projects. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $19,000 |
| Esandleni Sothando ('hands of love' in Ndebele) aims to 'empower and strengthen OVC with positive attitudes, stimulating experiences, fresh perspectives, and emotional competence.' To achieve this goal, Esandleni provides training in basic minimum standards of care for OVC and life skills and emotional support to vulnerable children and their caregivers in border towns in Mangwe District. With renewed support from Firelight, Esandleni planned two PSS camps for 200 youth, educational assistance for 155 girls and 45 boys and gardening inputs for 20 child-headed families. In response to the economic crisis in Zimbabwe, Firelight also awarded an administrative grant to support five staff salaries and encouraged Esandleni to identify additional funding sources. Esandleni Sothando mobilizes community support in the Mangwe District for vulnerable children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers by providing school fees, emotional support and counseling, life skills training, and food gardening supplies. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Esandleni Sothando (Hands of Love) was founded by a young man inspired by his experience at Masiye Camp, a life-skills training camp in Bulawayo. Esandleni, the first organization of its kind in this region, works to mobilize community support in Mangwe District for the care of vulnerable children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS, specifically regarding basic care and emotional support. This discretionary grant covers core organizational expenses for the next five months, enabling them to maintain key programs for children, salaries, and administrative costs until September 2007. Esandleni Sothando mobilizes community support in the Mangwe District for vulnerable children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers by providing school fees, emotional support and counseling, life skills training, and food gardening supplies. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Esandleni Sothando ('Hands of Love') mobilizes community support in border towns in the Mangwe District for vulnerable children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. Esandleni Sothando provides school fees, emotional support and counseling, life skills training, and food gardening supplies. |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Esandleni Sothando |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Lesotho Society of Mentally Handicapped Persons |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded by concerned parents, the LSMHP advocates for services for children with disabilities, provides parents with coping skills, and makes referrals to key service providers. With 14 branches in eight districts, LSMHP maintains a database of children in need and of local welfare agencies that can help. With increasing parental deaths due to AIDS, LSMHP is now working to locate and track beneficiaries. Firelight's grant enables trained volunteers to identify children with disabilities and to update the Society's database, which helps ensure children's protection and their access to services. Gathering more recent information also enhances the LSMHP's ability to trace children's relatives. |
Lesotho Society of Mentally Handicapped Persons |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Founded by concerned parents, Lesotho Society of Mentally Handicapped Persons (LSMHP) protects the rights of children and adults with disabilities, empowers parents with skills to understand and provide for their children, and advocates for inclusive services for disabled children. With Firelight's first grant LSMHP hired a researcher who trained parents to conduct focus groups and interviews with 416 families with disabled children in 12 of their 14 branches. The overall goal of the study was to enumerate children with disabilities and locate the children with whom LSMHP previously worked, but with whom they lost contact due to parental deaths, many from HIV/AIDS. Building on their research findings which showed that most youth with mental disabilities are economically dependent on their parents/guardians, LSMHP will focus regrant funds on empowering disabled youth towards skills in self sufficiency. LSMHP has selected six boys and four girls with learning disabilities to undergo intensive vocational and basic business management training, together with one parent/caregiver. The parent/guardian will serve as a mentor until the youth can take primary responsibility for the IGA. The IGAs include a piggery, sewing, shoe repair and a food stall at a school and bus stop. LSMHP advocates for and protects the rights of children and adults with disabilities by working with parents to help them understand their disabled children's needs and better provide for them, and by training children to become self-sufficient through income-generating activities. |
Lesotho Society of Mentally Handicapped Persons |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Community Development and Peace Promotion Movement |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CDPPM works within Mafeteng community operating 11 home based care and child welfare centers staffed by trained volunteers, who aim to support and recognize children as 'subjects with rights,' rather than 'objects with needs.' CDPPM's activities seek to unite community members by counseling and empowering vulnerable children and their guardians. This grant supports CDPPM to provide school fees and uniforms for 27 youth in secondary schools in remote rural areas. |
Touch Roots Africa (Metsong Africa) |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $60,000 |
| Touch Roots Africa (TRA) was formed by a group of former Save the Children U.K. staff in 2004 with a vision of strengthening care and support for orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho. With this two-year grant from Firelight, TRA is training approximately 80 Lesotho CBOs who are members of the NGO Coalition on the Rights of the Child (NGOC), an umbrella organization for child rights. The first year of trainings covered child protection, psychosocial support, and organizational development. The second year of trainings are covering organizational development, advocacy, a half-yearly meeting for CBOs, and mentoring and technical support for individual organizations. TRA supports orphans and vulnerable children by training community-based organizations in child rights, protection, and counseling, and providing them with organizational development, advocacy, and technical assistance. |
Touch Roots Africa (Metsong Africa) |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| TRA supports care for orphans and vulnerable children by training community-based organizations in children's rights, protection, and counseling, and providing them with organizational development, advocacy, and technical assistance. |
Touch Roots Africa (Metsong Africa) |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,900 |
| TRA supports care for orphans and vulnerable children by training community-based organizations in children's rights, protection, and counseling, and providing them with organizational development, advocacy, and technical assistance. |
Touch Roots Africa (Metsong Africa) |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $107,000 |
Anti Drug Abuse Association of Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Youth workers started the Anti Drug Abuse Association of Lesotho (ADAAL) to respond to the escalating abuse of alcohol and other drugs by their peers. Now active in 23 high schools in Mafeteng, Mohale's Hoek, and Quthing, the program's aim is to create 'an enabling environment for a drug free school.' To date they have trained 19 focal teachers and 55 peer educators who counsel students and provide HIV-prevention education through drama, song, poetry, and debates. With Firelight funds, ADAAL is hiring a professional HIV/AIDS counselor to provide pre- and post-test counseling and counseling on sexual abuse, staying in school, self-esteem, behavior change, and financial empowerment. ADAAL is reaching 5,803 students through motivational talks on Knowing Your Status and is developing behavior change materials for distribution in all 19 schools. Lastly, they are holding a workshop on HIV/AIDS and drug abuse for 44 students and 21 teachers. Altogether, ADAAL reaches 6,075 youth directly, many of them single or double orphans. Indirectly, another 400 parents and teachers benefit from the activities. Operating in 19 secondary schools, ADAAL works to reduce teen alcohol and drug abuse and HIV transmission through teacher and student counseling on sexual abuse, staying in school, self-esteem, behavior change, and financial empowerment. |
Anti Drug Abuse Association of Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Operating in 19 secondary schools, ADAAL works to reduce teen alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV transmission through teacher and student counseling on coping with sexual abuse, staying in school, building self-esteem, behavior change, and financial empowerment. |
Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| Initiated to mitigate the impact of child abandonment, Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre operates a preschool, along with an after-school recreational facility and tutoring center. Ha Mantilatilane also organizes and trains village development groups to support youth and adult income generation through fruit and vegetable cultivation. Funding from Firelight supports Ha Mantilatilane to extend its vegetable garden and peach tree cultivation activities, benefiting 80 vulnerable youth and caregivers and the children in their care. Fruit and produce is consumed and sold, improving household food security and assisting caregivers in meeting the costs of education and other household expenses. |
Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre was formed to fill the 'need for a safer place during parents absence.' They focus on preschool education and serve as an after-school recreational and homework center for children. In addition, they teach and promote organic gardening. With Firelight's first grant, five secondary school students were assisted with school, book, and examination fees. Ha Mantilatilane led vegetable gardening and peach drying workshops for 45 children, 9 youth, and 10 adults. With their regrant Ha Mantilatilane is raising maize, sorghum, beans, and potatoes for and with the families they serve. To help with the vegetable gardens, they are initiating an organic manure project. Using the peach stones saved from last year's activities, Ha Mantilatilane is training 40 children in the production and care of fruit trees 'so that each family will have peaches.' They are also beginning two small ESAs, making vaseline and dishwashing liquid. Funds also pay school, book, and examination fees for four secondary school students, the preschool teacher's stipend, and administrative costs. Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre provides preschool education and school fees to children in need; an after-school recreational and homework center for children; and training in nutrition, food production, and income generation. |
Ha Mantilatilane Child Rescue Centre |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Hlalefang Makaota - Tebang |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
| Started by community members concerned about the lack of hospital care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, Hlalefang Makaota-Tebang now consists of 10 support groups in the villages of Tebang in rural Mafeteng district. The group aims to 'provide protection and care of [orphans and vulnerable children], and ensure their welfare; and to provide support and care for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.' A grant from Firelight provides educational support to 20 primary and 10 secondary school students. Funds also pay for tailoring materials for an income-generating project benefiting children and their families. |
Hlalefang Makaota - Tebang |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Hlalefang Makaota - Tebang consists of 10 support groups in the villages of Tebang in rural Mafeteng district, aiming 'to provide protection, care of OVC, and ensure their welfare, and to provide support and care for PLWA and the affected families.' The group also holds public meetings to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS and to give instructions on establishing new support groups. Hlalefang works so that OVC 'have the same life as if their parent was there.' With their first grant from Firelight, Hlalefang provided school fees, books, uniforms and shoes to 10 high school students, and uniforms to 30 primary school students. Hlalefang also started a successful chicken broiler economic strengthening activity. With the current Firelight grant, Hlalefang is providing school fees, uniforms, books, and transportation to 10 high school students, and uniforms and shoes to 10 primary school students. Hlalefang Makaota'Tebang operates support groups in rural areas for vulnerable children and their families; holds public HIV/AIDS awareness-raising meetings; and provides school fees, books, and uniforms for children in need. |
Hlalefang Makaota - Tebang |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Hlalefang Makaota'Tebang is made up of 10 rural support groups serving vulnerable children and their families. They hold public HIV/AIDS awareness-raising meetings; provide school fees, books, and uniforms for children in need; and support income-generating activities. |
Nazareth Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| Nazareth Support Group, a community-based organization, provides a holistic set of services to families and their children. Funding from Firelight provides educational assistance for 10 primary school and seven secondary school students. A portion of the grant supports a livestock project, proceeds from which will support Nazareth's efforts to educate community members about children's rights, HIV/AIDS, and child-abuse prevention. Funding also enables Nazareth to complete governmental nonprofit registration requirements. |
Nazareth Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Nazareth Support Group provides counseling and home-based care for families affected by HIV/AIDS. As parents in the community were dying, the group recognized the importance of protecting and caring for the orphans left behind. With previous Firelight funding, Nazareth Support Group paid school fees for these children, provided them with food support, and successfully initiated a small business selling chickens to financially bolster the organization. With this renewal grant, Nazareth Support Group continues to provide school fees, uniforms, and books for 20 students. A portion of this grant covers administrative costs. |
Nazareth Support Group |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,500 |
| Nazareth Support Group provides home-based care, counseling, and material support for families affected by HIV/AIDS. They also provide education support for vulnerable children and raise awareness about children's rights in their community. |
NGO Coalition on the Rights of a Child |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| NGO Coalition on the Rights of a Child (NGOC) was formed in 1998 by Save the Children UK as a result of political upheaval in Lesotho. They wanted to establish a way for child service organizations to 'advocate for children's rights with one voice while sharing information, expertise'and skills related to the protection and welfare of the child in Lesotho.' NGOC became independent in 2004 and now has 40 member organizations in Maseru, Berea, Mafeteng, Leribe, and Qacha's Nek. Through their child auxiliary board, NGOC wants to empower children to be active members of NGOC, to handle their issues effectively, and to have confidence to address children's issues. With Firelight funds they are holding two intensive three-day workshops for 30 children on leadership and psychosocial support. Afterwards the children will train other children at NGOC member organizations. In addition, a portion of the grant will be used to renovate the children's meeting room, 'to support their work in a manner that they will be effective.' Part of the grant supports staff salaries, transport, and communication. Through their 40 member organizations, NGOC advocates for children's rights and shares information, expertise, and skills related to child welfare. They also provide children with leadership training, counseling, and emotional support. |
Network of Organizations Working with Vulnerable and Orphaned Children |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| A national umbrella organization of grassroots groups serving vulnerable children, NOVOC functions as a resource and training hub. It aims to equip members with the skills, tools, and information necessary to meet the needs of vulnerable children and their caregivers. Firelight funds cover the cost of a short-term consultant who is working with NOVOC's board to register, develop, and staff the organization. The consultant maintains core operations while several donors consider NOVOC's funding proposals for the salary of a national coordinator and other programs. |
Network of Organizations Working with Vulnerable and Orphaned Children |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| As an emerging national umbrella organization, NOVOC supports organizations throughout Malawi that are working with children. As NOVOC pursues funding from other donors for long-term organizational sustainability, Firelight funds are supporting NOVOC's most immediate needs, including four months of operational costs and the organization of an annual general meeting, which will include participants from the group's grassroots members and donor community. This meeting will strengthen support for orphans and vulnerable children across the country. |
Titukuke Rural Community Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Titukuke Rural Community Development Association (TRCDA) works to ensure that vulnerable children and their communities have access to education services and health information. In five years of operation, TRCDA has established 20 community schools serving 500 children. TRCDA also serves as the umbrella body for dozens of women's and youth clubs. Last year, TRCDA trained 60 caregivers in home-based care, and the organization's services now reach 50 villages in Petauke District. Firelight funds cover educational and recreational materials for the 500 children attending Titukuke's schools. TRCDA is also training an additional 200 caregivers in HIV/AIDS and home-based care. In addition, Titukuke is initiating a small income-generating program (20 pigs, 200 chickens) by purchasing feeders, supplies, and young animals. Caregivers of children at the community schools operate the income-generating activities, and a portion of profits benefit the schools. Funds also cover some administrative costs, including rent and partial salaries for five staff members. TRCDA supports 20 community schools; serves women's groups and youth clubs in 50 rural villages; and trains caregivers in home-based care and income-generating activities. |
Titukuke Rural Community Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Titukuke Rural Community Development Association (TRCDA) works to ensure that vulnerable children and their communities have access to education services and health information. Over seven years of operation, TRCDA has established 20 community schools serving 500 children. TRCDA also serves as the umbrella body for dozens of women's and youth clubs. |
Titukuke Rural Community Development Association |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
AIDS Care Counselling Campaign Project |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Located in the southernmost district of Malawi, AIDS Care Counseling Campaign Project engages the community to provide integrated HIV prevention, home-based care and community-based childcare centers (CBCCs) in 35 villages with 39,400 registered orphans. To provide food for children, they have also built a maize mill and run a community garden and goat rearing project. This grant from Firelight will fund food and supplies for three CBCCs who serve 192 children, as well as mosquito nets for these children to prevent malaria. n 35 villages, ACCOCAP operates home-based care and community-based childcare centers. They also provide food for children by running a maize mill, community garden, and goat-rearing project. |
AIDS Care Counselling Campaign Project |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| In 35 villages on the Mozambican border, ACCOCAP operates home-based care and community-based childcare centers. They also provide food for children by running a maize mill, community garden, and goat-rearing project. |
AIDS Care Counselling Campaign Project |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Teresa Group |
| Country: Canada |
Year Awarded: FY2005 |
Amount Awarded: $20,000 |
| The Teresa Group assists children and families affected by HIV/AIDS with practical resources and emotional support delivered by trained volunteers. This grant supports the Teresa Group to hire a coordinator for the Coalition for Children Affected By AIDS (CCABA) and to organize 'Envisioning the Future,' a satellite symposium preceding the XVI International AIDS conference. CCABA is a group of foundations and regrantors working to increase the visibility of children at the International AIDS Conference, and at other venues. The symposium provides an international forum for discussion of best practices and emerging issues relating to children affected by HIV/AIDS. Funds cover consultancy and planning costs, advocacy activities, scholarships for, and documentation of the proceedings. |
The Teresa Group |
| Country: Canada |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| Through a variety of programs, The Teresa Group assists children and families affected by HIV/AIDS, with a goal of reducing isolation and stigma. The group has reached beyond its Canadian borders to increase international awareness around the issues facing HIV-positive children and their families. A previous Firelight grant supported The Teresa Group in its efforts to increase the visibility of children at the 2006 International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Toronto by hiring a coordinator for Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS' (CCABA) activities and supporting a two-day pre-conference symposium on children affected by AIDS in Toronto. This Firelight grant contributes to the salary of the organizer for CCABA activities at the 2008 IAC in Mexico City. |
The Teresa Group |
| Country: Canada |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Through a variety of programs, The Teresa Group assists children and families affected by HIV/AIDS, with the goal of reducing isolation and stigma. The group has reached beyond its borders to increase international awareness of the issues facing HIV-positive children and their families. |
The Teresa Group |
| Country: Canada |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
The Teresa Group |
| Country: Canada |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Zambian Association of Child Care Workers |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $2,000 |
| The Zambian Association of Child Care Workers (ZACCW) focuses on building the capacities of individual practitioners in child and youth services in Zambia. The Association was founded in 2004, inspired by the minimum standards of care recommended by the Zambian government through the Child Care Upgrading Program. ZACCW's programmatic approach is based on four strategies: awareness-raising, capacity building, advocacy, and monitoring, evaluation, and research. |
Imvani Women's Support Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Imvani Women's Support Group was founded by an HIV-positive primary school teacher to improve living standards for orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS in Mchinji District. Imvani (To Listen and Take Action) has 145 women and girl members. The adults provide home-based care to households affected by HIV/AIDS. The group's activities include offering psychosocial support and training in income-generating activities. Firelight funds to Imvani are supporting schooling for 15 orphans and training for 40 volunteers in child counseling. Imvani is also developing a pig farm as a small-scale business for caregivers. |
Imvani Women's Support Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Imvani Women's Support Group was founded by a former primary school teacher living with HIV who had lost nine siblings to AIDS. Imvani, meaning 'to listen and take action' aims to 'promote care, support, and quality living standards to OVC and PLWHA.' Imvani's activities include orphan care, HBC, child and women's rights awareness meetings, water and sanitation, and IGAs. With their first grant from Firelight, Imvani achieved great success with an pig-rearing IGA. With strong support from the community, Imvani uses this, their second grant from Firelight, to expand their programs to 15 more villages, and diversify their income-generating projects into goat-rearing. Programs funded by this grant also include school fees and materials and administrative costs. Imvani supports families affected by HIV/AIDS by establishing childcare centers and agricultural income- producing projects. They also fund school fees and educational supplies for children in need. |
Imvani Women's Support Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Imvani Women's Support Group was founded by a former primary school teacher living with HIV/AIDS who had lost nine siblings to AIDS. Imvani, meaning 'to listen and take action', aims to 'promote care, support, and quality living standards to orphans and vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS'. Imvani's activities include orphan care, home-based care, child and women's rights awareness, water and sanitation, and income-generating programs. |
Imvani Women's Support Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Young Women's Christian Association - Western Region, Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The YWCA was introduced in Zambia in 1957. In 1991 the organization began programming in women's and children's rights and youth and reproductive health in Zambia's western region. The YWCA operates an HIV/AIDS resource center and six youth-friendly centers in Mongu District to provide vocational skills training, counseling, and educational support to area orphans and vulnerable children. Firelight funds are supporting entrepreneurship training and income-generating grants for 20 households. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Western Region, Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Introduced in Zambia in 1957, the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) began operations in Western Province in 1991. The chapter strives to build a 'community where men and women are partners in decision making, where families are able to generate sufficient income for their households and make use of available resources, and to realize a society free of all forms of gender discrimination.' Firelight funding enabled YWCA to offer a 5-day entrepreneurship training to 30 caregivers. Funds also covered monthly follow-up visits to beneficiaries as well as HIV/AIDS education for their households. With renewed Firelight funding, YWCA is providing entrepreneurship training to two members each from 20 additional households, which are headed by youth or women. These 20 new beneficiary households and 10 of the caregivers previously trained will receive business startup grants of US$250 as well as ongoing follow-up and support in the small businesses of the beneficiaries' choice. YWCA-Western Region works to combat gender discrimination and provides entrepreneurship training and business start-up funds to caregivers. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Western Region, Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| YWCA-Western Region works to combat gender discrimination and provides entrepreneurship training and business start-up funds to caregivers. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Western Region, Zambia |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Community Youth Mobilisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Started in 2005 by a group of young people who originally met at a regional workshop, CYM educates youth to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. CYM supports the formation of resource centers in the rural district of Kabwe that provide youth with information, basic counseling, and a referral system for health services. Firelight funding is enabling CYM to establish five more rural youth resource centers, to train volunteers, and to support community awareness-raising activities. |
Community Youth Mobilisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Started by a group of young people who felt that HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs often ignored rural youth, Community Youth Mobilisation (CYM) works to empower youth with skills to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The group undertakes a variety of health education and care activities, including establishing resource centers in rural areas of Kabwe District. The centers offer counseling, recreation opportunities for youth, a health referral system, and a gathering place for community events. Firelight's first grant to CYM helped establish five youth centers and trained 26 new community volunteers who reached almost 3,000 people with needed HIV/AIDS and sexual health information, an issue disproportionately affecting adolescent girls. With this regrant, CYM trains 30 new community volunteers who will conduct homes visits and health education. Funding will also assist in setting up two more resource centers. It will support part of the cost of 15 health education trips for 200 children and other community awareness-raising events. Firelight funds will cover some administrative costs, including utilities, office supplies, and translation of materials. CYM sets up resource centers in rural communities to educate youth in HIV prevention and provides counseling, recreation, a health referral system, and a gathering place for community events. |
Community Youth Mobilisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| CYM sets up resource centers in rural communities to educate youth in HIV prevention and provides counseling, recreation, a health referral system, and a gathering place for community events. |
Community Youth Mobilisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,700 |
| CYM sets up resource centers in rural communities to educate youth in HIV prevention and provides counseling, recreation, a health referral system, and a gathering place for community events. |
Community Youth Mobilisation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Media Network on Child Rights and Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| The Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children is a membership organization comprised of newspaper, radio, and television journalists in Zambia's nine provinces. As the only media group in the Southern African region specifically focused on issues concerning children, members provide training programs on children's rights and the ethics of reporting on children. The Media Network also runs community radio programs and publishes an eight-page quarterly newspaper, The Zambian Child. Firelight funds support a media campaign focused on psychosocial support for children affected by HIV/AIDS, which includes a national media workshop for 20 journalists. |
The Media Network on Child Rights and Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Media Network on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (Media OVC), a membership organization comprised of 80 newspaper, radio, and television journalists, strives to raise public awareness on issues that affect children and to uphold children's rights. The Media Network on OVC carries out this mission by training journalists on children's rights, issues affecting children, and ethics of reporting on children. Media OVC used previous Firelight funds to support a media training workshop to educate and advocate for good practices on psychosocial support (PSS) for children, a subject new to most of Zambia's population. A total of 22 journalists participated. Current Firelight funding supports a workshop on researching, investigating and categorizing services for OVC. Funds also support compilation of a report on community understanding of government policies on children and the impact of those policies, with special attention to the voices of women and children. Funds will also support airtime and production of radio sensitization programs., as well as staff salaries. A membership organization comprised of 80 newspaper, radio, and television journalists, Media OVC works to increase public understanding of children's rights and responses to threats to their well-being. |
The Media Network on Child Rights and Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A membership organization comprised of 80 newspaper, radio, and television journalists, Media OVC works to increase public understanding of children's rights and responses to threats to their well-being.The organization trains journalists on issues affecting children and the ethics of reporting on children. |
The Media Network on Child Rights and Development |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Livingstone Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| LACP began in response to the impact of HIV/AIDS on Livingstone's Ngwenya area. In its 10 years of operation, LACP has provided education, food, and health support to 400 orphans and vulnerable children and has reached 2,500 young people through peer education. Firelight funding supports the improvement of a recreation center, which will serve 200 children ages three to 15 years when it is completed. These children were rescued from the streets or child labor conditions. LACP is also using Firelight funds to counsel infected and affected children and their caregivers. |
Livingstone Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Livingstone Anglican Children's Project (LACP) works to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS and to assist child laborers and street children to rejoin school or vocational training programs. LACP provides education, food, and health support to 400 orphans and vulnerable children. LACP reaches 2,500 young people through a peer education program. Previous grant funds supported renovation of a recreational center for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Additionally, LACP trained 30 volunteers in child care and counseling strategies that use sports, counseling, and life skills education to build self-esteem. Continued Firelight funding supports LACP's programs using sports and the arts. LACP is using funds to replace used or broken equipment, cover administrative costs, and to support monitoring and evaluation activities. LACP works with child laborers and street children to convince them to return to school or vocational training programs by providing food, peer education programs, health care, and counseling through sports and recreation. |
Livingstone Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| LACP works with child laborers and street children to assist them to return to school or vocational training programs by providing food, peer education programs, health care, and counseling. LACP continuously reaches a wide range of vulnerable children in the area by running a psychosocial support program that incorporates counseling, sports, and other recreational activities. |
Livingstone Anglican Children's Project |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Association Inkoramutima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,300 |
| Association Inkoramutima started as 'refuge,' or safe haven, for vulnerable children in Ruhengeri Province. Two hundred eleven at risk children and youth form Inkoramutima's membership. These young people have been trained to use artistic expression to 'combat HIV/AIDS and the social ills that propagate it.' Firelight funding covers the cost of audiovisual production equipment, a sound system, electric generator, and club uniforms for Inkoramutima's awareness-raising programs. Inkoramutima members' performances help mobilize community resources hat pay their educational expenses while also inspiring positive behavior change in other young people and adults. Inkoramutima's more than 200 at-risk children and youth use artistic performances to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, inspire behavior change, and raise funds to support their school expenses. |
Association Inkoramutima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Association Inkoramutima started as a safe haven for vulnerable children in Ruhengeri Province and now more than 200 at-risk children and youth form the organization's membership. Inkoramutima uses art and theater to promote HIV/AIDS prevention, inspire behavior change, and raise funds to support their school expenses. Their efforts include conducting awareness-raising campaigns, broadcasting a national weekly radio show, and publishing a quarterly journal for youth. |
Association Inkoramutima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
CARE USA/Better Care Network |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| The Better Care Network brings together organizations and individuals concerned about children without adequate family care. The network includes UNICEF, the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF), the Africa Bureau for Sustainable Development of USAID, Save the Children UK, CARE, the Hope for African Children Initiative, and Firelight Foundation, among others. BCN facilitates information exchange and collaboration on these issues and advocates for sound policy and programmatic action on global, regional, and national levels. |
Action Hope Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Founded by a group of youth in the rural Zomba District, AHOSO has established HIV/AIDS committees in 55 villages to meet the nutritional, educational, and psychosocial needs of orphans and vulnerable children. This Firelight grant allows AHOSO to launch a livestock income-generating activity to benefit 50 youth and to hold a series of vocational skills trainings in tailoring, carpentry, and tinsmithing for an additional 50 youth. Funds also purchase a computer. |
Action Hope Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Founded by youth in rural Zomba, Action Hope Support Organization (AHOSO) serves more than 1,200 children in 55 villages through youth clubs and Village AIDS Committees (VAC) to provide educational, nutritional, and psychosocial support to AIDS-affected families. With their previous grant from Firelight, AHOSO trained 55 community members in leadership and project management, started a poultry income-generating project and trained 62 students in tailoring, carpentry, and tin-smithing. This renewal grant supports the start-up of a paraffin pump income-generating project, food for 50 child-headed households, training of committee coordinators, and administration costs, including monitoring and evaluation, and a portion of ten salaries. Operating in rural Zomba, AHOSO serves more than 1,200 children in 55 villages through youth clubs and Village AIDS Committees to provide educational, nutritional, income-generating, and counseling programs to AIDS-affected families. |
Action Hope Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $2,200 |
| Founded by youth in rural Zomba, Action Hope Support Organization (AHOSO) serves more than 1200 children in 55 villages through youth clubs and Village AIDS Committees (VAC) to provide education, nutritional, and psychosocial support to AIDS-affected families. This discretionary grant helps to build AHOSO's capacity in a number of ways. Because practical experience is often more effective than training, AHOSO will bring 3 village heads, 2 board members, 5 volunteers, and 10 staff on a 3-day exchange visit to Namwera AIDS Coordinating Commitee (NACC), a long-time Firelight grantee partner with outstanding accomplishments in community mobilization, economic strengthening activities (ESAs), and organizational management and sustainability. During the exchange visit, the organizations will focus on orphans and vulnerable children, home based care, ESA programs, and organizational operations. Funds cover transport, lodging and food. In addition, Firelight funds will purchase a second-hand computer, office desk and chair, and food for 'Youth Week' activities. Operating in rural Zomba, AHOSO serves more than 1,200 children in 55 villages through youth clubs and Village AIDS Committees to provide educational, nutritional, income-generating, and counseling programs to AIDS-affected families. |
Action Hope Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $11,800 |
| Founded by youth in rural Zomba, AHOSO serves more than 1,200 children in 55 villages through youth clubs and Village AIDS Committees, providing educational, nutritional, income-generating, and counseling programs to AIDS-affected families. |
Action Hope Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Mponela AIDS Information and Counseling Centre |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| MAICC is a large umbrella organization working with the Mbalame Community Initiative Group (MCIC) ' a youth group aimed at addressing the needs of children with no access to school. With support from Firelight, MAICC is constructing a building for MCIC's childcare center, installing toilets and a borehole, and offering borehole maintenance training to more than 30 members of MCIC's volunteer staff. These activities will allow 60 caregivers to invest more time in their income-generating activities because MCIC will have the capacity to provide year-round daycare for 60 children. |
Christian Initiative of Education for Sustainable Peace and Development |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| CIESPD offers psychosocial support, educational opportunities, and training in income-generating activities to vulnerable youth. Firelight funding is enabling CIESPD to train 10 caregivers on issues of child development, children's rights, and abuse prevention. |
Christian Initiative of Education for Sustainable Peace and Development |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Founded by a lawyer deeply commited to children, Chrisitian Initiative of Education for Sustainable Peace and Development (CIESPD) regards education and 'psychosocial accompaniment' of vulnerable children as fundamental to sustainable peace and development. CIESPD works in urban Kigali to build community capacity to protect children's rights and address their psychosocial needs. With its first Firelight grant, CIESPD held 'sensitization' sessions drawing 500 community members from Kucikiro, Kigali. Sessions promoted understanding of children's rights, developmental needs, and strategies to support their psychosocial health. CIESPD trained 10 caregivers from church-based support programs as child counselors. The 10 child counselors visit approximately 240 children of PLWAs weekly. CIESPD offered education-plus assistance to 29 youth school drop-outs. CIESPD protects vulnerable children by training counselors and educating community members on children's rights, healthy development, and emotional needs. |
Christian Initiative of Education for Sustainable Peace and Development |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded by a lawyer deeply commited to children, CIESPD protects vulnerable children by training counselors and educating community members on children's needs and rights, as well as HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. CIESPD supports education costs for vulnerable children and operates an evening school offering a secondary-level remedial program for vulnerable youth. The organization's volunteers conduct counseling and home visits and provide training for youth on income-generating activities. |
Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare |
| Country: Uganda |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A national organization, UCOBAC works to protect children's rights and to build the capacity of caretakers and other organizations serving the needs of vulnerable children. With this round of Firelight funding, UCOBAC is offering apprenticeship training, loans, and psychosocial support to 20 youth in a rural area in northeast Uganda. This grant also funds UCOBAC's HIV/AIDS awareness-raising activities. |
Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Ekupholeni responds to mental health issues specifically within the context of poverty, HIV/AIDS, and political violence. Firelight funding enables Ekupholeni to develop a new initiative within their HIV/AIDS program offering 30 HIV-positive children and their caregivers the opportunity to participate in biweekly group counseling sessions with volunteer community workers. Funds also support Ekupholeni's ongoing HIV/AIDS activities, including counseling for 50 recently bereaved children and follow-up visits to 50 members of Ekupholeni's Young Caretaker Group, which serves child heads-of-households. |
Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre addresses mental health in the context of poverty, HIV/AIDS, and violence in the informal settlements of Johannesburg. 'The region suffered tremendous political violence, during which thousands were injured or displaced. HIV/AIDS is decimating families already carrying heavy psychological burdens associated with years of violent conflict.' In response, Ekupholeni offers psychosocial support to survivors of physical and sexual abuse, at-risk youth, and children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. With their first grant, Ekupholeni counseled 180 orphaned children suffering from bereavement and assisted 27 HIV-positive children and 25 child heads-of-households. Renewed Firelight funds supported individual counseling for 100 children in the community, many of whom have lost a parent. Funding also supported a young caretaker group, indirectly reaching 60 younger siblings. Ekupholeni offers counseling and emotional support to survivors of physical and sexual abuse, youth at risk for criminal activity, grieving orphans, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre addresses mental health in the context of poverty, HIV/AIDS, and violence in the informal settlements of Johannesburg. Ekupholeni offers counseling and emotional support to survivors of physical and sexual abuse, youth at risk for criminal activity, grieving orphans, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Ekupholeni Mental Health Centre |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Howick Hospice |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Over the past 10 years, Howick Hospice has engaged in rural outreach and home-based care for area residents. In addition to the hospice facility in town, Howick now operates activities throughout the region and serves more than 650 caregivers and children who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. With this Firelight grant, Howick hired a part-time registered nurse and a full-time community worker to be part of its children's program. Their hiring allows Howick to expand its activities, including home visits to children of infected parents, home-based care for 61 HIV-positive children, and community outreach. |
Sesithule Vamanani Caring Association |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Local women started SEVACA to help people in the Chikombedzi and Sengwe areas fight HIV/AIDS. These areas, along Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique and South Africa, are populated by the Shangaan people, whose ethnic minority status frequently results in social marginalization. Through a network of community caregivers, SEVACA shares information about HIV/AIDS, provides home-based care and counseling for people who are infected, and provides basic aid for orphans and vulnerable children. Firelight funds support a holistic package of interventions for the most vulnerable children, including basic nutritional support for 300 children, home maintenance for 10 child-headed households, training for 5 youth in income-generating activities, and a psychosocial support camp for 20 children. |
Sesithule Vamanani Caring Association |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $17,000 |
| SEVACA was formed by local women to support the Shangaan people, an ethnic minority, with information about HIV/AIDS, home-based care, counseling and basic aid for orphans and vulnerable children. SEVACA's activities align with their vision of 'upgrading the lifestyle of orphans and empowering them with survival skills.' The group offers holistic support to over 250 OVC (including nutrition, school fees, home visits and counseling), provides vocational training, supports home maintenance for child-headed households, and hosts a psychosocial support camp. SEVACA also supports OVC with home repairs and trains 'young caregivers' (OVC aged between 13 and 16) in home-based care, HIV prevention and child rights. Founded to aid the minority Shangaan people, SEVACA offers home-based HIV/AIDS care, counseling, and health education. The group also provides orphans and vulnerable children with food, school fees, counseling, and vocational training. |
Sesithule Vamanani Caring Association |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $18,000 |
| SEVACA was formed by local women to support the Shangaan people, an ethnic minority, with information about HIV/AIDS, home-based care, counseling and basic aid for orphans and vulnerable children. The group offers holistic support to more than 250 orphans and vulnerable children with counseling, home visits, school fees or vocational training, nutrition, and home maintenance for child-headed households. |
Family-in-Need Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A young man motivated by his childhood as an orphan formed FIN in 2003. Operating in Chimanimani and Mutare districts, FIN engages youth in income-generating activities, including selling firewood, arts and crafts. Along with these activities, the organization provides the youth with school fees and uniforms. FIN also runs youth clubs and provides food packs, clothes, and medication to child-headed households. Firelight funds are supporting FIN as it provides school fees for 25 children and conducts training workshops in psychosocial support for 100 volunteers and leadership skills for 10 volunteers. Funds also support local income-generating activities and seed distribution to 60 families. |
Family-in-Need Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $14,600 |
| Operating in Chimanimani and Mutare districts, Family-in-Need Trust supports vulnerable children through 'community-driven livelihood initiatives'. Through Firelight funds, FIN supported 4 community gardens and 10 group enterprises that channeled profits back to FIN to support children with school fees, food and other material needs. Also, with their previous grant, FIN trained 600 adults and 230 youth in psychosocial support and 41 OVC in community theater. FIN's current grant from Firelight supports the continuation and increased reach of these successful programs with additional trainings, events, and assistance for group income generating activities. They also plan to train volunteers in agricultural techniques, assist 30 children with school fees, and support salaries and monitoring & evaluation. Family-in-Need Trust supports vulnerable children through community food gardens, small community-run businesses to help them earn funds for school fees, and counseling. |
Family-in-Need Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Family-in-Need Trust supports vulnerable children through counseling, community food gardens, and small community-run businesses that earn funds for school fees. |
Family-in-Need Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Disabled, Aged, Orphans AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Established by six people living with HIV, DAO AIDS Support Group now boasts 110 volunteer members. DAO's goal is to ensure that people affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS learn to address and overcome stigma and discrimination. With this Firelight grant, DAO is enhancing food security for orphans and vulnerable children, and people living with HIV/AIDS. With the purchase of 11 treadle pumps and fertilizer, DAO is increasing the number of community gardens from one to eight, providing food for all 1,530 registered orphans and vulnerable children as well as home-based care patients in the area. DAO is also leading behavior change counseling training for 20 volunteers, and life-skills training for 60 youth volunteers. |
Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Working in urban Ilemela and Nyamagana Districts, Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development (BAGODE) began as an effort of concerned citizens to ensure education for abandoned children, children with disabilities, and orphans too poor to afford school expenses. In time BAGODE's efforts grew to include advocacy on behalf of orphan fostering, adoption, and unrestricted educational access. Programs also include rehabilitation of children engaged in commercial sex and reproductive health education for youth. Consistent with its commitment to education, BAGODE is using grant funds to assist 10 vulnerable children with uniforms, books, supplies, transportation, and food. The group is also teaching 20 out-of-school youth life skills aimed at improving their livelihoods. The workshops also address sexual reproductive health education and strategies for HIV, and alcohol/drug abuse prevention. Additionally, BAGODE is convening two meetings with local authorities to advocate for free education and health care for OVC. Finally, a portion of funds covers administrative costs. BAGODE advocates for free education and health care for orphans and vulnerable children; promotes foster care and adoption; and teaches life skills to out-of-school youth. |
Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Working in urban Ilemela and Nyamagana Districts, Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development (BAGODE) began as an effort of concerned citizens to ensure education for abandoned children, children with disabilities, and orphans too poor to afford school expenses. In time, BAGODE's efforts grew to include advocacy on behalf of orphan fostering, adoption, and unrestricted educational access. Programs also include the rehabilitation of children engaged in commercial sex and reproductive health education for youth. |
Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Baraka Good Hope Orphan's Development |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Thabiso |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $9,100 |
| Thabiso offers counseling, training, and HIV/AIDS care services to affected or abused women and children. The group also provides technical assistance to 13 community-based organizations undertaking similar work in the Northern Cape. Firelight funding supports Thabiso's drop-in center, which provides services to women and children displaced from their homes by their deceased husbands' relatives, who have taken their homes. Thabiso offers temporary shelter, food, and psychosocial support to 100 women and children per month through this program. Firelight funding also supports some of the costs of Thabiso's communal vegetable garden, which serves 185 people living with HIV/AIDS and more than 85 vulnerable children in the surrounding community. |
Thabiso |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Thabiso ('happiness') offers a broad range of counseling, training, and HIV/AIDS care services, both at their drop-in center and on an outreach basis. With Firelight funding, Thabiso fed approximately 86 children one meal every day through their year-round feeding program. In addition, Thabiso gave fresh fruit and vegetables twice a month to 115 people, 25 of whom were HIV+ children. Thabiso also increased the number of vegetable gardens maintained by their clients from 20 to 40, providing an estimated 240 people with fresh vegetables and a source of income. With this regrant, Thabiso is expanding the feeding program to reach 100 children daily. Firelight funds cover food and 'top-ups' to the four cooks' volunteer stipends. Funding will also go towards salaries for the afterschool tutor and games assistant, and purchase game and sports equipment. In addition, Thabiso is using funds for clothes and stationary for children they are assisting to return to school. Lastly, funds pay the stipend for the garden project trainer to increase the number of vegetable gardens to 100, reaching an estimated 600 people with improved nutrition and income. Operating a drop-in center and an outreach program, Thabiso provides counseling, training, and HIV/AIDS-care services; supplies children with meals and after-school tutoring; and promotes gardening and distributes fresh produce. |
Thabiso |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Umoyo Community Based AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,300 |
| Umoyo Community Based AIDS Support Organization supports awareness-raising activities and community-based childcare centers in 13 villages near Domasi serving approximately 1,500 children. With this Firelight grant, Umoyo (meaning 'Good Health') is offering tailoring training and small grants of $132 to a group of 10 women in each of the 13 villages. With the training and the grants, the women can establish sewing cooperatives. One third of the profits go back to the women themselves, one third to purchase food for the childcare centers, and one third reinvested in the program. |
Umoyo Community Based AIDS Support Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Umoyo (or 'Good Health') Community Based AIDS Support Organization was established by 15 community members 'infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.' With the goal of bringing 'a collaborative effort to combat [AIDS],' Umoyo carries out AIDS awareness-raising activities and operates community based childcare centers (CBCCs) in 13 villages near Domasi in Southern Malawi. They have registered more than 1,500 orphans and vulnerable children, and successfully mobilized the traditional chiefs in this effort by creating a Chief's Committee on HIV/AIDS. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| YWCA - Lesotho, a national membership organization, recently expanded its activities to include HIV/AIDS programming. This decision came in response to the increasing number of area children orphaned by the disease. YWCA - Lesotho's specific HIV/AIDS activities include home-based care, community education, and income-generating activities. Firelight funding supports a new income-generating activity ' the production of aloe-based skin creams ' which will benefit 60 orphans and 20 caregivers. The grant covers equipment, startup materials, an administrator's salary, and participant training. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| A group of women established the Lesotho branch of the YWCA to address, 'the challenges faced by women and girls... [including] high rates of unemployment, poverty, minority status, gender-based violence, and sexual exploitation.' In response to increasing numbers of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, the organization's activities expanded to include programming for vulnerable children and their caregivers. With Firelight's first grant, YWCA Lesotho held a five-day income-generation workshop for youth and caregivers, focusing on the production and sale of aloe-based products. They learned in their first grant that their plan of self-sufficiency in one year was not realistic, due to high costs of inputs and equipment and lower-than-expected sales. However, YWCA is still eager to pursue this income-generation project and believes it will be sustainable after this second year of assistance. YWCA has a new marketing plan and renewed vigor to increase production. Firelight's second grant will fund marketing and sales training for the 30 participants, as well as some inputs for the aloe-based products. The Lesotho YWCA seeks to address unemployment, poverty, gender-based violence, and the sexual exploitation of women and girls by providing income-generation workshops and marketing and sales training for vulnerable children and caregivers. |
Young Women's Christian Association - Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Lesotho YWCA seeks to address unemployment, poverty, gender-based violence, and the sexual exploitation of women and girls by providing income-generation workshops and marketing and sales training for vulnerable children and caregivers. They also raise awareness of HIV/AIDS with their members and fellow community members. |
Mwanje Orphan Care and Home Based Care |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,800 |
| Mwanje Orphan Care and Home Based Care works in 35 villages in southern Malawi offering early learning opportunities, including art projects, to 400 children at eight community-based children's centers. The organization also offers home-based care services to families affected by HIV/AIDS, runs a tree nursery and three community gardens, and facilitates a support group. With this Firelight grant, Mwanje is purchasing a maize mill and other construction materials for an income-generating activity to be run by five volunteers. The income from this project helps support 90 children with educational fees, clothing, and food. |
Mwanje Orphan Care and Home Based Care |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Mwanje Orphan Care and Home Based Care works in 35 villages in southern Malawi offering early learning opportunities, including art projects, to 400 children at eight community-based children's centers. The organization also offers home-based care services to families affected by HIV/AIDS; runs a tree nursery and three community gardens; and facilitates a support group. |
Mwanje Orphan Care and Home Based Care |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
African Youth Connection |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Founded by a group of community members in Morogoro, AYC provides the resources families and communities need to care for children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS. AYC offers peer education and vocational training to vulnerable youth and their caregivers. Funding from Firelight is supporting 10 primary and four secondary schools, which offer HIV/AIDS prevention education and life-skills training to all students as part of their extracurricular activities. Funds are also supporting a six-month training for 25 caregivers in tie-dying techniques to generate income. |
African Youth Connection |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Founded by youth in Morogoro, African Youth Connection (AYC) offers peer education programs and skills-training activities focused on vulnerable children and youth (ages 9 to 24) and their caregivers. With Firelight funds, AYC trained 10 teachers and 50 youth to facilitate 'health clubs' at 10 schools, offering HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and life-skills training to all students. AYC's peer educators learned how to use 'edu-tainment' to promote behavior change among youth around HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, and other issues that negatively affect children. Twelve vulnerable guardians learned tie-dye and batik techniques. These women subsequently established a group, accessed a small loan and, with profits, successfully repaid the loan, while also meeting their families' needs. With renewal grant funds, AYC is establishing 15 new clubs, 12 in rural primary and secondary schools and three targeting out-of-school youth. Using peer educators trained under Firelight's previous grant, AYC will host education sessions at five additional schools. AYC is also training 25 more widowed caregivers and people living with AIDS in tie-dye and batik. Additionally, AYC proposes to respond to beneficiaries' feedback by training 20 caregivers in nutrition and basic healthcare for people living with AIDS. AYC organizes peer education programs in HIV/AIDS and drug abuse prevention, school health clubs, and skills training and provides small business loans for vulnerable youth and their caregivers. |
African Youth Connection |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $13,500 |
| Founded by youth in Morogoro, AYC organizes peer education programs in HIV/AIDS and drug abuse prevention, school health clubs, and skills training, and provides small business loans for vulnerable youth and their caregivers. |
Kananelo Centre for the Deaf |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Kananelo Centre for the Deaf operates as a boarding school for students with special needs, specifically those children who are deaf or mentally challenged. Kananelo Centre's farming and animal husbandry income-generating activities are made possible by Firelight funding. These projects help feed and financially support more than 30 children, 14 of whom have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Through this grant Kananelo's students are also able to learn vocational skills, such as sewing and poultry farming. |
Justice for Children Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A group of lawyers established JCT to provide free legal services to minors in civil and criminal cases. While the organization focuses on sexual abuse cases, it also disseminates information to communities on laws pertaining to children and alerts the public to opportunities for legal and policy reform. Funding from Firelight enables JCT to replicate its education program in Bindura. Lawyers from the organization are training 20 teachers and nearly 55 student peer educators in 10 schools on legal issues pertaining to the protection of children. |
Justice for Children Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| A group of lawyers formed Justice for Children Trust (JCT) to provide legal aid to minors in 2002 and they have handled more than 1,200 cases to date. While the organization focuses on sexual abuse cases, which disproportionately affects girls, it also disseminates information to communities on laws pertaining to children and alerts the public to opportunities for legal and policy reform. JCT's first Firelight grant supported JCT to provided training on child protection and children's legal issues to teachers in 10 schools who counseled students and assisted with birth registration. Teachers referred cases to JCT's mobile legal clinic for free legal services and trained student peer educators to form child law clubs in their schools. At the request of school officials, JCT also trained 10 headmasters in child rights and sensitized an additional 208 teachers on top of these funded activities to support their activities. For their second grant, JCT will hold a 2-day refresher training for 20 teachers and 45 peer educators. Funding also supports the child law clubs to create and publish a magazine and 10 exchange visits to other schools to raise awareness of child rights. A portion of the funds will also support the program's administrative costs. Justice for Children Trust provides legal assistance to vulnerable children. They run a mobile legal clinic; train peer legal educators in schools; and educate communities on children's rights and legal reform. |
Justice for Children Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $2,400 |
| A group of Zimbabwean lawyers established Justice for Children Trust (JCT) in 2002 to provide free legal services to minors. They were motivated by escalating legal fees, rising levels of poverty, the denial of children's rights, increasing cases of child sexual abuse, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which multiplied the numbers of orphaned children and child-headed households. In response, JCT prosecutes abuse cases; educates the public on children's rights; conducts research on children's legal issues; and advocates for legal and policy reform. With their five lawyers and law student interns, they have handled more than 5,000 cases to date. |
Justice for Children Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,200 |
| A group of Zimbabwean lawyers established Justice for Children Trust (JCT) in 2002 to provide free legal services to minors. They were motivated by escalating legal fees, rising levels of poverty, the denial of children's rights, increasing cases of child sexual abuse, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which multiplied the numbers of orphaned children and child-headed households. In response, JCT prosecutes abuse cases; educates the public on children's rights; conducts research on children's legal issues; and advocates for legal and policy reform. With their five lawyers and law student interns, they have handled more than 5,000 cases to date. |
Sibambene AIDS Programme of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo - Sikhethimpilo Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| SAPAOB's Sikhethimpilo (We Choose Life) Centre serves more than 2,000 children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS, providing them with vocational skills training, psychosocial support, and home-based care services. Firelight funds are helping Sikhethimpilo provide 60 child heads-of-household with capital for animal rearing and 120 other child heads-of-household with intensive life-skills training. SAPAOB is also using this grant to train 20 caregivers in providing foster care and psychosocial support for orphans and vulnerable children. |
Sibambene AIDS Programme of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo - Sikhethimpilo Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Sikhethimpilo Center (Ndebele for 'we choose life"""") serves children who have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS in Matebeleland South. A project of the Sibambene AIDS Programme of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo (SAPAOB), the center serves over 2,000 children in 9 wards of Matobo District. With their first grant, Sikhethimpilo trained 15 OVC in chicken rearing and constructed 3 chicken runs, offering ongoing support to the children. They trained 24 foster parents on parenting skills and held 2 teenage parenting workshops for 48 children, coaching the youth away from 'being objects of pity.' Continuing activities from their previous grant, Sikhethimpilo is supporting a 3-day teenage parenting workshop for 20 youth and a 3-day foster parenting workshop for 30 guardians. Sikhethimpilo plans to continue its poultry economic strengthening activities, purchasing 60 additional chickens and medicine and contructing 3 more chicken runs. Expecting that 'a bigger project like goat or cattle rearing would make a more meaningful profit,' they also request funds to start a goat rearing project with the purchase of 40 goats and feed. Funds cover monitoring and evaluation activities and also pay a percentage of the bookkeeper's salary, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and office costs. The Sikhethimpilo Center betters the lives of 2,000 orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS by offering them income-generating projects, self-esteem building activities, and parenting workshops for foster parents and teens. |
Sibambene AIDS Programme of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo - Sikhethimpilo Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Sikhethimpilo Center improves the lives of 2,000 orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS by offering them income-generating projects, self-esteem building activities, and parenting workshops for foster parents and teens. |
Sibambene AIDS Programme of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo - Sikhethimpilo Centre |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Chiedza Youth Clubs Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $1,000 |
| Chiedza Youth Clubs Organization, a youth-led and founded organization, supports youth to become peer educators and mentors for young and vulnerable children. Affiliated with another Firelight grantee, the Farm Orphan Support Trust (FOST) of Zimbabwe, Chiedza assists youth clubs by offering recreational opportunities, life-skills training, and peer psychosocial support in Glendale, a commercial farming area outside of Harare. Chiedza is using Firelight funds to form three additional sports leagues and to provide vocational training through community gardening projects. |
Chiedza Youth Clubs Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Chiedza Youth Clubs Organization was formed to build the capacity of peer educators and mentors for young and vulnerable children. Affiliated with another Firelight grantee, the Farm Orphan Support Trust of Zimbabwe, Chiedza Youth assists youth clubs by offering vocational training, training in peer education for HIV prevention and psychosocial support and recreational activities in youth clubs. Activities reach 2250 young people and Chiedza encourages girls' leadership to achieve gender balance. Youth-led Chiedza Youth Clubs Organisation trains peer educators and mentors for vulnerable children; provides vocational training, HIV prevention, grief counseling, and recreational activities through youth clubs; and works to develop girls' leadership skills. |
Chiedza Youth Clubs Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,200 |
Sizanani Home Based Caregiver Projects |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $9,100 |
| SHBCP focuses on vulnerable children, particularly child-headed households, in Soweto. Through its drop-in center, the organization offers childcare services, training in income-generating activities, and daily meals for children and adults living with HIV/AIDS. Firelight funding is allowing Sizanani to serve three meals a day to 475 children and provide school uniforms to the 44 most vulnerable from this group. This grant enables Sizanani to operate gardening and tailoring income-generating activities. The organization will also purchase computer equipment for computer skills training for children and their caregivers. |
Sizanani Home Based Caregiver Projects |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| A group of women started Sizanani Home Based Caregivers to fight the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and children, especially child-headed households, in Soweto. With their first Firelight grant, Sizanani fed 536 children at their drop-in center, including a late supper for CHH and lunch boxes for orphans attending high school. They purchased two computers and a printer, and initiated computer training sessions for youth. Sizanani also purchased two sewing machines and material to train support group members. Additional items covered in the grant include materials for youth attending school, tables and chairs at the drop-in center, 'so that our OVC no longer have to eat standing,' and seeds for gardening. With regrant funds, Sizanani is increasing the number of children they are serving through their drop-in center. Responding to great demand, Sizanani is expanding their computer training program by purchasing five additional computers, and by using local resource people and former trainees to provide training sessions. They are also implementing gardening and traditional dance projects as income generating activities. SHBCP operates a drop-in center offering meals to children affected by HIV/AIDS and training youth in income-generating activities, including computer skills, sewing, gardening, and traditional dance. |
KwaWazee - The Granny Project |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| KwaWazee - The Granny Project improves the ability of Kagera's grandmothers to provide care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The organization offers psychosocial and economic support to the grandmothers. This Firelight grant assists the organization as it increases the reach of its granny support groups, while continuing to provide current members with financial assistance in the form of pension payments, house reconstruction, and income-generating activities. Combined, KwaWazee's activities benefit 340 grandmothers and 410 children in Kagera. |
KwaWazee - The Granny Project |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $30,000 |
| KwaWazee responds to the increased caregiving burden incurred by grandmothers, especially, as a result of HIV/AIDS. KwaWazee's Granny Project combines psychosocial support strategies with monthly pension payments to improve the wellbeing of grandmother-headed households. Firelight's first grant covered monthly payments of less than five dollars per household that supported 50 grandparents and the children in their care. KwaWazee constructed houses for five granny-headed families and provided fuel-efficient stoves (that use less wood, reducing associated labor) to 25 families. Grant funds also paid a part-time worker's salary. Grandmothers reached by KwaWazee report increased care and support from their grandchildren, experience reduced feelings of isolation than previously, and feel greater economic and emotional security. With this two-year grant, KwaWazee is providing pension payments for up to 200 grandmother-headed households. Alongside this financial assistance, KwaWazee will continue its emotional and social support efforts through children's and grannies' discussion groups, and by encouraging networks of granny-headed households. KwaWazee also plans to assist beneficiaries to start small businesses, to strengthen households' economic base. Second year grant funds will support pension payments to 131 grandmothers, pay half the salary of a pension officer and cover administrative costs. Recognizing the caregiving burden that grandmothers shoulder as a result of HIV/AIDS, KwaWazee provides them with counseling and emotional support, small monthly payments, fuel-efficient stoves, and support starting small businesses. |
KwaWazee - The Granny Project |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Fountains of Light |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $8,500 |
| Three community members established Fountains of Light in response to the trauma local children were experiencing as they lost parents to HIV/AIDS. The organization built Dudzai Community School in the rural Kabwe District to provide orphans and vulnerable children with a family environment that simultaneously promotes spiritual, cultural, and academic education. The school also provides HIV/AIDS awareness education and offers vocational opportunities. Firelight funds are supporting the hiring of two additional teachers and a counselor for the school, the development of a breakfast meal program for the students, and the organization of monthly community-wide events. |
Fountains of Light |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,700 |
| Fountains of Light (FoL) was created in 1999, in response to the widespread trauma of children losing their parents to HIV/AIDS in rural Kabwe. FoL now runs five projects including the Dzusai Community School. Previous Firelight funds supported the management of FoL's community school, a breakfast program and psychosocial support to children who lost their parents to AIDS. Firelight funding enabled FoL to organize six outreach events, which used song, dance, and drama to educate the larger community about HIV/AIDS. This renewal supports FoL's teacher training, school programs, and administrative costs. In addition, funds support a popular theater program and student training in theatrical arts. Fountains of Light supports children who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS through a community school, a breakfast program, and organized events that use song, dance, and drama to educate the community about HIV/AIDS. |
Fountains of Light |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $13,400 |
| Fountains of Light supports children who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS through a community school, including a school feeding program, and through organized events that use song, dance, and drama to educate the community about HIV/AIDS. |
Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| TWM's members visit and assist households where caregivers are unable to look after their children because of complications from HIV/AIDS. Firelight funding allows TWM to purchase items to support its catering income-generating activity, which supports these children. The grant also covers the cost of office equipment, subsidizes the coordinator's salary, and provides school fees and uniforms for six children of members who have died. |
Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Formed as a burial society in 2002, Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association (TWM) broadened its mission in response to growing need in the community, an industrial area south of Maseru characterized by an increasing number of garment factories, significant environmental pollution, and a high rate of HIV/AIDS. With the first grant, TWM paid allowances to two HBC workers. To generate income, TWM established a funeral catering business. TWM also paid school fees and purchased sweaters and shoes for 15 primary students and one secondary student. With their current renewal, TWN is paying 21 children's school fees and educational expenses. They are purchasing tables, chairs, and establishing a rotating fund. A portion of funds is used for allowances for the HBC worker and coordinator. Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association supports families with ill or disabled caregivers by conducting home visits, providing food and medical assistance, and paying school and other educational fees. |
Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Formed as a burial society, Thetsane West Multi-Purpose Association supports families with ill or disabled caregivers by conducting home visits, providing food and medical assistance, and paying educational fees. |
Monna Ka Khomo |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Monna Ka Khomo (Lesotho Herd Boys Association) serves boys engaged in livestock herding in rural areas of Lesotho. Though herding cattle remains a rite of passage in Lesotho, many of these boys lead difficult lives, isolated from their families, excluded from education and medical systems, and vulnerable to physical abuse from stock thieves or older boys. This Firelight grant supports peer education activities for herd boys under 18 years old in Thaba-Tseka District. Approximately 40 boys are participating in an extensive training on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, first aid, and children's rights. The boys will share the information they learn with more than 350 peers. |
Monna Ka Khomo |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $22,000 |
| Monna Ka Khomo's (MKK) name translates to 'a man without a cow is not a man.' They serve boys engaged in livestock herding, a traditional rite-of-passage, in rural areas throughout Lesotho. Established in 2003, MKK strives to improve the care and support of the boys, many herding longer than usual because they are orphans with no caregiver looking out for them. With Firelight's first grant, MKK trained 32 herd boys with a 'train the trainer' program on HIV/AIDS and life skills. Those trained have reached 300 herd boys and are expected to reach at least 100 more. During the first year of this two-year grant MKK conducted a needs assessment and then trained 20 older herd boys in agricultural income generating activities. Using the same 'train the trainer' model, these 20 will train another 150 herd boys. In addition, MKK started an agricultural project for the 32 trainers from the previous grant. Firelight funds also paid school fees and purchased uniforms and books for 10 herd boys under age 18. With the second year of funding, MKK is training 20 herd boys in bee-keeping and 20 boys in the production of eno and flu medication. These 40 boys will train and supervise other boys during the implementation of the projects. MKK is also paying school fees for four high school students and purchasing uniforms and shoes for five primary school students. MKK cares for and trains boys working as livestock herders in agricultural income-generating activities, HIV/AIDS-related issues, medication production, and life skills; assists them in training other boys; and pays their school fees. |
Monna Ka Khomo |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Tshwaraganang Community Based Organization |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| When a group of parents realized that many children in their community were suffering because they were not accessing education, health, and social services, they formed Tshwaraganang ('unite') Community Based Organization. Tshwaraganang established an ECD project preparing children for school. To prevent caregivers from getting 'discouraged and hopeless, which affects children' they also formed a parent support group which helps 'families understand the impact of death on children and create support systems for such children.' Tshwaraganang's vision is to create 'a conducive environment for the development of orphans and vulnerable children... where families can recognize the impact of early childhood intervention.' Towards this vision they are training 60 caregivers through 9 workshops covering: social security grants and services, clinic visits, basic first aid, child safety, child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and sound relationships. The workshops are followed by home visits and parent support groups to ensure practical application of the information. Firelight funds cover salaries for the four staff, costs for the workshops, and administrative costs. Tshwaraganang runs a preschool; provides support and education to help families cope with death; and teaches caregivers about available government grants and services, first aid, safety, nutrition, HIV prevention, and healthy family relationships. |
Luncedo Community Based Organisation |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| In the informal settlement of Manguang in Bloemfontein, Luncedo Community Based Organization was started in 2004 by a volunteer community worker at long-time Firelight grantee partner Diketso Eseng Dipuo Community Development Trust (DEDI). Luncedo's vision is to see 'children between zero to nine years growing up in a family environment that is healthy, protective, stimulating, and aware of children's rights.' To date they have held HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, assisted disadvantaged children to be given food parcels by the local municipality, started groups of traditional dancers, and held an 'old age people's party.' Luncedo is presenting seven skills-building and awareness-raising two-day workshops, each for 80 people, followed by home visits and caregivers' meetings to ensure uptake and practical application of the information. The workshops and follow-up will cover: social services, clinic visits, basic first aid, child safety, HIV/AIDS, and sound relationships. Firelight funds cover stipends for the five staff and workshop costs. To support healthy family environments for vulnerable children, Luncedo offers education for parents and caregivers on social services, health, basic first aid, child safety, HIV/AIDS, and sound relationships. |
People's AIDS Response through Vital Education and Networking Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| People's AIDS Response through Vital Education and Networking (PARVEN) supports former sex workers and young girls caught up in the sex trade. Offering health education, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and educational support, PARVEN empowers these young women to support themselves and their children. Using current grant funds, PARVEN is providing educational support to 15 adolescent girls in the sex trade. PARVEN is also supporting business skills training to 62 young women supporting over 40 children. The organization is using funds to purchase six sewing machines and three knitting machines. Income earned is divided between the beneficiaries (30%) and the organization's ongoing programs (70%). PARVEN provides sex workers and their children health education, counseling and emotional support, income-generating opportunities, and school fees so they can support their families without resorting to prostitution. |
People's AIDS Response through Vital Education and Networking Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| PARVEN provides sex workers and their children reproductive health education, counseling and emotional support, income-generating opportunities, and school fees so they can support their families without resorting to prostitution. One of PARVEN's key programs is providing vocational training sponsorship for former commercial sex works. The organization runs various micro-enterprises that employ the young women's newly acquired skills. |
People's AIDS Response through Vital Education and Networking Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
People's AIDS Response through Vital Education and Networking Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Lesotho Durham Link |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $40,000 |
| The majority of this Firelight grant goes to the Lesotho Durham Link Coalition (LDLC), which is composed of eight child-focused organizations supporting vulnerable young people. LDLC offers counseling services and recreational opportunities to children served by its member organizations. This two-year grant funds the organization's sports therapy and experiential learning activities for more than 200 children, ages six to 18 years. A portion of this Firelight grant is going directly to Lesotho Durham Link (LDL), to improve the facilities available for children's outdoor activities. |
Lesotho Durham Link |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) founded the Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education (CELA) to reduce the effects of extreme poverty on disadvantaged groups living in three refugee camps in western Tanzania. Established by UNHCR in the late 1990's in rural Kigoma, these camps support nearly 150,000 refugees. Using funds from its first Firelight grant, CELA is using awareness-raising activities to address HIV/AIDS-related stigma in an effort to mobilize community support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. They are providing 75 secondary school students with educational support. In addition, funds support workshops to develop guardian skills in emotional and social support of orphans CELA was founded to reduce the effects of extreme poverty on Congolese refugees living in Tanzanian camps by providing education fees, combating HIV/AIDS-related stigma, and offering workshops for caregivers on orphans' emotional and social needs. |
Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $13,100 |
| Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo founded the Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education (CELA) to reduce the effects of extreme poverty on disadvantaged groups living in three refugee camps in western Tanzania. This membership organization, which started by providing evening classes to women, evolved its programs into providing holistic services for children and families, including providing school fees, combating HIV/AIDS-related stigma, and offering workshops for caregivers on orphans' emotional and social needs. |
Centre for Youth Development and Adult Education |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Rural Child |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Rural Child aims to improve the welfare of children living in rural areas in the Western province of Zambia. Started by a group of ten women, Rural Child works to achieve its goals through education, entrepreneurial training, and life skills development. One of its main programs, 'Games for Life,' uses sports and drama to teach life skills. Prior to receiving Firelight funding, Rural Child funded its activities entirely through local fundraising efforts, including purchase of 25 acres of land to build a skills training center. In addition, Rural Child donated second-hand clothing to 60 families in Nyekema and to Sefula School for the Blind. They also provided education support for 20 children. Firelight currently supports three main activities: HIV/AIDS sensitization workshops, skills training, and Games for Life. In addition, Firelight funds finance the acquisition of three sewing machines for a tailoring program for 20 youth, two carpentry kits, and sports equipment. Operating in rural areas, Rural Child uses sports and drama to provide education, entrepreneurial training, HIV/AIDS information, and life skills development. |
Rural Child |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,500 |
| Operating in rural areas in the Western Province of Zambia, Rural Child uses sports and drama to provide education, entrepreneurial training, HIV/AIDS information, and life skills development. Started by a group of 10 women, Rural Child funded its activities entirely through local fundraising efforts prior to receiving Firelight funding. |
Rural Child |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Mango Tree Orphan Support Trust |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $6,700 |
| The Mango Tree (TMT) project describes its primary objectives as, 'To relieve poverty, sickness, and distress and to advance education amongst children... who have lost one or both parents through HIV, AIDS, or related conditions or whose parents are suffering.' TMT works in Kyela District, bordering northern Malawi, where one in five adults are HIV-positive. Currently supporting more than 10,000 orphans throughout Kyela, TMT helps children move through immediate crises while taking a long-term approach that fosters each child's self-reliance. TMT's approach honors the whole child and includes emergency food assistance, healthcare, counseling, educational or vocational training opportunities and legal services. Firelight funds support training of 15 orphaned girls in tailoring. All program participants also benefit from an HIV/AIDS awareness seminar. Upon completion, TMT provides each graduate with a sewing machine. TMT is also helping the girls to form groups that will be contracted to sew uniforms for children enrolled in TMT's education-plus program. Necessary start-up materials (e.g., fabric, thread, tape measures, etc.) are covered by this grant, as is the technical assistance to assist the girls in establishing a 'tailoring mart,' an additional outlet for selling their products. Working in an area where one in five adults is living with HIV/AIDS, TMT provides orphans and vulnerable children with emergency food assistance, health care, counseling, education, vocational training, legal services, and income-earning programs. |
The Mango Tree Orphan Support Trust |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $11,600 |
| Working in an area where one in five adults is living with HIV/AIDS, TMT provides orphans and vulnerable children with emergency food assistance, health care, counseling, education, vocational training, legal services, and income-earning programs. Currently supporting more than 10,000 orphans throughout Kyela District, TMT helps children move through immediate crises while taking a long-term approach that fosters each child's self-reliance. |
The Mango Tree Orphan Support Trust |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $25,000 |
Community Development and Humanitarian Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,000 |
| Women in Bukumbi, a fishing village in rural Mwanza, started Community Development and Humanitarian Association (CODEHA) 15 years ago as a group loan support program. The group's programs now include water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS awareness raising and impact mitigation, and specific activities to improve women's status and wellbeing. CODEHA affirms that holistic educational support includes 'empowering resource-weak households' by involving caregivers in economic strengthening activities while also training counselors and peer educators, who ensure that children's material, psychological, and nutritional needs receive attention. Firelight funding assists 250 orphans with education-plus support, including HIV/AIDS prevention education and awareness-raising clubs for students, youth, and caregivers. Funds also cover the cost of monthly monitoring and evaluation activities and enable CODEHA to train 18 new home-based care volunteers. The group is also training 30 'IGA officers' (including 20 youth), who work to strengthen families' capacities to earn a livelihood. Initially founded by women as a group loan program, CODEHA now provides education support for orphans and vulnerable children; trains home-based care volunteers; and supports income-generating activities to improve women's status and well-being. |
Community Development and Humanitarian Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Women in Bukumbi, a fishing village in rural Mwanza, started the Community Development and Humanitarian Association (CODEHA) initially as a group loan program. CODEHA now provides education support for orphans and vulnerable children; trains home-based care volunteers; and supports income-generating activities to improve women's status and well-being. |
Community Development and Humanitarian Association |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Forum For Community Mobilization |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2006 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Natasha Martin, a long-time supporter of Firelight and a former member of the Firelight Advisory Board, selected FOFCOM to receive a discretionary grant in her honor. FOFCOM focuses on health interventions that empower children and youth. This grant enables FOFCOM to expand its early childhood development program, which focuses on children who are not ready for primary school but have little or no home-based support. Firelight funding covers teachers' salaries and supplies for a daycare center serving 30 children ages two to four years. |
Forum For Community Mobilization |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Youth-led Forum for Community Mobilization (FOFCOM) works to 'empower youth in managing their health issues.' The group operates a health information resource center, a home-based care program, and a tutoring program while also running sports and drama activities to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. This grant establishes a voluntary counseling and HIV testing (VCT) center primarily serving youth in Kiambu Town. The Kiambu District Hospital currently runs the only VCT center in a 20-kilometer radius, but exclusively serves patients admitted into the hospital. The new VCT Center provides counseling and testing, refers patients to appropriate medical care services, and facilitates support groups for those who are HIV positive. Funds also pay rent and salaries for the VCT staff as well as stipends for volunteers who conduct community outreach. Empowering young people to take care of their health, FOFCOM educates them in HIV/AIDS and operates a resource center, a home-based care program, an HIV testing and counseling center, and a tutoring program. |
Forum For Community Mobilization |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Empowering young people to take care of their health, FOFCOM educates them in HIV/AIDS and operates a resource center, a home-based care program, an HIV-testing and -counseling center, a tutoring program, and sports and drama activities. |
Tanzania Women of Impact Foundation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Disturbed by the growing social inequality in Tanzania and the marginalization of women and children in efforts to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, 10 women decided to become part of the solution. Since the organization's founding in 2000, Tanzania Women of Impact Foundation (TAWIF) has mobilized women living with HIV/AIDS to form support groups and start their own microenterprises. The group helped establish and train orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) committees in five villages. They currently support OVC with school fees, material and psychosocial support. Past advocacy efforts have included campaigns on equal access to water, community participation in the budget process, and community action to reduce violence against women. |
Tanzania Women of Impact Foundation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
Community Youth in Development Activities |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,900 |
| Founded by three youth in 2002, COYIDA provides community treament, care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and children affected by AIDS. As a new partner to Firelight, COYIDA provides a revolving agricultural loan and training to vulnerable families. They will train 20 youth as peer educators and human rights advocates through an 'Orphan Affairs Unit.' Funding also supports two bicycle ambulances, three staff salaries, community meetings, and monitoring and evaluation. COYIDA provides community treatment, care, and support to children and adults affected by HIV/AIDS by offering revolving agricultural loans and trainings as well as peer education and human rights advocacy trainings. |
Community Youth in Development Activities |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| COYIDA was founded in 2002 by three youth concerned with the lack of response to HIV/AIDS in their community. COYIDA provides community treament, care, and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and children affected by AIDS. |
Community Youth in Development Activities |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Mphatso Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Established in 2004, Mphatso Development Foundation (MDF) works to mitigate the effects of poverty on those affected by HIV/AIDS. MDF establishes Area Committees made up of locally elected community members, who conduct participatory planning meetings and workshops with community members. In the past MDF provided education support for 110 children. MDF also conducted conservation farming training to improve food production and supplied agricultural inputs for 100 households, impacting 315 people. With Firelight funds, MDF is training 50 households in soil management and providing trainees with agricultural inputs to increase family food production. MDF is also supporting a school feeding program for 50 children at a local community school, paying secondary school fees for five students, and supplying school materials for 60 youth. MDF is also conducting an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign targeting youth. A portion of the funds will cover administrative expenses. MDF works to improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS by providing educational support and meals for school children; promoting conservation and soil management techniques to increase family food production; and conducting an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign for youth. |
Mphatso Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Established in 2004, Mphatso Development Foundation (MDF) works to mitigate the effects of poverty on those affected by HIV/AIDS. MDF establishes Area Committees made up of locally elected community members who conduct participatory planning meetings and workshops with community members. |
Mphatso Development Foundation |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Tumaini Women |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $1,500 |
| Ten widows from Ilemela, Mwanza, founded Tumaini ('hope' in Swahili) after observing the steady migration of orphans to jobs in mines, factories, and the fishing sector; life on the streets, or early marriage. To empower youth with livelihood skills, Tumaini established a vocational training center. At the center, youth can train in sewing, knitting, tie-dye, and candle making while also learning strategies to prevent and cope with HIV/AIDS. The group recently received 15 sewing machines and two knitting machines from a Dutch donor. With these new machines and additional training, the tailoring teachers will be able to prepare groups of 50 vulnerable and orphaned youth (per session) to initiate tailoring and knitting income-generating activities. With Firelight funds, Tumaini is sending four youth to a local vocational training college to learn how to operate the new machines. To provide orphans with a livelihood, Tumaini has established a vocational center to train youth in tailoring, sewing, knitting, tie dying, and candle-making. They also teach strategies for preventing and coping with HIV/AIDS. |
Tumaini Women |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,400 |
| Ten widows from Ilemela, Mwanza, founded Tumaini ('Hope') after observing the steady migration of orphans to jobs in mines, factories, and the fishing industry; life on the streets; and early marriage. To empower youth with livelihood skills, Tumaini established a vocational training center. At the Center, youth can train in sewing, knitting, tie-dying, and candle-making while also learning strategies to prevent and cope with HIV/AIDS. |
Tumaini Women |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
Tholulwazi Uzivikele |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Tholulwazi Uzivikele (meaning 'get information to protect yourself' in Zulu) was started by Manguzi Hospital in 2002 as a response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Their 240 volunteers travel on foot, serving over 850 bed ridden patients each day by supervising the taking of medication, teaching hygiene and care of wounds, and providing emotional support to the patient and family. Through this HBC outreach, TU recognized a lack of services for the increasing number of OVC in the community. Out of 3,151 double orphans, 808 are in child-headed households or looked after by grandparents who have no source of income. TU trained a former beneficiary as a facilitator for emotional healing workshops . In groups of 12, children will attend two three-day workshops. In the first workshop, they will start the emotional healing process, then have some time for reflection before the second workshop, in which they will discover tools for resiliency. TU will implement four workshops per month, providing emotional support for 288 children over the year. Firelight funds will pay the facilitator's salary and cover workshop materials. TU provides emotional support to 280 orphans through a series of facilitated workshops on emotional healing and bereavement, while also providing skills and information for boosting their resiliency. |
Tholulwazi Uzivikele |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Tholulwazi Uzivikele (TU) was started by Manguzi Hospital in 2002 as a home-based program in response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in this area bordering Mozambique. TU provides emotional support to orphaned and vulnerable children through a series of facilitated workshops on emotional healing and bereavement, while also providing skills and information for boosting their resiliency. |
Tholulwazi Uzivikele |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Youth for Change |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
| Youth for Change (YOCA) started as a support group of youth head of households. The organization formally registered with the government in 2005. YOCA focuses on the fundamental human rights and needs of orphans and vulnerable children, working to 'ameliorate their physical and psychosocial distress and suffering.' This grant enables YOCA to offer counseling to 20 children and training in psychosocial support to 30 caregivers of vulnerable children. Funds also cover communication costs for the YOCA office, including telephone and internet service. Begun as a support group for youth household heads, YOCA offers orphan children and youth counseling services, and teaches caregivers how to support grieving children. |
Youth for Change |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Begun as a support group for youth household heads, YOCA offers orphan children and youth counseling services, and teaches caregivers how to support grieving children. |
Youth for Change |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Youth for Change |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
Centre Against Poverty and Social Problems |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,200 |
| Traditional leaders from rural communities near Blantyre founded Centre Against Poverty and Social Problems (CAPSO) in 2004 to support OVC after an international organization's project ended. CAPSO runs childcare centers, assists guardians to farm community gardens, and supports youth to attend vocational training. With this, their first Firelight grant, CAPSO trains 26 OVC center caregivers and provides the centers with learning materials and roofs, supports 4 youth to attend vocational training, and provides seeds and fertlizer to community gardens. Started by traditional leaders in rural communities near Blantyre, CAPSO runs childcare centers, helps caregivers operate community gardens, and supports youth attending vocational training. |
Centre Against Poverty and Social Problems |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| ***THIS GRANTEE IS NOT IN GOOD STANDING. THE GROUP NO LONGER EXISTS. PO RECOMMENDS THAT WE DO NOT INCLUDE THIS DESCRIPTION ON OUR WEBSITE AS IT MAY LEGITIMIZE THE GROUP IN PEOPLE'S EYES*** Leaders from 13 villages near Blantyre formed Centre Against Poverty and Social Problems (CAPS) to counteract the negative effects of short-term international programs. 'When these programs phase out we have nothing on the ground... This is why we organized ourselves so we should own ourselves our activities in our organization.' |
Chilimba Women and Orphans Care Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Founded in 1997 by four women, Chilimba is a volunteer-run orphan support group providing holistic support, with a focus on community-based child care and vocational training in sewing, weaving and carpentry. Through a dairy income generating project, they provide school fees and sustain the organization. As a new Firelight grantee partner, Chilimba provides machines and tools to improve their vocational training and improves their community garden with agricultural inputs. To support their home-based care (HBC) work, they provide ten kits to HBC volunteers and two bicycle ambulances. Finally, this grant supports office equipment. Women-led Chilimba supports orphans with community-based childcare centers and food from their community gardens. They also provide vocational training and equipment for sewing, weaving, carpentry, and other income-generating activities. |
Chilimba Women and Orphans Care Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| In 1999, four women founded Chilimba Women and Orphans Care Group to support orphans and HIV/AIDS-affected families by providing food, school fees, home-based care, and counseling in rural Zomba district. A dairy project provides the income that funds many of their activities. |
Chilimba Women and Orphans Care Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Chilimba Women and Orphans Care Group |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,600 |
Development Services Foundation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Observing the HIV/AIDS-related increase in single-parent families, child-headed households, and orphaned children struggling to subsist, ten Kigoma residents united to visit vulnerable children at home in order to document their needs and mobilize local resources. They called their group Development Services Foundation (DSF) as they shared a commitment to education-centered human development. With Firelight funding, DSF is extending education-plus assistance to 180 primary and 20 secondary school-age children. In addition to books and uniforms, beneficiaries receive weekly visits from DSF volunteers and are invited to participate in children's clubs and recreational activities. Nearly one-third of requested funds are being used as a rotating credit fund, enabling vulnerable families to pursue small businesses following business management training from DSF. DSF provides school fees and materials for orphans and vulnerable children and involves them in recreational activities. They also provide a credit fund to 200 vulnerable families for small businesses. |
Development Services Foundation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Observing an HIV/AIDS-related increase in single-parent families, child-headed households, and orphaned children struggling to subsist, 10 Kigoma residents started visiting vulnerable children at home to document their needs and mobilize local resources. They called their group the Development Services Foundation (DSF), sharing a commitment to education-centered human development. DSF now provides school fees and materials for orphans and vulnerable children and involves them in recreational activities. They also provide a credit fund to 200 vulnerable families to run small businesses. |
Loving Hand |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,500 |
| Founded in 1998 to support people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), Loving Hand now cares for 173 OVC through school fees, kids clubs, palliative care for guardians and emergency food assistance. Loving Hand utilizes their first Firelight grant to expand a community garden run by youth who receive training in agriculture and marketing. In addition to food, the Nketa Orphan Care Agricultural Project grows traditional herbal medicines for PLWHA. In addition, this grant supports training and supplies to home based care providers, psychosocial support workshops and events, school fees, and part of four staff salaries. Loving Hand supports orphans and vulnerable children through home-based care services, school fees, kids clubs, and emergency food assistance. Their community garden'run as a training program for local youth'grows food and herbal medicines. |
Loving Hand |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| In a high-density urban area, Loving Hand supports orphans and vulnerable children through home-based care services, school fees, kids clubs, and emergency food assistance. Their community garden'run as a training program for local youth'grows food and herbal medicines. |
Loving Hand |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Youth in Development Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Youth in Development Trust (YDT) was formed by young people living with HIV/AIDS 'to promote the active and meaningful participation of the youth in policy formulation and implementation to enable them to take a participatory and leading role in development and poverty reduction initiatives.' The group carries out training in life skills, small business entrepreneurship, and advocacy. They have gained a seat at the table with the government, WHO, and UNICEF as the """"voice of youth"""" in HIV/AIDS task forces. |
Youth in Development Trust |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Association Ubumwe Saint Kisito |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,100 |
| Association Ubumwe Saint Kisito's 36 members work in Musanze to promote children's wellbeing and ensure respect for children's fundamental rights. The Musanze region has high numbers of street children and child-headed households resulting from cross-border migration of Rwandese and Congolese seeking protection from genocide, war, and civil strife. Firelight funding supports 130 children living in child-headed households with school materials, uniforms, and regular visits by a social worker. This grant also assists Ubumwe Saint Kisito to initiate a self-governing youth beekeepers' association and purchase 30 'modern' beehives to scale up its existing beekeeping project, benefiting 29 child-headed households. To help street children and child-headed households in their area, the Association provides school supplies, uniforms, regular social worker visits, and income-generating activities including beekeeping. |
Association Ubumwe Saint Kisito |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| To help vulnerable children in an area characterized by cross-border migration between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Association Ubumwe Saint Kisito provides school supplies, uniforms, regular home visits, and income-generating activities including beekeeping to child-headed households and street children. To increase awareness on HIV/AIDS and children's rights, Ubumwe also includes sports and recreation activities in its programs. |
Association Ubumwe Saint Kisito |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Pazesa Horticultural Community |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Pazesa Horticultural Community (Pazesa) was established to advocate for the rights of orphans and vulnerable children. Pazesa's programs include HIV/AIDS prevention and community orphan care and support. Pazesa provides livelihood skills in horticulture and fish farming, entrepreneurship training, and a village banking program. This first grant from Firelight allows Pazesa to organize workshops in irrigation farming and to purchase equipment and farming inputs to improve the food security of OVC. Funds also support the construction of a fish pond to expand Paseza's fish farming micro-enterprise. In addition, Firelight funds enable Pazesa to purchase a computer and equip a resource center. The resource center serves as a space where orphaned youth gather for support, information on HIV/AIDS, and life skills training. Lastly, Firelight funds cover Pazesa's overhead costs and monitoring and evaluation of all activities. Pazesa provides HIV prevention education, orphan care and support, livelihood training in horticulture and fish farming, entrepreneurship training, and a village banking and loan program. |
Pazesa Horticultural Community |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| A youth-founded and youth-focused organization, Pazesa provides HIV prevention education, orphan care and support, livelihood training in horticulture and fish farming, entrepreneurship training, and a village banking and loan program. |
Pazesa Horticultural Community |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Malole Home Based Care was formed by community members to respond to the growing number of 'dependents and orphans' taken in by caregivers in their area. In the past, Malole HBC staff conduct weekly visits to vulnerable households in their communities. During these visits members offer informal counseling, material support, health advice, and medical supplies to vulnerable households. Food and supplies disbursed are donated by the surrounding community. Firelight funding supports material, economic, medical, and psychosocial support for 60 vulnerable households. Funds will provide basic necessities, including food, clothing and blankets to 10 highly vulnerable households. Funds will also support a piggery economic strengthening activity for 40 caregivers from somewhat more food secure households. Funds will also cover administrative expenses. Malole HBC conducts weekly visits to orphans and caregivers in vulnerable households, providing informal counseling, material assistance, health advice, and medical supplies. They promote pig-raising programs as a source of economic livelihood. |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Malole Home Based Care (HBC) was formed by community members to respond to the growing number of 'dependents and orphans' taken in by caregivers in their area. Malole HBC members conduct weekly visits to vulnerable households in their communities and offer informal counseling, material support, health advice, and medical supplies. Food and other supplies are donated by the surrounding community. |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $1,100 |
| Malole Home Based Care (HBC) was formed by community members to respond to the growing number of 'dependents and orphans' taken in by caregivers in their area. Malole HBC members conduct weekly visits to vulnerable households in their communities and offer informal counseling, material support, health advice, and medical supplies. Food and other supplies are donated by the surrounding community. |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $1,100 |
Malole Home Based Care Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Monze Mission Hospital/Buntolo Drop-In Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,700 |
| The Buntolo Drop-In Centre is an HIV/AIDS care and prevention program started by medical and nursing staff of Monze Mission Hospital. Motivated by the belief that community participation is essential to an effective response to HIV/AIDS, Buntolo Centre's programs include home-based care, ARV treatment, peer education, counseling, capacity building, and orphan support. The first Firelight grant enables Buntolo Centre to fund psychosocial workshops to help OVCs and their guardians develop coping and stress management skills. Firelight funds also support purchase of inputs for a vegetable garden for 45 women, as well as skills training in tailoring. The Monze Catholic Diocese has already established an available market and will provide business management training and technical assistance. The Buntolo Drop-In Centre is an HIV/AIDS care and prevention program providing home-based care, antiretroviral treatment, counseling, peer education, orphan support, and entrepreneurial training to more than 4,000 vulnerable children and their guardians. |
Monze Mission Hospital/Buntolo Drop-In Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $13,800 |
| The Buntolo Drop-In Centre at Monze Mission Hospital is an HIV/AIDS care and prevention program providing home-based care, antiretroviral treatment, counseling, peer education, orphan support, and entrepreneurial training to more than 4,000 vulnerable children and their guardians. The program is now centered on six support groups of 10 female caregivers that focus on empowering families through farming and income-generating activities; improving social and emotional care; and keeping children in school. |
Monze Mission Hospital/Buntolo Drop-In Centre |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Batho Ba Lerato |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Batho Ba Lerato ('People of Love') was established in 1980 as a youth ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bloemfontein. Since then, the group has evolved into an organization focused on development, strengthening rural livelihoods, and networking and advocating for pro-poor policies. Many of their programs target youth development, women's empowerment, and OVC. Batho Ba Lerato's first Firelight grant funded the salary of their program coordinator, who facilitates their many programs including psychosocial support through recreation and art and reintegration of children into the community. The coordinator seeks alternative care arrangements (such as foster care and adoption) for children without caregivers, and helps children and caregivers identify and obtain benefits. In addition, Firelight funds supported training in life skills for 40 children, food served at PSS sessions for 246 children, and communal garden IGAs for 25 CHH. Batho Ba Lerato focuses on strengthening rural households' incomes and networking and advocating for poverty alleviation policies. They seek foster care and adoption for orphans, and provide recreational activities, community gardening, and life skills training. |
Batho Ba Lerato |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Established in 1980 as a youth ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bloemfontein, Batho Ba Lerato focuses on strengthening rural households' incomes and advocating for poverty alleviation policies. Many of their programs target youth development, women's empowerment, and orphaned and vulnerable children. Their community workers facilitate foster care and adoption for orphans, and provide recreational activities, community gardening, and life skills training. |
Batho Ba Lerato |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Munzuma Community School |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,600 |
| Munzuma Community School was established to serve orphans and vulnerable children in the rural community of Choma. It opened with an initial enrollment of 47 students and grew to 208 students over three years. The community owns this school. For instance, the Parent Community School Committee grows maize for the school feeding program, with excess crops sold to purchase school materials. Teacher salaries are paid from community contributions. Guardians and community members have played a key role in construction a classroom block. They made the bricks, dug the foundation, and gathered the necessary building sand. The school collaborates with the HIV Support Group to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS and receives occasional financial support from the Ministry of Education. Firelight's grant is now allowing Munzuma to complete the construction of the classroom block the community had already started. Funds also pay for three teacher salaries and supplement government resources in providing learning materials. Last, Firelight grant funds enables Munzuma to continue to manage a chicken microenterprise and to get connection to electricity. Owned and supported by the rural community it serves, Munzuma Community School has built classrooms; grows maize for the school feeding program; and educates the community about HIV prevention. |
Munzuma Community School |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Partners in Health/ Inshuti Mu Buzima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Partners in Health (PIH), a U.S. NGO founded by physician Paul Farmer, works to achieve health equity by bringing 'first world' medical care coupled with poverty alleviation interventions to some of the poorest regions of the world. This funding supports PIH's Rwandan partner, Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB) to run weekly Saturday support groups for up to 200 HIV-positive children over the age of six who receive ARV therapy at IMB clinics in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. The support groups, facilitated by skilled social workers, offer children a forum in which to express and discuss their experiences living with HIV and to come together for mutual support. PIH provides high-quality health care and poverty alleviation activities in partnership with a local group, including support groups for children receiving antiretroviral treatment. |
Partners in Health/ Inshuti Mu Buzima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| US-based Partners in Health (PIH) establishes long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty to bring modern medical practices to those in need and 'serve as antidote to despair.' In 2005, PIH helped to found Inshuti Ma Buzima (IMB) in eastern Rwanda. IMB works with the Ministry of Health to improve medical service delivery at six health institutions serving more than 425,000 people. The group reaches more than 5,000 children through school-based HIV education, counseling, and testing programs. By the end of 2006, IMB had identified more than 500 HIV-positive children and started 188 of them on ART. Additionally, IMB had started 'Saturday Support Groups' to offer a supportive environment for HIV-positive children (age six and older) to share their experiences of living with HIV. With a Firelight discretionary grant, IMB reached 535 children through these groups last year. IMB is using this grant to expand and strengthen Saturday Support Groups. By mid-2008, IMB expects to reach up to 750 children through its weekly programs. Gathered by age, each group meets once monthly for three hours. Funding covers staff salaries, Christmas Party expenses and, to address feedback from youth participants, a retreat for adolescents. PIH provides high-quality health care and poverty alleviation activities in partnership with a local group, including support groups for children receiving antiretroviral treatment. |
Partners in Health/ Inshuti Mu Buzima |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Makete Support for People with HIV/AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Founded by a group of 11 people living with HIV/AIDS, MASUPHA works to combat discrimination, encourage HIV testing, and 'fight for the rights of people and children living with HIV/AIDS.' MASUPHA works in 16 villages throughout Iringa, a region with one of the country's highest HIV prevalence rates: 25 percent among adults. The organization's activities include supporting HIV-affected families with economic strengthening activities, providing home-based care to PLWAs, and offering holistic care and support to vulnerable children and youth. MASUPHA also conducts community health education and distributes condoms and educational materials at its drop-in center. This grant allows MASUPHA to improve the wellbeing of 300 vulnerable households by providing vegetable seeds, chickens, or guinea pigs as a first step toward improved livelihood. Additionally, 200 children within beneficiary families are receiving uniforms and school supplies. MASUPHA's activities in a high-prevalence HIV area include combating discrimination; encouraging HIV testing; providing children with school supplies and uniforms; and providing vulnerable households blankets, mattresses, vegetable seeds, and small livestock to generate income. |
Makete Support for People with HIV/AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Founded by a group of 11 people living with HIV/AIDS, MASUPHA works to combat discrimination, encourage HIV testing, and 'fight for the rights of people and children living with HIV/AIDS'. MASUPHA works in 16 villages throughout Iringa, a region with one of the country's highest HIV prevalence rates--25 percent among adults. The organization's activities include supporting HIV-affected families with economic strengthening activities; providing home-based care to people living with HIV/AIDS; and offering holistic care and support to vulnerable children and youth. MASUPHA also conducts community health education and distributes condoms and educational materials at its drop-in center. |
Makete Support for People with HIV/AIDS |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Association des Orphelins Chefs de M'nages |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $4,320 |
| Founded by orphans, AOCM's core members have been trained as bakers and are developing a youth-run bakery to help their members support their households. |
Association des Orphelins Chefs de M'nages |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Tujikomboe Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,600 |
| Tujikomboe Group started in 2004 when concerned citizens in Kilosa District united 'to increase community involvement and participation in the war against HIV/AIDS, child abuse, gender inequality, illiteracy, and poverty...' Tujikomboe employs an approach that fosters collective, sustained participation. Using awareness-raising, community mobilization, and advocacy activities, Tujikomboe has ensured children's access to preschool and primary education, strengthened agricultural extension services, helped vulnerable adults access small loans for microenterprises, and created an informal, youth-friendly HIV/AIDS information center. With Firelight's support, Tujikomboe proposes a program of awareness-raising, community mobilization, legal aid training, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation that will result in a minimum of 750 children either registered (the first step in obtaining a birth certificate) or provided with a birth certificate. Tujikomboe promotes children's access to education; offers legal aid training; helps caregivers use micro- enterprise loans for small businesses; and runs an informal, youth-friendly HIV/AIDS information center. |
Tujikomboe Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Tujikomboe Group started in 2004 when concerned citizens in Kilosa District united 'to increase community involvement and participation in the war against HIV/AIDS, child abuse, gender inequality, illiteracy, and poverty.' Using awareness-raising, community mobilization, and advocacy activities, Tujikomboe ensures children's access to preschool and primary education; strengthens agricultural extension services; helps vulnerable adults access small loans for micro-enterprises; and provides an informal, youth-friendly HIV/AIDS information center. |
Tujikomboe Group |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Christian Youth Network |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| With its goal 'To become a catalyst of positive change for youth physically, spiritually, and economically,' 10 youth founded Tabora Christian Youth Network (TCYONE) to respond to the effects of HIV/AIDS on their peers. Working in a town with one of Tanzania's highest HIV prevalence rates, TCYONE offers vocational training and start up materials for animal rearing and agricultural projects to vulnerable youth, caregivers, and CHH. With this grant, TCYONE is building animal shelters and distributing 950 chickens and 62 goats to caregivers and orphans aged 14-18 years in 62 households. Funds also cover the salaries of a project coordinator, accountant, and veterinary officer and related administrative expenses. Beneficiaries will receive animal care training and technical support from the veterinary officer and representatives from local credit institutions will train them on the business aspects of IGAs. Though initial livestock distribution will benefit 62 households, livestock offspring will be distributed to additional beneficiaries on a revolving basis, ultimately reaching a much greater number of caregivers and orphans. Based in a town with Tanzania's highest HIV prevalence rates, TCYONE provides vocational instruction and assistance with livestock and agricultural projects to vulnerable youth, caregivers, and child-headed households. |
Christian Youth Network |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| With its goal of becoming """"a catalyst of positive change for youth--physically, spiritually, and economically,' the Tabora Christian Youth Network (CYN) was established by 10 youth to respond to the effects of HIV/AIDS on their peers. Working in a town with one of Tanzania's highest HIV-prevalence rates, CYN offers vocational training and start-up materials for animal rearing and agricultural projects to vulnerable youth, caregivers, and child-headed households. |
Christian Youth Network |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Christian Youth Network |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $2,900 |
Bethlehem Basic Training Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Bethlehem Basic Training Project (BBTP) was established in 1996 to serve the dual purpose of preparing people for employment and building decent, affordable houses for members of the community. Their training program has expanded to include plumbing, welding, home-based care (HBC), and agriculture. Since 1997, BBTP has trained 527 people, almost all now employed or self-employed. BBTP is in the eastern Free State where unemployment is 75%, and death rates due to HIV/AIDS are high, leaving many of the community's children orphaned and heading families. With Firelight funding BBTP is providing skills training to 36 orphaned youth, ages 16 - 21, who are heads of households that have exited formal schooling. The Firelight grant covers the instructor's salary, training material, accommodation, meals, and travel to and from the training site for the youth. In addition to concrete skills in their chosen field, each student is taught financial management, conflict management, agriculture, and HBC for HIV/AIDS. Through the 'practical training wing' students receive additional on-the-job training and placement assistance after graduation. BBTP prepares people for employment and builds affordable houses for community members. Their training programs include plumbing, welding, home-based care, and agriculture. |
Bethlehem Basic Training Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| BBTP prepares people for employment while building affordable houses for community members. Their training programs include plumbing, welding, home-based care, and agriculture. Since its inception, BBTP has trained more than 700 people--almost all are now employed or self-employed. |
Bethlehem Basic Training Project |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Network of Zambia People Living with HIV/AIDS - Mansa Chapter |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
| Six HIV-positive people started Mansa Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (Mansa NZP+) as a support group. Today, Mansa NZP+ consists of 35 support groups with 451 members. The organization builds the capacity of support groups and provides information on nutrition and treatment. Research and advocacy for the needs and rights of PLWHA is also a key focus. Mansa NZP+ is using its first grant from Firelight to train 25 home-based caregivers supporting vulnerable children in households with an HIV-positive parent. With this grant, Mansa NZP+ is purchasing 10 bicycles to facilitate home visits. In addition, funding supports a 13-week local community radio program to increase awareness of children's rights, care, and access to ART. Lastly, Firelight's funding partially covers overhead costs. Mansa NZP+'s 35 support groups provide information on nutrition and health care options; train home- based caregivers; and advocate for the needs and rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, including antiretroviral treatment. |
Network of Zambia People Living with HIV/AIDS - Mansa Chapter |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Mansa NZP+'s 35 support groups of more than 450 members provide information on nutrition and health care options; train home-based caregivers; and advocate for the needs and rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, including antiretroviral treatment and nutrition. |
Tutulane AIDS Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,900 |
| Tutulane (which means 'let's help one another'), located in the northernmost district of Malawi, started in 1998 with a health resource center and library and has expanded to provide 22 villages with HIV/AIDS services including home-based care, HIV prevention, education and testing, childcare centers and vocational training. They also run five men's groups that reach out to the community about women's and children's rights and HIV testing. Tutulane's first grant from the Firelight Foundation funds the startup of a dairy farm income generating project. The grant also provides equipment for vocational training for OVC in carpentry, tailoring, and tinsmithing. Funds support a training for OVC caregivers on psychosocial support, assisting orphans with legally registering and securing their property, and a garden to provide nutritious food to people living with HIV/AIDS. Started as a health resource center, TAO provides 22 villages with HIV/AIDS services including home- based care and childcare centers; HIV testing, prevention, education, and rights-awareness; and vocational training and income-generation support. |
Tutulane AIDS Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $14,800 |
| ***THIS GRANTEE IS NOT IN GOOD STANDING. PO RECOMMENDS THAT WE DO NOT INCLUDE THIS DESCRIPTION ON OUR WEBSITE AS IT MAY LEGITIMIZE THE GROUP IN PEOPLE'S EYES*** Tutulane (which means 'let's help one another'), located in the northernmost district of Malawi, started in 1998 with a health resource center and library and has expanded to provide 22 villages with HIV/AIDS services including home-based care, HIV prevention, education and testing, childcare centers and vocational training. They also run five men's groups that reach out to the community about women's and children's rights and HIV testing. |
Ramotshinyadi HIV/AIDS Youth Guide |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Ramotshinyadi HIV/AIDS Youth Guide offers care for OVC and HBC for PLWA, TB, and other chronic diseases in their community. 'The focal point of the OVC program is to help create an enriching environment for children to grow up healthy and become productive members in their communities.' Firelight funds home visits for care of OVC, support for people being treated for HIV or TB, teaching household chores to CHH, assisting with documents and grants, and providing PSS and material support. This grant also supplies start-up funds for a large chicken IGA, the profits of which are used to pay workers from the community, reinvest in the IGA, and cover program expenses. Lastly, Firelight funds support training on HIV prevention strategies, counseling and survival skills for PLWA, and family and community interventions for CABA. Ramotshinyadi provides an HIV/AIDS education program, counseling, and material support for youth; home-based care services; income-generating activities; and treatment for people with TB or HIV/AIDS. |
Ramotshinyadi HIV/AIDS Youth Guide |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Ramotshinyadi provides an HIV/AIDS education program, counseling, and material support for youth; home-based care services; vocational training and income-generating activities; and treatment for people living with tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS. |
Ramotshinyadi HIV/AIDS Youth Guide |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Grahamstown Hospice |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $3,700 |
| Since 1984, the Grahamstown Hospice has provided home-based, holistic palliative care to patients with end of life illnesses in the Eastern Cape. Beyond medical care, Grahamstown assists families with their loss, works with extended families to find homes for children becoming orphans, and provides orphans with ongoing support. For each of their 200 primary patients, Grahamstown Hospice sees between four and ten additional household members. Firelight support fills a temporary funding gap by bringing the two social workers' salaries in line with the government pay scale. The two social workers conduct counseling for families and individuals on ART and bereavement and lead weekly support groups for 157 OVC. They assist with applications for social grants, distribute food parcels, reconnect affected/infected children with the nearest state school, and provide uniforms and at-home clothes. The group reports, 'we have found that our patients let go more peacefully when they know that their families -- many of whom are young children -- will be cared for on a sustainable basis. It is the work of our social workers that provides patients with that peace.' Grahamstown Hospice provides home-based hospice care for terminally ill patients; offers grief counseling to families; works with extended families to find homes for orphans; and provides orphans with ongoing support. |
Grahamstown Hospice |
| Country: South Africa |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| Grahamstown Hospice provides home-based hospice care for terminally ill patients; offers grief counseling to families; works with extended families to find homes for orphans; and provides orphans with ongoing support. |
Pemba Children's Club |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $4,000 |
| Thirteen children and two 'club consultants' (adults who provide guidance and access to authorities) founded Pemba Children's Club (PCC) to address discrimination of HIV/AIDS-affected children, to engage in child rights advocacy, and to respond to school attrition among those unable to afford school fees. PCC uses performing arts and involves children in raising awareness of the issues facing orphans and vulnerable children. Additionally, the group offers material and psychosocial assistance to children who have dropped out of school. PCC is directing Firelight's support toward scale-up of efforts from 4 to 15 villages on Pemba Island. Twenty children are receiving direct scholarship assistance. With the aim of reducing stigma and discrimination, PCC is running a mass media program, 'Children's Voices,' to educate the public on the issues facing children affected by HIV/AIDS. PCC provides material assistance and counseling to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children remain in school. They use community arts performances to combat discrimination and stigma of children affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Pemba Children's Club |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Thirteen children and two adults founded Pemba Children's Club (PCC) to address discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected children; to engage in child rights advocacy; and to respond to school attrition among those unable to afford school fees. PCC uses community arts performances to combat HIV/AIDS-related discrimination and stigma and offers material and psychosocial assistance to children who have dropped out of school. |
Pemba Children's Club |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
Pemba Children's Club |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Let the Little Children Come to Me |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Five parents who 'noticed the regrettable conditions' affecting many children in Huye District (southern Rwanda) founded Let the Little Children Come to Me (LLCCM). Guided by the Rwandan value of 'Ita ku mwana wese nk'uwawe' (provide care to all children like they were yours), LLCCM initiated a program to support orphans and vulnerable children. LLCCM are using Firelight funds to strengthen the services provided by their Orphan Center and to start new initiative. Funds pay for health insurance for 107 children and health education classes for youth and children. Classes include information on hygiene, basic anatomy, physiology, and disease prevention. LLCCM is offering seeds and tools to families to start vegetable gardens. Grant funding also covers the repair of three sewing machines to be used in training and materials for a card-making project. Proceeds from the sales of uniforms and cards directly support beneficiary households. Les Enfants de Dieu assists street children in Kigali by offering them shelter, hot meals, schooling, and vocational training. The group also helps to reunite the children with their families and return to their former communities. |
Let the Little Children Come to Me |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| LLCCM operates a social service center for orphans; runs vocational training and health education classes for youth and children; and provides vegetable gardening supplies and tools to vulnerable families. The group works in partnership with the Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP), an organization established by medical students at the University of Rwanda. |
Let the Little Children Come to Me |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Silelo Community School HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Silelo Community School was established in 2001 by a community whose closest school was 20 km away. The school serves 130 children from 66 households in 3 villages. The Silelo Community School HIV/AIDS Support Group (the Support Group) provides psychosocial support and recreation to students though a kids club. The club also serves as an entry point to enter school; as community children come to the school to play, they develop an interest in attending school. The Support Group conducts home visits and links students and caregivers to needed services. In addition, they conduct HIV/AIDS awareness raising campaigns through talks and drama. Firelight funds purchase 17 bicycles and related equipment to transport caregivers for home visits. They also purchase agricultural inputs for their community school garden and communal field, which supports the school feeding program. In addition, and buy second-hand clothing for students. Lastly, funds cover costs of training 17 volunteers in caregiving and psychosocial support. Established by a community whose closest school was 20 km away, Silelo Community School provides educational, counseling, and recreational activities for students; links caregivers to health and other services; and raises HIV/AIDS awareness through drama and community presentations. |
Silelo Community School HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Established by a community whose closest school was 20 kilometers away, Silelo Community School provides educational, counseling, and recreational activities for students; links caregivers to health and other services; and raises HIV/AIDS awareness through drama and community presentations. |
Silelo Community School HIV/AIDS Support Group |
| Country: Zambia |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Association Benimpuhwe, Centre Familial Mu Rugo |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Rwandan women living in Burundi, refugees of ethnic violence in 1959, founded Association Benimpuhwe ('They Who Have Compassion' in Kinyarwanda) upon their repatriation in 1994. To support orphans, widows, and others affected by violence, Association Benimpuhwe created a model village of 180 families where 'all ethnicities coexist in harmony.' The organization's Centre Familial Mu Rugo serves as an information hub, training center, and bridge to services for vulnerable families and youth. This grant supports Association Benimpuhwe's Centre Familial Mu Rugo to train 20 vulnerable youth (mostly girls) in tailoring and business management, and to offer peer-led education for 270 adolescent girls and boys on life skills, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and drug abuse. Firelight funds also cover the costs of a mother-child educational play and nutrition program for 150 children under six years old, and their mothers. To support orphans, widows, and others affected by violence, Benimpuhwe created a model multi-ethnic village of 180 families that serves as an information hub, training center, and bridge to services for vulnerable families. |
Association Benimpuhwe, Centre Familial Mu Rugo |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Refugees of ethnic violence, Rwandan women living in Burundi founded the Association Benimpuhwe ('They Who Have Compassion') upon their repatriation in 1994. To support orphans, widows, and others affected by violence, Benimpuhwe created a model multi-ethnic village of 180 families that serves as an information hub, training center, and bridge to services for vulnerable families. The Centre also offers a range of services to children, youth, and families. |
Association Benimpuhwe, Centre Familial Mu Rugo |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Ingalo Zomusa Orphan Care |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| Ingalo Zomusa ('Arm of Mercy') was founded in 2003 by a group of 20 women in direct response to the needs of child-headed families in Gwanda in southwestern Zimbabwe. They started by 'adopting' one family per volunteer and personally supporting them. With local funding, the organization expanded services, providing basic needs, counseling, life skills and home-based care to greater numbers of vulnerable children in urban and rural areas. Volunteers provided accommodation to families whose houses were destroyed during Operation Murambatsvina. To support the group's activities and the youths' long-term independence, Ingalo Zomusa runs a communal garden and income generating projects. Youth also participate in child protection committees and educate peers through campaigns against stigma, discrimination and gender violence. With their first international funding, Ingalo Zomusa provided school fees and uniforms, food to child-headed households and infants, volunteer stipends and other administrative costs. Ingalo Zomusa provides counseling, life skills and vocational training, as well as home-based care to families affected by HIV/AIDS. They also contribute school fees and uniforms to child-headed households, and help youth begin income-generating projects. |
Ingalo Zomusa Orphan Care |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Ingalo Zomusa ('Arm of Mercy') was founded in 2003 by a group of 20 women in direct response to the needs of child-headed families in Gwanda in southwestern Zimbabwe. Ingalo Zomusa provides counseling, life skills and vocational training, as well as home-based care to families affected by HIV/AIDS. They also contribute school fees and uniforms to child-headed households, and help youth begin income-generating projects. With local funding, the organization expanded services, providing basic needs, counseling, life skills and home-based care to greater numbers of vulnerable children in urban and rural areas. |
Ingalo Zomusa Orphan Care |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
Ingalo Zomusa Orphan Care |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Chiedza Community Based Orphan Welfare Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Founded by teachers, health care workers, and members of a women's cooperative, Chiedza Community Based Orphan Welfare Organization (CCBOWO) strives to empower communities to care for the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children. Communities conduct awareness-raising campaigns on HIV/AIDS, nutrition, child abuse, children's rights, and reproductive health. CCBOWO also runs artisan economic strengthening programs, trains foster parents, supports school fees and feeding programs, and runs counseling and support groups in each of the five villages they serve. |
Chiedza Community Based Orphan Welfare Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
Ray of Hope Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Ray of Hope was founded in 2005 by a domestic violence survivor with the aim of supporting women and children affected by family violence in Mutasa, Manicaland. Ray of Hope advocates for survivors to 'take a second chance at life with courage and bravery,' especially targeting outreach and awareness-raising efforts to women in rural areas. A newly-established organization, Ray of Hope plans to support survivors with professional counseling, debriefing workshops and meetings, survival skills training, and legal assistance. Children in high risk situations will be accommodated in temporary foster care and their school fees will be paid. Ray of Hope is using Firelight funds to conduct two awareness campaigns, one for adults and one for children, to promote human rights, including freedom from abuse and the right to pursue justice. To economically empower women who have left abusive situations, they propose to provide training in economic strengthening activities and offer startup funds to 10 women (caring for an average of 5 children). They also request funding for school fees and nutritional support for 30 children. Finallly, 44% of this grant enables Ray of Hope to cover administrative costs, including communications, office supplies, and volunteer allowances. Ray of Hope supports women and children affected by family violence by providing counseling, survival skills training, legal assistance, loans, and small business workshops. |
Ray of Hope Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Ray of Hope supports women and children affected by family violence by providing counseling and legal assistance. They also promote economic independence among survivors of domestic violence through loans and small business workshops. |
Ray of Hope Zimbabwe |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Maunganidze Kindhearted Children's Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Maunganidze Kindhearted Children's Organisation (MKCO) was established in 1992 by a foster parent in Seke, Chitungwiza. She started taking abused and neglected children from the street into her home, eventually mobilizing community members to contribute and take children in as well. With initial Firelight support, the first outside funding the organization has ever received, Maunganidze proposed support to 50 children in the area of basic needs (food, shelter and medicine), psychosocial support, and education assistance. To encourage cooperation and complementary efforts among stakeholders, MKCO also planned to hold awareness-raising seminars on children's rights, gender and HIV/AIDS. MKCO provides foster care for abused and neglected children, and community education on HIV/AIDS and children's rights. They provide food, medicine, counseling, and school fees for children in child-headed households. |
Maunganidze Kindhearted Children's Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| MKCO provides foster care for abused and neglected children, and community education on HIV/AIDS and children's rights. They provide food, medicine, counseling, and school fees for children in child-headed households. |
Maunganidze Kindhearted Children's Organisation |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Ntcheu Network |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Community-based organization (CBO) leaders came together in 2004 to form Ntcheu Network to provide a 'regular venue for more than 200 CBOs to encourage [each other in] helping orphans and vulnerable children in Ntcheu district.' Their purpose is to 'gather information and solve problems;' assist CBOs' fundraising efforts; raise funds to help orphans and vulnerable children in crisis; monitor member CBO use of donors funds; and hold HIV/AIDS awareness events. |
Molotech - Digital Hero Book Project |
| Country: USA |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| Founded in 2003, Molotech works on internet and community technologies for socio-economic development. The Digital Hero Book Project builds upon the psychosocial support (PSS) tool of hero booking---whereby participants are the author, illustrator, main character (hero) and editor of a book that is designed to help them set goals, and give them power over a specific challenge or obstacle in their life. The Digital Hero Book Project will equip authors to digitize their hero books and publish them on community-based websites. In addition, it will allow participants to develop information and communication technology (ICT) skills, learn about web-publishing, and enable their experiences to be shared with a larger, worldwide audience. With Firelight funds, Molotech is developing a model to integrate PSS aspects of hero booking into school education via ICT with 19 teachers and 125 school learners in the Western Cape. After the pilot phase, Molotech will develop a toolkit and disseminate it widely. The five-year vision is to rollout the project throughout Eastern and Southern Africa in ICT-enabled schools, telecenters, libraries and PSS centers. |
Pemphero Children's Foundation |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Pemphero reaches more than 1,600 orphans and vulnerable children in 18 remote villages by supporting 12 community-based childcare centers, kids clubs, recreational and educational activities, and providing blankets, clothing, garden supplies, and food packs. |
Mchezi Community Based Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,300 |
| Mchezi Community Based Organization was originally founded to address hunger and poverty affecting over 3,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, and has expanded to include community-based childcare centers (CBCCs) that reach 1,500 children as well as a poultry project to raise school fees. Mchezi's first Firelight grant funds CBCCs (including learning and garden supplies and teacher training), staff and administrative costs, tailoring training and a bakery IGA. Founded to combat hunger and poverty, Mchezi reaches more than 3,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS and 1,500 children through their childcare centers, vocational training, and income-generating projects that help cover school fees. |
Mchezi Community Based Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,100 |
| Mchezi Community Based Organization was originally founded to address hunger and poverty affecting more than 3,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, and has expanded to include community-based childcare centers (CBCCs) that reach 1,500 children as well as a poultry project to raise school fees. |
Mchezi Community Based Organization |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,700 |
Foundation for Community Support Services |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,600 |
| Established in 2000 by young people in the northern district of Karonga, FOCUS addresses food security, gender, human rights and behavior change. FOCUS is providing educational support for ten of the most vulnerable orphans in their area, conducting a training for youth in peer-education, life-skills and awareness raising. They also facilitate discussions with orphans and their caretakers on children's rights and the importance of education, and support community leaders to strengthen orphan care committees through leadership training. This grant also supports staff salaries. FOCUS addresses food security, gender issues, human rights, and behavior change, and provides educational support for vulnerable orphans, including peer education, leadership and life skills trainings, and awareness-raising. |
Foundation for Community Support Services |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS) was established in 2000 by a group of concerned young people to prevent and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Karonga District in northern Malawi. FOCUS implements 'integrated livelihood, care, and support projects' that address food security, gender and human rights issues, and behavior change. |
Foundation for Community Support Services |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
| Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center is an early childhood development center established in 2006 by a local PLWA support group and other interested community members. This free daycare serves up to 40 OVC ages 3-6. First priority is given to children living in child-headed families, second priority to those living with grandparent caregivers. Freed from caregiving responsibilities, older siblings are able to attend school, and are fed twice a day at the center. Manyeloi a Manyane has secured a building which was in need of rennovations. Firelight funds were used to make the building safe for children by repairing and adding on to the building and constructing toilets and a security fence. Additional Firelight funds were used to purchase cooking equipment and furniture. Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center offers free daycare to orphans and vulnerable children ages 3-6 with enrollment priority given to child-headed households and children living with grandparents. |
Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center offers free daycare to orphans and vulnerable children ages 3-6 with enrollment priority given to child-headed households and children living with grandparents. |
Manyeloi a Manyane Day-Care Center |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $6,000 |
Mohoma Temeng |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,900 |
| Initiated by women farmers in the isolated, mountainous area of Ha Mpiti, Mohoma Temeng unites women farmers, children, and educators to promote food security, respect for the land, and community well-being. Due to loss of agricultural labor (an impact of HIV/AIDS), food production has declined, leaving many children and adults hungry. Mohoma Temeng works to provide food to the community inexpensively and sustainably. The three main goals of this grant are to improve the nutrition of 400 children (25 percent of whom are AIDS orphans), to educate the children in indigenous methods of sustainable food production, and to use income from the sale of produce for the children's health and education expenses. They plan to foster youth leadership by teaching the students record-keeping, accounting, and marketing skills. Firelight funds provide three food IGAs: 1) a flock of chickens at lay-point, for egg production with the excess sold to generate income, 2) three cows and a bull to provide milk for the children, and 3) tools and seeds to expand the garden. Established by women farmers in an isolated area, Mohoma Temeng aims to improve the nutritional health of children and promote food security by educating people on indigenous methods of sustainable food production. |
Mohoma Temeng |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $7,500 |
| Established by women farmers in an isolated area, Mohoma Temeng aims to improve the nutritional health of children and promote food security by educating people on indigenous methods of sustainable food production. |
Commission Chr'tienne de Lutte Contre le SIDA |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| The Commission Chr'tienne de Lutte Contre le SIDA (the Christian Commission for the Struggle Against AIDS), an ecumenical organization involving 30 churches, grew from pastors' concerns about escalating HIV/AIDS rates and a corresponding marginalization of people living with the disease and orphans. CCLS facilitates and coordinates outreach to AIDS-affected families in rural Rubavu, Western Province, and contributes to the social and economic integration of over 4,200 orphans. Firelight funding supports CCLS to offer peer-led life-skills training to teenage girls and boys, which includes lessons on HIV/AIDS as well as economic empowerment through building tailoring, knitting, and hair styling skills. After course completion, with CCLS' assistance the youth will initiate and manage a tailoring shop and salon. This grant also covers the cost of school materials for 60 secondary school-aged youth, twice as many girls as boys. CCLS'a group of 30 churches'reaches more than 4,200 orphans, providing teenagers with peer-led life skills training, including HIV prevention, and vocational skills training in tailoring, knitting, and hair styling. |
Commission Chr'tienne de Lutte Contre le SIDA |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| CCLS'an ecumenical organization of 30 churches'reaches more than 4,200 orphans through their families, providing education support, peer-led life skills and HIV-prevention training, and vocational skills training in tailoring, knitting, and hair styling. |
Commission Chr'tienne de Lutte Contre le SIDA |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
Association Urukundo Rw'Imana |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,800 |
| Pastors from the Free Methodist Churches started Association Urukundo Rw'Imana ('Love of God') to support church members living with HIV/AIDS. The organization's programs include, child and youth counseling groups, vocational apprenticeships for HIV-positive youth, and awareness-raising activities to combat stigma. Urukundo Rw'Imana's trained counselors offer emotional support and household assistance to children through weekly visits to homes of bedridden adults. This grant helps the group to ensure ongoing training and monitoring of child counselors and to continue educating community members about the rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Funding also supports Urukundo Rw'Imana to provide educational assistance to 20 primary and 20 secondary school students and to cover vocational training expenses for 20 youth. A portion of funds cover administrative costs. Urukundo Rw'Imana's programs include child and youth counseling groups, home visits to children with bedridden parents, vocational apprenticeships for youth living with HIV/AIDS, educational assistance, and awareness-raising activities to combat stigma. |
Association Urukundo Rw'Imana |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Pastors from the Free Methodist Churches started Association Urukundo Rw'Imana ('Love of God') to support church members living with HIV/AIDS. Their programs include child and youth counseling groups, home visits to children with bedridden parents, vocational apprenticeships for youth living with HIV/AIDS, educational assistance, and awareness-raising activities to combat stigma. |
Association Urukundo Rw'Imana |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Society for Women and AIDS in Africa Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $8,000 |
| Women from different backgrounds throughout Lesotho came together to form the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa Lesotho (SWAALES). Since 1992, these women have been volunteering to educate the community on HIV/AIDS, related stigma, and proper home-based care, and to assist caregivers and OVC on developing livelihoods and staying in school. SWAALES believes that it is through education that these children can be well prepared to face the future with confidence, resilience, and assertiveness. They requested Firelight funds to purchase uniforms, books, and other necessities so that 60 children who are heading households or living with grandparents can attend school. Firelight funds support training 10 older OVC in candle-making as an income-generating activity. All children participate in the vegetable garden, using tools and seeds purchased with Firelight funds to learn about agriculture, nutrition, and food preservation as they strengthen their families' food security. Run by women volunteers, SWAALES educates the community on HIV/AIDS; trains people in home-based care; and helps caregivers and children develop livelihoods and stay in school. |
Society for Women and AIDS in Africa Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
| Run by women volunteers, SWAALES educates the community on HIV/AIDS; trains people in home-based care; and helps caregivers to develop livelihoods and children to stay in school. |
Khutsong Sekamaneng Women in Action Against Poverty |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $3,500 |
| Khutsong Sekamaneng Women in Action against Poverty (KNWAAP) was initiated in 2005 by a group of women in Khutsong village after they realized that an increasing number of children were going door to door, asking for food. They conducted an informal situation analysis and determined that 200 children in their community were living in vulnerable circumstances, including; child headed households, taking care of ill caregivers, engaged as child sex-workers, living with alcoholic caregivers, or without homes at all. As a result they decided that KNWAAP would focus on addressing the educational, clothing, recreational, shelter, counseling, and spiritual growth needs of these 200 children. They aim to have every child in the village enjoy an education and be part of the youth activities, regardless of their family or economic situation. KNWAAP is using Firelight support to provide education, food and clothing assistance to 15 out of the 200 children currently cared for by the group. They are providing educational requirements including stationary, books, and uniforms, out-of-school clothing, and monthly food packages. KSWAAP addresses the needs of 200 vulnerable children by providing clothing, shelter, counseling, and recreational activities, in addition to educational, nutritional, and spiritual support. |
Khutsong Sekamaneng Women in Action Against Poverty |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| KSWAAP addresses the needs of 200 vulnerable children by providing clothing, shelter, counseling, and recreational activities, in addition to educational, nutritional, and spiritual support. Initiated by a group of local women, they aim to have every child in the village enrolled in school and engaged in youth activities, regardless of his or her family or economic situation. |
Khutsong Sekamaneng Women in Action Against Poverty |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
Crossroads Lesotho |
| Country: Lesotho |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $5,000 |
| Crossroads Lesotho was formed by a group of young people in 2003 to foster compassion between youth, 'seeking to identify the role of young people in supporting both children and young people orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.' They foster this compassion through five program areas: youth clubs development, youth rehabilitation, theatre/drama, economic development and entrepreneurship, and sports. Firelight has awarded Crossroads a planning grant to mobilize the community in advance of building an adventure play ground (APG). This APG will have a variety of structures and obstacle courses designed to challenge OVC and youth to demonstrate their capabilities in different ways. Crossroads plans to form two 'youth support groups' of 15 youth each to implement and manage the project. Crossroads will conduct trainings on leadership skills, lifeskills and HIV/AIDS training, and food security. They will also hold quarterly outdoor activity days for 100 OVC. Crossroads Lesotho helps children and young people orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS through youth clubs, support groups, rehabilitation programs, sports and theater/drama activities, and entrepreneurship and life skills trainings. |
Communaut' des Potiers du Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| The Batwa pygmies are Rwanda's earliest known inhabitants. While they lived in isolation for centuries, they were eventually displaced from the forests and expected to integrate into mainstream culture. The tribe has faced social exclusion and discrimination that have led to extreme poverty. In 1995, three organizations united to form CAURWA, now known as COPORWA ('Organization of Rwandese Potters') to support the Batwa communities nationwide. COPORWA implements programs to increase literacy rates, support socioeconomic empowerment, and promote human rights. Firelight funding supports HIV-prevention programs for Batwa youth, including awareness-raising, recreation, and revenue-generating activities. Additionally, 104 primary and secondary students affected by HIV are receiving educational assistance. Focusing on the marginalized Batwa Pygmy, COPORWA works to increase literacy rates; expand economic opportunity; combat discrimination; and promote human rights. The group also runs HIV prevention programs and income-generating activities for youth. |
Communaut' des Potiers du Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| The Batwa people, commonly known as pygmies, are Rwanda's earliest known inhabitants. While they lived in isolation for centuries, they were eventually displaced from the forests and expected to integrate into mainstream culture. The indigenous group has faced social exclusion and discrimination that have led to extreme poverty. In 1995, three organizations united to form COPORWA and started programs to increase literacy rates, support socioeconomic empowerment, and promote the human rights of Batwa communities nationwide. |
Communaut' des Potiers du Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
Communaut' des Potiers du Rwanda |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $3,000 |
Grassroots Alliance for Community Education Africa |
| Country: Kenya |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $15,000 |
| Grassroots Alliance for Community Education - Africa (GRACE - Africa) supports sustainable community building and improved quality of life through innovative, locally driven grassroots programs. Past Firelight funding for GRACE - Africa, through GRACE - USA, supported technical assistance workshops and site visits. An intermediary grant enabled sub-granting to nine community-based organizations. Grace - Africa works with 116 youth-led organizations, consisting of out-of-school youth membership. In the past, Grace - Africa trained 140 youth on entrepreneurship skills and held a one-day youth market day where youth displayed their goods and services. This grant from Firelight to GRACE - Africa is funding an entrepreneurship training workshop for 30 youth and the organization of eight regional trade fairs, where trained youth will market their goods and services. Firelight is also financing a mentorship program, which enables GRACE - Africa to connect each youth to an existing business for hands-on experience. Last, Firelight funds are supporting monitoring activities and part of GRACE - Africa's overhead costs. Working with 116 youth-led groups, GRACE - Africa offers technical assistance workshops, mentoring, entrepreneurship training, and trade fairs where youth can market their goods and services. |
Community Health Environmental Care Trust |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2007 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Community Health Environmental Care Trust (CHECT) 'promotes change to risky behavior and mitigates the impact of AIDS' in Malawi's central region. CHECT's previous grant from the Firelight Foundation was administrated by Nkhoma Community AIDS Programme (NCAP). With the previous grant, CHECT provided food and garden supplies to 25 households and 10 community-based childcare centers (CBCCs), held 'children's corner' events with recreation activities for over 2,000 children, and oriented 4,000 children and community leaders on positive living and goal-setting. Finally, CHECT purchased a maize mill but was unable to make it operational due to an unexpected increase in the price of the mill and the costs of electrification. This grant provides technical assistance funds for development of a business plan for the maize mill. In addition, it continues funding for the feeding program for 12 CBCCs, supports administrative costs, and provides psychosocial support training for 40 guardians, caregivers and community leaders. CHECT's HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities reach thousands of community leaders and children. A new maize mill will raise funds to provide school fees to orphans; they also provide food and gardening supplies to childcare centers and households. |
Community Health Environmental Care Trust |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
| Community Health Environmental Care Trust (CHECT) 'promotes change to risky behavior and mitigates the impact of AIDS' in Malawi's central region. Their HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities reach thousands of community leaders and children. CHECT also provides school fees to orphans and food and gardening supplies to community-based childcare centers (CBCCs) and households. |
Community Health Environmental Care Trust |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $5,300 |
Community Health Environmental Care Trust |
| Country: Malawi |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,500 |
Women Emancipation and Development Agency |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $9,800 |
| Founded in 2003, Women Emancipation and Development Agency (WOMEDA) grew out of a collaboration between human and legal rights activists and widows. The organization provides legal aid, psychosocial support, leadership development, and economic empowerment opportunities to women in remote rural communities in a northwestern district bordering Uganda and Rwanda. |
Women Emancipation and Development Agency |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $14,000 |
Masvingo Community Based HIV and Vulnerable Children Organization |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $10,000 |
| Seven concerned community members formed Masvingo Community Based HIV and Vulnerable Children Organization (MACOBAO) in 2005 to strengthen the livelihoods of AIDS-affected families; provide access to basic services for orphans and vulnerable children; and protect children against all forms of abuse in rural Masvingo. MACOBAO offers 'technical and financial support' to four ward-level child protection committees that provide a 'package of services' to children, including home visits, school fees, psychosocial support, and economic strengthening activities such as internal savings and lending. |
Masvingo Community Based HIV and Vulnerable Children Organization |
| Country: Zimbabwe |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $12,000 |
Special Education Center of Janja |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $9,200 |
| The Association for Christian Education in Peace Values (APAX) started the Special Education Center of Janja to provide care to children aged 3-17 living with physical and mental disabilities. In addition to daily caregiving, the Center provides physiotherapy services to infants; runs a preschool and primary education program adapted to the needs of the children; and works to ensure the social integration of disabled children by raising awareness in the community at large. Since its creation in 2005, the Center has taken in 150 children. |
Special Education Center of Janja |
| Country: Rwanda |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $9,000 |
The Pemba Island Relief Organisation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2008 |
Amount Awarded: $9,950 |
| A group of professionals based in Pemba Island started Pemba Island Relief Organization (PIRO) in 1996 to build the capacity of communities to improve services and meet children's needs. Over the years, PIRO's activities have included work in sexual reproductive health and gender-based violence. At the national level PIRO advocates for policies supporting orphans and vulnerable children while strengthening and consolidating networks of care and support at the district level. |
The Pemba Island Relief Organisation |
| Country: Tanzania |
Year Awarded: FY2009 |
Amount Awarded: $13,000 |
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