Thanks for a fantastic time out here, fingers crossed I can get back out soon!

(Africamper)

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Fundraising ideas for Africamp

Firstly people are not just going to give you money out of the goodness of their hearts – they will want to know exactly what you are going out to Kenya to do so lets start with a few basics about Africamp. It is important you know about your subject when you start writing letters.

Where do the street children come from and how do they get involved?

Many of the kids are orphans or children whose families are so poor that they are forced to spend long period of time on the street  - just surviving. 

In Nairobi you will see lots of children lying under trees, sleeping or unconscious.  At other times you will see the children begging and crying, you will see how desperate they look and you will feel quite helpless.  But we help kids out of this cycle.  We integrate the children back into society, teaching them the basics of ‘good living.’  Putting them in touch with their extended family or helping to find them shelter in a home or boarding school it offers financial support and also tries to educate all children involved in the programme.  The kids are given the chance to go to school, this is a great boost for them – in Kenya an education is invaluable. 

The camp you will be on lasts for 10 to 12  days and is essentially a rehabilitation project.  It incorporates the following activities:

  • Project Work – each team will undertake a building project.  In the past Africamp teams have built a medical centre, put in water lines and tanks, built a learning centre and vocational training centre where the street children can come to do classes in bakery and tailoring.

We believe that it is very important for the Muzungus (white people!) to work together with the street children and to build something permanent.  The kids and muzungus feel a great sense of pride when they see the finished project.

  • Games and Activities – life on the street is basically a matter of survival.  The street children do not get time to play, many of them will never have held toys or even a real ball.  You will see them playing with balls that they have made from plastic and bits of string.  So having the chance to play games and behave like a kid is a real treat.  Its hard to describe how much this means to them but you will understand when you find your self running around a field with 20 happy street children.
  • Health  - each and every child receives a medical check and medication if it is required.  They also get a dental check up and receive toothpaste, toothbrush and soap.  It is unbelievable to us but most of the kids will never have been taught to wash themselves, it will be part of your job to show them how to wash their hands before eating and how to brush their teeth.  You will also assist with our ongoing AIDS Awareness programme.
  • Arts & Crafts, Reading & Writing – again drawing and reading or having someone read to them is a big deal for Kids!  This year one of the Adventure Alternative leaders decided to tie-dye t-shirts with the children and they loved it and got a new t-shirt to boot!
  • Day Trips – we like to make sure that you see lots of Kenya during your 4 week stay.  If the kids in your group are from a local area then we will try to make sure you see where they come from or visit their school. 

If you signed up for Africamp to find out more about another way of life then Africamp will show you that. The camp means so much to the street kids.  Three meals a day is something that most of the kids will never have experienced.  On the streets they are without identity but by giving them your care and attention you are giving them pride.  The simple fact that someone wants to spend time with them means so much, consider how these kids live and you will understand why simple kindness and human contact becomes so meaningful.

You will spend every day with about 15-20 street children, if you are patient with them and spend time with them, you will find that they will grow to trust you and start to tell you stories about themselves.  You should make the absolute most of the time you have with them, because the days will pass very quickly.  If you put your all into the experience you will hopefully come away with a completely new perspective on life.

Some Things You Should Know About  Street Children in Kenya

The World Health Organisation once described street children as ‘ the single biggest social problem on earth’.   It is estimated that between 100,000 and 150,000 street children are in Kenya, 30,000 of whom live in Nairobi. 

It is almost impossible for us to comprehend what hardships and dangers street children face every day.  Since they live without the protection of responsible adults they are easy targets for police and society at large.  Street children are vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and child prostitution.  They are denied love and affection and many have no access to health care or education so they survive by their wit and experience.  On the street it’s about safety in numbers and the children tend to join gangs, they will look out for each other.

In Kenya the increasing numbers of street children are the result of poverty and continuing corruption.  Also, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has created thousands of orphans who have nobody to turn to and so find themselves on the streets. Eastern Africa has one of the world's highest concentrations of HIV/AIDS infection. The majority of infected persons fall into the economically most productive age group between 15 and 35 years. There is deep-rooted ignorance and many cultural misconceptions and practices that further propagate the disease. Life expectancy is expected to drop in some countries to as low as 47 years by the year 2010. A senior official from the Ministry of Health in Kenya has stated that there are 1.9 million HIV+ persons in the country, and an estimated 600,000 orphans whose parents have already died of HIV/AIDS. Hospitals are no longer considered places for treatment, but places to die.

Children on the streets tend to become part of a very cruel justice system.  A 1997 Human Rights Watch Report stated that street children are …‘subject to frequent arrest simply because they are homeless; vagrancy is a criminal offence under Kenyan law.  Once arrested, often by plainclothes police in roundup operations, street children are processed through the revolving doors of the Kenyan juvenile system, where children pass back and forth between remand detention centres and court before a final disposition is reached in their cases.  After spending indefinite periods of time on remand, where they are further neglected and abused, they may be finally sentenced to institutions called approved schools, borstal institutions or adult prisons, which do little to improve their lives.  Further, the procedures by which street children are deprived of their liberty and are committed to these institutions do not comply with international law.’

Survival on the street revolves around scavenging for food on rubbish tips or begging from passers by  - we can’t fathom how humiliating this must be.  It is quite common for girls to be prostituted.  As a way of escape the children use glue and drugs, it helps curb their hunger and detaches them from the things that go on around them.  So you see that living on the street is not really a choice it’s a last resort and a fight for survival.  Someone once told me that if a primary school child goes on to the street they will not live to the age of 18 – poverty is a killer – but you can make a difference.

Some Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is quite a serious business and there’s lots of competition out there so you should aim to go about it professionally.

Start by calculating how much money you can put in by yourself. Then add in what your parents and family can donate for you. Then look at what you can earn from a job in the coming months. Put the figures into achievable blocks and break the total into smaller figures.

You should reasonably cover the cost of the flight and perhaps 30% of the total trip cost yourself and with family or friends. The balance you can legitimately raise and remember that you are on a trip working with street kids and that you have to challenge yourself to climb Mount Kenya so it is not all a holiday!

Then look for donations to make up the total.

Scouts: Write to your local District Commissioner and County Commissioner. Sometimes they have some funds available for people going to Jamborees etc. Your application will be tabled at a meeting. Follow this up with a telephone call.

Education Board: Grants are available through local councils.  Make an appointment with the Divisional Youth Office and be prepared to go for a short interview or give a presentation.

Rotary Club/Round Table: These local organisations are normally prepared to support people and events. Find out who the local secretary is and write a letter explaining what you are doing. Offer to give a talk at one of their meetings you could mention that you are doing your Gold Duke of Edinburgh in Africa.

Businesses: Many companies donate to good causes and operate a ‘slush fund’ for charities. They receive lots of applications so you should aim to impress them. Type a short concise letter to about ten local firms (not high Street chains) and explain your circumstances. Sent it to the Chief Executive/MD, PR Officer or person in charge of charity donations (try and find out a name simply by ringing the switchboard or secretary  - no name will mean no donation).

Points to include are that you are working with street children in Africa, it is a bone fide project supported by a registered charity and NGO called Moving Mountains and that you yourself are putting up a percentage of the project through savings and/or fund-raising events, and a comment or two about what you hope to gain from the trip - this has to be honest and up front; you are relying on people’s generosity. Maybe offer to provide a photo of their company flag or banner on top of Mt. Kenya, some executives like that sort of thing for their lobby. Follow up with a telephone call, and of course it is vital to send thank you letters and report on your return.

Schools: Schools often hold non-uniform days for fund-raising. They also have charity fairs, quizzes, discos and so on. The Expedition is something that could really catch the interest of people - how often does someone go off to Africa to work with some of the worlds poorest children and climb the highest mountain in Kenya ? Talk it over with teachers, get the local paper and radio along to the school and get an article along the lines of ‘So and so from such and such school is going on an expedition to East Africa etc. This is good publicity for everyone.

Press: Get the local paper to publish a piece about you, and get the local radio to interview you. You would be surprised at how interested journalists are in what’s happening - it’s their job after all. It is very important to get the media on your side and working for you. Don’t be shy, ring and book an appointment.

Grants/ Trusts: In the local library you will find a book called the Directory of Grant Making Trusts. In it are hundreds of grant-giving organisations that provide money for philanthropic concerns. It is a matter of sifting through these and finding those which apply to you under headings such as ‘beneficial areas’ or ‘objectives’. The local youth office and county council will also have booklets specifically for youth which should save time. Follow the guidelines for applying and remember to reply with a thank you if you get anything. A few are listed below but also check out the UK Sponsor Website for more information www.uksponsorship.com

BBC Children in Need Appeal – PO BOX 76, London, W3 6FS. Telephone 020 8576 7788. Web Site www.bbc.co.uk/cin

Beverbrook Foundation – 11 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9JA. Telephone 020 7227474

Llyods TSB Foundation – PO Box 140, St Marys Court, St Marys Athill, London, EC3R 8NA www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk

Diana, Priness of Wales Memorial Fund - The County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SW1P 4 QP. Telephone 020 7902 5500. Web Site www.theworkcontinues.org

Dulverton Trust – 5 St James Place, London, SW1A 1NP. Telephone 020 7629 9121

Newspaper: Speak to the advertising editor of a local paper and explain what you are doing. Suggest a page or half page feature on you and the Expedition. The idea is then that the papers advertising team sell adverts for that page to local companies  (‘wish so an so good luck in Africa from A. Chop Butchers’) and you take a proportion of the sales. For instance let’s say that a box advert costs £60. The paper agrees to give 50% of that income to you in support of your venture. Twenty ads will give you £600.00 in one go. The paper make just the same amount of money because they will sell twice as many ads for that page to accompany your feature. It’s work for them but it’s up to you to sell the idea.

Letter Perfect:
Always use a PC for your letters, try and keep the letter to one page (short, concise and to the point), thank the person for his or her time, and suggest you may ring in a few days. Meet the person if possible - a face means much more than a letter and it is harder to refuse someone in person. Always thank sponsors in writing and after the Expedition always remember to send reports or give talks at the likes of schools or Rotary Clubs.

Portfolio: Do a portfolio for yourself and spend some time on it. It is far harder for somebody to bin a nicely bound portfolio than a letter. You may have to spend a bit of money but I guarantee it is worth spending. Put a tasteful cover on and bind it. Inside you can put the following

Page 1 - A half page colour photocopy of yourself. Underneath it in large type your name and address. Then a short paragraph explaining who you are and what the booklet is all about i.e. ‘My name is Genevieve Bunting and I am a student at Ballywotton High and presently a candidate for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. I am hoping to raise the funds to go on an Expedition to Kenya this year where we will be working with street children in shanty towns and climbing Mt. Kenya. For me this is an opportunity of a lifetime. By representing my local community here I hope to share my experiences with other young people when I return, and at the same time offer my enthusiasm and skills to other, less fortunate people than myself in the developing world’. Don’t be afraid to make the typeface really big.

Page 2: a photocopy of a newspaper article covering your story if you can.

Page 3: A reference or character appraisal from your school/D of E rep/Scout GSL/employer

Page 4: A Page highlighting the purpose of the trip. You can use the sheet you have received from Adventure Alternative to help you with this, or even photocopy it directly into your portfolio. Remember that although there are ‘holiday’ elements to the trip such as snorkelling, the principle reason for going is to help some desperately poor kids in Africa and to climb Mt. Kenya.

Page 5: A letter of support from a dignitary like the Town Mayor, local MP.
People who receive lots of letters asking for support often put them directly into the Out Tray; they can’t do that with a portfolio so easily. Remember to ask for the portfolio back! You can use it again and again. I suggest making about five initially. Use the portfolio to get a face to face meeting arranged - then it’s up to you to dazzle them with your charm and persuasion!

Organise an Event - Cake Sale Car Boot Sale ~Auction ~ Car Wash~ Window Cleaning~ Make some items to sell e.g. Christmas Cards, knitted scarves etc ~Table Quiz ~ Beetle Drive~ Quiz~ Carol Singing~ Kenyan Evening – Get on the net for ideas or call Helen for advice – 0141 337 6895 ~ Sponsored Events  - Run the Belfast/London/New York Marathon!

Further  Reading - You should be able to find the books listed below in the reference library.
'A Guide to the Major Trusts': Volume 1 and Volume 2 1995-6, published by the Directory of Social Change.
'Major Companies Guide', 1994 edition, published by the Directory of Social Change.
'Directory of Grant-Making Trusts 1995', published by the Charities Aid Foundation.
The Youth Funding Guide