Sharing Web Resources

The Global Fund for Children

When following some of the outside links from the Global Fund for Children website, most of the links I found were primarily internal; however, I discovered some outside links to organizations that help support Grassroots and their mission.  Such examples were the Tea Clothing Collection, LESAIMS Jewelry Line, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, and other large organizations that donate a percentage of their net profit to the Global Fund for Children.  Most companies have a particular fund in which they contribute to, but it was interesting to see their supporters.    

v   Nike- Particularly helps equip adolescent girls with resources and tools to create better lives for them and their families.

v  Johnson & Johnson- Helps children who have been infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and children who are at risk of abuse or gender-based inequality.

v  Oak Foundation- Allows the Global Fund for Children to invest in organizations in Africa and Asia that that work on the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and on the issue of trafficking.

v  Tea Clothing Collection- Gives 8% of net profit to the Global Fund for Children

v  LES AIMS- To ‘Shop Here, Give There, is the philosophy of this organization.  They donate 10% of their net profit to support grants that are requested by the GFC. 

In searching one particular area of the website, I was interested in GFC’s Annual Report from 2010-2011.  It was so rewarding to see how many grants were granted, and from various countries of the world.  The GFC invested in 324 organizations in 72 countries, and 616 grants were granted that valued at $3.8 million!  Wow!  What success!  81 percent of the total spending went directly to program activities, while the remaining 19 percent covered general, administrative, and fundraising costs.  This was a 55 percent increase of financial fundraising opportunities that compared to the year prior.  This is truly amazing!

One particular issue that breaks my heart is how children around the world are robbed of their childhood through trafficking.  Young children are forced to work for little pay to support their families, and many children are physically, emotionally, and sexually abused.  Particularly women, but unfortunately this happens to young, innocent girls.  In reading the most recent news from the GFC newsletter, “Walking in her shoes” talked with young girl survivors, in which all were victims of sexual violence.  The Home of Hope, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, gives sexually exploited girls the tools to earn a living and engage in decent work. The organization’s approach includes a transitional center, education and livelihood training, life skills training, and activities to raise community awareness about sexual exploitation.  Children as young as the age of 7 were members of the Home of Hope.  This is just so incredibly awful, and makes my stomach turn when I think about how young these girls are.  I can’t imagine what they went through before being rescued by the Home of Hope.  GFC continues to partner with grassroots organizations like Home of Hope to address the causes of sexual exploitation. GFC also supports outreach programs and rescue operations, offer referrals to specialists and other organization, provides family tracing services, and protection of survivors and their families. They also advocate for the enforcement of laws to address sexual exploitation, and work with communities to ensure that the perpetrators and their accomplices are punished and undergo rehabilitation (www.globalfundforchildren.org).

A few weeks ago, I published a blog that talked about the various Grassroots Organizations within central Asia that support equity and excellence to children who have disabilities.  Their mission was to “ensure that children living with disabilities have equal access to services and the opportunity to grow into adults who participate fully in their communities” (www.globalfundforchildren.org).  Some GFC partners included members from Tajikistan, Moldova, Ukraine, and other countries in the former Soviet Union who encounter challenges with the stigma that society places on children with disabilities. Children with disabilities are often stigmatized because their community lacks an understanding of what causes a disability, therefore Grassroots organizations commit themselves to change the social attitudes about children who have disabilities.  I feel that providing opportunities, accessibility, resources, and supports to children with disabilities is one way to provide equity and excellence to all children.   

One issue I found very relevant at this time, was the issue of “Empowering Youth through Sports.”  With Olympic fever in the air, Alfred Itaeli, director of Future Stars Academy (FSA) in Arusha, Tanzania, works with children to inspire and motivate as many come from poor households.   The program combines professional-level soccer training, and focuses on teamwork, social skills, sportsmanship, and life skills while having fun as well.  They also implement an attitude of “no school, no play” (www.globalfundforchildren.org).  This encourages children to attend school, so they can participate in their daily sports activities.  What a great way to keep kids off the streets, involved, make friends, lift spirits, and work as a team.  Alfred commented, “The main lesson learned through sports is that one can dare to dream. A dream that pushes them through obstacles and challenges—a self-belief that I CAN DO IT if I work hard at it! Focusing on the dream minimizes the struggles of day-to-day life in the slums” (www.globalfundforchildren.org).

Resources:

www.globalfundforchildren.org