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Women and Children In Africa (WACIA)
[edit] About WACIA
Our Mission Statement
"Working to alleviate hardship and suffering by funding projects which provide a sustainable benefit and help give women and children in Africa a better quality of life".
Women and Children in Africa was founded by Joanna Pike in November 2005. Born in Zanzibar and having maintained strong links with Africa throughout her life, the charity developed from a conversation in July 2005 with her brother, Graham Stevenson, who lives and works in Tanzania. The following month a mutual friend, Charles Nyeko-Lacek, returned from his home country, Uganda, with a powerful dvd highlighting the atrocities being committed on the children in northern Uganda. This dvd was the catalyst in the creation of the charity which is now funding projects in Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa and Ghana as well as Uganda.
The charity’s primary purpose is to undertake manageable and sustainable projects that can make a real difference to individuals and communities, enabling them to improve their lives.
Africa is full of resourceful, dignified, proud people who want to be given the opportunity to look after themselves and their own. They want and need a hand up, not a hand out. We help by finding the right people to work with and identify projects that enable them to do this.
What makes WACIA different to other charities?
Whilst some donors prefer anonymity and nothing further than the act of donating, WACIA appreciates that for many people there is a desire to know exactly to whom or how their donation has made a difference. For these people, WACIA wants to provide timely and appropriate feedback.
"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life." Nelson Mandela
[edit] Projects
WACIA works on projects in Africa where the need has been identified locally. That is to say, we do not suppose that we know better or best what any individual or communities’ needs might be. In some cases, for example when medical surgery might be needed, the impact of a donation is almost immediate and there are rarely any ongoing costs.
Generally, the process from beginning to end of each project follows the route of:
ensuring the need fits within the remit of WACIA’s objectives WACIA’s programme manager (for that country) visiting and identifying trustworthy individuals, costing the work and reporting back to the trustees in the UK The project is then approved, modified or rejected If approved, the recipient project will set up a bank account in their home country to allow speed and transparency for the transfer of funds.
[edit] Issues
The major issues facing Women and Children in Africa are problems that do not pose stark risks for us in the West. Survival - often in cultures where there is no form of social support - is a full time occupation in itself and is made considerably harder by health and other factors.
Poverty reduction is a huge challenge which encompasses many areas of life. WACIA's projects aim to tackle these areas on a small scale, making a real and sustainable difference to individuals and communities.
