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Displaying 301–312 of 348

Teach First Danmark

Teach First Denmark is a non-profit association founded in 2013 We work to give children in Denmark the opportunity to get an education, regardless of social background. We do this by engaging even more skilled teachers for the primary schools and students who need them the most. Our two-year program is a career in elementary school and in education. It is a community for people who want to contribute to strengthening the future opportunities for all children in Denmark. We work closely with primary schools, vocational colleges, municipalities and foundations. We are independent of political, economic and religious interests and are financed by foundation funds for non-profit purposes. A society where no children and young people are excluded from the communities Teach First Denmark works for a society where all children and young people have the opportunity to develop their full potential, for the benefit of themselves and the community. We mobilize civil society in the belief that positive change is created by engaging and uniting people who want to be something for someone and who want to contribute to the community. We are present where the need is greatest, and we always have the children's interests at the center of what we do. We emphasize building our activities around a broad collaboration, because we are never the whole solution, and because together we can see more nuances and create greater changes. More skilled teachers at primary schools with a large proportion of vulnerable pupils A program that attracts the brightest and most motivated university candidates with the talent to motivate and learn from them in primary school. A thorough selection of candidates who have the potential to become skilled teachers and who, in the long term, can also create solutions in a career outside primary school. More professionally skilled and well-connected teachers, not least in vulnerable residential areas. A strong community and network of graduates who support and inspire each other. A steep learning curve through a close link between theory and practice and feedback from a teaching mentor.

Makomborero

Makomborero (1122176) is a UK based Charity (unincorporated trust) that helps to relieve poverty through education in Zimbabwe, the charity is registered with HMRC for Gift Aid purposes. Funds are raised in the UK, largely from individual supporters, albeit the trust also receives some modest donations from donors in USA, Australia, Europe who are connected to the work. In order to deliver public benefit the charity partners with an entirely separately governed Zimbabwe registered trust/NGO "Makomborero Zimbabwe" - MZIM which receives grants directly from the UK, and fundraises within Zimbabwe and internationally (a Memorandum of Understanding is in place between the two organisations to support governance/control). At present the UK trust contributes c.50% of the Zimbabwe trusts income and operating costs (total annual budget in Zimbabwe is c.$250k pa) The Zimbabwean Trust, Makomborero Zimbabwe, was set up in 2011 by Mark and Laura Albertyn, to provide A-level education to talented students from orphaned and very challenging backgrounds. These students, study their A-levels at our partner private schools, Hellenic, Gateway and St George's, in Harare. The schools collectively give full tuition scholarships for 16 students each year. We ensure that the students are well provided with academic support, pastoral care and love to fulfil their academic potential and hopefully eventually give back to their own communities. The scholarships are life changing, for the individual students and their families. The purpose of Makomborero Zimbabwe is to provide educational support to academically gifted students who might have otherwise dropped out of school, due to the parents' economic hardships or death of a breadwinner in the family. Makomborero provides the financial support and aims to provide a holistic environment for the students to successfully complete their A level education and proceed to tertiary education. The team goes out to 70 - 80 high density and rural schools in Zimbabwe with applications and the students undergo a rigorous testing process. The top 8 students are awarded full scholarships while a further 16 are financially supported through local government schools.

One To Many

One To Many is publicly operating as Teach For Pakistan I. History and Future: Teach For Pakistan was founded in 2010, based on the global model of Teach For All and with support from our incubating partner, The Aman Foundation. The organization was incorporated in 2011 with the name "Teach For Pakistan" and operated as part of the Aman group of companies until 2016. All historical financial and operational materials shared in this application are from this last phase in Teach For Pakistan's journey. Teach For Pakistan has started its next chapter as a new organization with an independent board and diverse funding base. This new entity is legally registered as "One To Many", a non-profit company incorporated in May 2017. We operate publicly under the name "Teach For Pakistan" by virtue of our agreement with Teach For All, the global organization that owns the trademark. Teach For Pakistan is now headed by Khadija Shahper Bakhtiar, who originally co-founded the program in partnership with Aman in 2010, and led the work as CEO and Advisory Board member until 2015. We carry with us six years of learning in program and organizational development, and the commitment of over a hundred Alumni and former staff. II. Mission and Vision: Teach For Pakistan leverages our country's most promising young talent to create a multiplier effect on the education system. We recruit and train top graduates and young professionals from all fields for a two-year Fellowship, and place them to teach in struggling schools in low-income communities. During their two year commitment, Fellows work with their students, school staff and parents to transform learning and life-outcomes for children. After the Fellowship, our Alumni use their experiences to tackle Pakistan's most pressing problems in education, fostering action to change policy and curriculum, mobilizing resources, turning around schools, and spurring social innovation. Collectively, this movement aims to reform the system so that every child in Pakistan has the opportunity to participate in an education that nurtures them to become loving, thinking and engaged citizens.

Asociacion Civil Ingenieria sin Fronteras Argentina

ISF-Ar develops engineering projects aimed at the fulfillment of fundamental human rights such as water and sanitation, education or work in urban and rural communities in vulnerable situations in Argentina. Its mission is to collaborate in the construction of a just, inclusive and caring society through the participatory elaboration of comprehensive technology-based projects; promote engineering geared towards sustainable human development, the fulfillment of Human Rights, the care of nature and the strengthening of populations in vulnerable situations; and promote a space that integrates diversity and mobilizes citizen participation. The problems to which ISF-Ar responds are situations of social vulnerability in communities characterized by isolation and the absence of the Government. These situations are answered with infrastructure works, whether it be construction and expansion of community infrastructure, such as kindergartens, community spaces and schools, or water supply systems. On the other hand, a response is given by convening the state and other social actors in order to make visible and articulate work networks that strengthen these territories. The strategic priorities of the next three years include 1) Deepening the impact on local development, professionalizing territorial work and coordinating with other social organizations, municipalities and public bodies 2) Increasing the scope and scale of the water access program in rural communities 3) Promote the strengthening program for organizations through community infrastructure and advisory programs 4) Design and implement an intervention strategy in confinement contexts 5) Promote advocacy on public policies and participation in spaces for debate and decision-making in the areas of interest of the organization 6) Systematize and produce knowledge about the experiences, methodologies and topics addressed such as engineering social impact, gender perspective, Infrastructure and human rights, participatory design and climate crisis. The challenges to achieve the objectives are the formation of a professional interdisciplinary team to address social complexity, as well as the economic sustainability of the organization to be able to engage in long-term projects in the territories in a stable way as well as to expand the scale of the interventions. Another great challenge is the articulation with the State, which in many cases depends on the current political scenario. For the objective of producing knowledge and influencing spaces for debate, one challenge is to obtain funds that allow for further study in this regard.

Feed the World

Feed The World's mission is to empower poor smallholder farm families to feed themselves and provide for the future through sustainable farming. Guiding Principles - Seeds of Dignity and Hope are planted in the hearts of our smallholder farm families as they work together to provide for themselves and build a better future. Transparency & Accountability means that we will do exactly what we promise to do in the communities we serve and that we will be open and honest with our donors in communicating how funds are being used. Lasting Self Reliance is achieved as families obtain sufficient knowledge and education, manage resources wisely, and prepare for the future so that they will continue to thrive after our support ends. Sustainable Farming is practiced by smallholder farm families as they plan, plant, and harvest food for themselves and their livestock, while building human capacity to recognize and enhance the efficient use of their natural resources. Nutrition & Income are the core benefits to smallholder farm families as they grow and produce foodstuffs that provide for a nutritionally balanced diet on an economically sustainable basis. Scientifically Proven Methodology guides the implementation of agricultural best practices with our smallholder farm families and on our demonstration farms. We also support further scientific research through partnerships with universities, governments, and other non-governmental organizations (NGO's). Mutual Respect is the goal of our in-country agronomists, nutritionists, and animal scientists as they interact with smallholder farm families, seeking to understand the "why" behind traditional practices, and always exploring new possibilities. Training & Education in sustainable farming, nutrition, food preparation, and hygiene are key to ensuring that lasting self reliance is achieved by smallholder farm families. Honoring Culture means that our programs work within the local cultural framework to empower and educate smallholder farm families without imposing an outside culture on them. Family Focus involves both women and men in all aspects of decision making, training, and education; and keeps children and parents united and working together on their land. Feeding the Spirit means that while Feed the World does not identify itself with one particular religion or belief system, we honor the spirituality of all human beings and serve all program participants irrespective of their beliefs or social station. Pay It Forward means that we expect our smallholder farm families to pass on their seeds, stock, and knowledge to other families in need once they have successfully provided for themselves.

Stowarzyszenie Grupa Stonewall

The Stonewall Group is the largest organization fighting for the rights of LGBT+ people in the Wielkopolska region. The Group has been active since 2015 in the following areas: advocacy, education, help/intervention, culture, and healthcare. The Group comprises 41 members and around 50 volunteers cooperate with us. The board comprises five members. Each of them is responsible for a few areas of activity. Our flagship activity is the Poznan Pride Week festival (we organized a few hundred events in the course of five editions of the festival), which culminated in the Equality March (13,000 people participated in 2019). We help LGBT+ people and their families. For four years now, we have been co-operating with six therapists holding psychological consultations which have been provided for around 200 individuals now. We run five support groups for: youth, transgender people, families of LGBT+ people, bisexual people, and LGBT+ people from Ukraine. We provide legal help for LGBT+ people, who are often victims of hate crimes (the legal help is also partially financed by municipal grants); since 2016 we have provided a few hundred hours of support in total, which also consisted in representing a client. We organize many cultural activities: produce concerts, theatre plays, and organize meetings with authors. We are also active in the area of healthcare - thanks to the grant from the city of Poznan, we are organizing a training project for therapists about so-called ChemSex. In 2019, we were commissioned by Panstwowy Zakad Higieny (State Institute of Hygiene) to conduct research about ChemSex. We provide free testing for HIV, syphilis, and HCV. We train companies about antidiscrimination (e.g., Allegro, Franklin Templeton). In 2019, we organized the first edition of Letnia Akademia Rownosci (Summer Equality Academy) - we visited seven cities in Poland, combating harmful stereotypes about LGBT+ people (funded by Sprite). We conduct business activity - we manage the bar Lokum Stonewall bar which has become not only a meeting place for the Poznan LGBT+ community, but also the main stage of Polish queer culture for such events like weekly drag queen performances. The bar also boosts our visibility - it is located on the main pedestrian street in the center of Poznan (facebook.com/LokumStonewall). What is more, as a part of our business activities, we run an online shop (outandproud.pl) and organize trainings for companies.

Love Yourself

By empowering oneself, enriching relationships, and embracing innovations, we provide a safe space for communities and champion the iniingatan, inaalagaan, at inaasikaso experience. A thought leader that inspires people to empower and affirm their self-worth to create ripples of positive change. LoveYourself Inc. (LY), is a community of volunteers which has been successful in reaching out to the key affected population of HIV and AIDS. It was established in 2011 with a mission of embracing and nurturing one's self-worth to inspire others to do the same and create ripples of positive change in the community and a vision of becoming a model community, empowering and affirming the self-worth of youth and MSM in the Philippines. LY has been the home of many innovative and new approaches to reach key populations such as Project Preppy (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis), LoveYourself Caravan/PBSR, Smart-Safe-Sexy Continuum of Care Approach Project (3S) and Introduction of the First Community Run Testing and Treatment Facility (4S) Project, #SafeSpaces Condom Promotion and Distribution Program Victoria by LoveYourself, the first Transgender Health and Wellness Community Center in the Philippines and most recently - introduction of HIV Self Screening (#SelfCare) in the Philippines to name a few. LY has several innovations in the pipeline, such as expansion of #SelfCare, #ChampionCommunityCenters and other innovations especially with the challenges in the time of COVID19 pandemic like XPress Refill and iCon (telemedicine). LY partnered with DOH-RITM in many innovative programs such as 3S (Smart Safe and Sexy) where the power of volunteerism is harnessed by creating "change agents" from the community reaching other members of the community through awareness and encouraging high risk clients to take ownership of their sexual health by regular testing every 3-6 months if negative and early treatment if positive. LY has a long and fruitful partnership with Pilipinas Shell Foundation since 2012, it has has grown and developed with PSFI supporting LY through technical assistance, logistics, finances, and overall management of LoveYourself Community Centers. LoveYourself Inc. is proud of its 10 LoveYourself Branded Community Centers, 2 Private Clinic and manages 30 Champion Community Centers safe space for young and working population who are engaging in risky behavior. For the LY community centers, having a cumulative rate of 150-200 clients daily with 12-14% reactive rate, the centers contributes to 42% of all the newly diagnosed PLHIVs reported in Metro Manila and 20% in the whole country for since 2016 to present proving that LY has a strong understanding of the Philippine context with regard to HIV and AIDS and key populations (MSM, TG, YKP and PWID). These efforts demonstrate a tremendous impact in bridging the gaps in the HIV continuum of care, with the objective of scaling up HIV testing and linking the newly diagnosed PLHIVs to treatment and care, eventually leading to reduced incidence of loss to follow up. Since its launching, LY Anglo as the main treatment centers and the rest of the 6 as satellite centers has already diagnosed over 40,000 clients yearly. Of the total number of newly diagnosed PLHIVs, 7,300 were enrolled to LoveYourself Anglo treatment while the remaining were referred to RITM or other treatment hubs for enrolment making LY the second highest PLHIV clients enrolled facility. LoveYourself Anglo is currently being positioned as the first ever community run one stop shop - having prevention-to-treatment services. It aims to create a social enterprise-self-sustaining model. LY has gained momentum in its implementation of the Philippines Business Sector Response to HIV (PBSR) and School Caravan Programs with PSFI. To date, 650, companies have been engaged through advocacy, 250 companies have been assisted in the drafting of their HIV in the workplace policy, over 100,000 people reached through HIV 101, 84,945 people tested and got their results, 4,190 (6.34 %) reactive and those confirmed were linked to treatment hubs and social hygiene clinics for further work up in preparation for treatment. 90 employee-trainers trained for HIV 101- Peer Education Training, and 68 received Basic Voluntary Counseling and Testing training. PBSR is a member of 7 Local AIDS Councils in the Cities of Manila, Quezon, Caloocan, San Juan, Batangas and Puerto Princesa. On another note, with its goal to reach the Youth to promote awareness and reduce stigma and discrimination, Caravan program has reached over 110 schools and universities testing more than 10,000 young people in the last 4 years. In the last quarter of 2014, the LY started work on community system strengthening through human rights and advocacy programs under the guidance of the ISEAN HIVOS, the regional partner of LY by engaging new blood through numerous fora and peer meetings and activities then providing capacity building, monitoring and tracking outreach workers and grooming them to develop their own program in their respective locality, bringing about the birth of the several community based organizations such as Project H4 in Puerto Princesa, who eventually opened a community center called Amos Tara and forged a long-term partnership with DOH IV-B MIMAROPA. In the area of Advocacy, LY has created several efforts in making sure that their efforts to raise the bar in the HIV continuum of care such participation in the PNAC consultations on the revision of RA 8504 and approval of the new law RA11166, technical assistance with the development of SOGIE tool kit and Trans Health module. LY continues to develop advocacy materials and communication strategies to address and respond to issues and needs of the times. Protect the Goal Campaign and #StayNegatHIVe Campaign with Rappler and Dentsu focusing on stigma and discrimination reduction that were launched recently received seven national and international awards for campaign effectiveness and impact such as the Boomerang and Anvil Awards. In 2016, the partnership also implemented several regional campaigns such as TestMNL with APCOM and very recently a project with UNAIDS and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach - the #Live2LUV campaign. In 2018 LY is chosen as the sub recipient of the Philippine Global Fund ACER program where in LY is asked to develop and establish 15 community centers which is based on the LoveYourself community centers model. The community-based organization partners are provided support for their operational costs outreach and refurbishment of the community centers. Each community centers offer a sexual health prevention package including HIV testing and STI testing for free. Some of the community organizations have doctors and offer treatment at the same time while others are referring clients to Social Hygiene Clinics in their locality. In 2018 also, LY in partnership with Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) implemented the Sustainability of Key Population Programs in Asia (SKPA). It has a goal of providing not just community system strengthening but also introducing advocacy, campaigns, innovations, and support towards sustainability of the services of CBO partners. LY creates national programs and campaigns on awareness and promotion of combination prevention, treatment as prevention and other innovations. A recent example is the National HIV Prevention month last July-August 2020 gathering almost 5 million impressions and reach online through the SKPA Philippines Grant. AIDS HealthCare Foundation Philippines (AHF) also partnered with LY this year to the present to augment in outreach, events and treatment of indigent PLHIVs. In 2019, due to the very high incidence of anxiety disorders and depression among the young LGBT community. LY decided to create its own mental health program called Flourish by LoveYourself. Flourish aims to provide counseling and life coaching to people with mild depression and anxiety. Flourish offers life coaching and group counseling to our clients. In partnership with Mental Health Ph, a local CBO, LY also has created campaigns on mental health. Aside from the group counseling program, LY initiated self-help programs such as music therapy, art therapy, poetry reading and other forms of coping support for people in distress. In 2020 LY was chosen as the sub recipient of the Philippine Global Fund PROTECTS with PIlipinas Shell Foundation as its PR. LY is asked to scale up its CHAMPION COMMUNITY CENTERS initiative by creating a total of 34 Champion Centers and CBO. The community-based organization partners are provided support for their operational costs outreach and refurbishment of the community centers. Each community center offers a sexual health prevention package including HIV testing and STI testing for free. Some of the community organizations have doctors and offer treatment at the same time while others are referring clients to Social Hygiene Clinics in their locality. LY has also led KP specific initiatives including the TG activations with Medical Professionals, School Administrations, etc.; for YKP, LY spearheaded a myriad of activities involving Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Federation), Schools, and other youth lead CSOs; for PWIDs, several learning group sessions and consultations has also been done specifically in Cebu City. LY was also assigned to provide the Administrative and Human Resource including payroll of 380 field staff and community center officers hired for the project. In 2021 LY was selected as a grantee of Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) is a global project funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is dedicated to achieving and maintaining HIV epidemic control. LY community centers operations are supported by this grant.

Associacao Gaucha Pro-escolas Familias Agricolas

I - Enable the integral promotion of the human person, promoting education and cultural development through action and socio-community education, in activities inherent to the interest of agriculture, especially regarding the sustainable development and social elevation of the family farmer from the spiritual-ethical-ecological, intellectual, technical, health and economic point of view; II - Encourage, through education, entrepreneurial attitudes of rural youth, their families and communities, contributing to the access to the generation of work and income, as well as providing continuous formation processes of Alternation Educators / Monitors of Agricultural and Family Schools and several publics, with a view to contributing to mobilization of popular empowerment and emancipation in the complex sociocultural reality of the Brazilian countryside; III - Ensure that the formation and animation activities of the EFAs are articulated and integrated with the promotion and sustainable development projects in which they are inserted; IV - To promote, as its predominant activity, a contextualized and differentiated education, serving as a maintaining institution to regulate, manage, raise funds, represent and manage the operation of the Santa Cruz do Sul Family Farm School - EFASC, which may offer teaching courses High School and Vocational High School, as well as initial and continuing education, complementary and technical specializations of Rural Professional Learning, following the principles of the CEFFAs Network - Family Centers for Alternating Training in Brazil, with universality of service, scholarships and benefits related to school transportation, uniforms, teaching materials, housing and food; V - Providing, conducting, executing and encouraging initial and ongoing processes of training for Alternating Educators / Family School Teachers and EFA association members; VI - Promote a quality education, contextualized, differentiated and focused on the rural environment, in accordance with the foundations and principles of the CEFFAs Network, with a Pedagogy of Alternation methodology and appropriate to the Law of Guidelines and bases of National Education (LDB No. 9,394) / 1996) and the National Plan of Current Education (PNE), as well as Decree No. 7352, of November 4, 2010 and other normative instruments of field education and relevant legislation; VII - Recognize the knowledge of family farmers and the community, recognize their role as alternative educator, seek and promote the construction of theoretical / practical knowledge from the local reality of youth and the harmful and sustainable development in activities related to agriculture, currently the education and training of young people, families and the community; VIII - Encourage, carry out and promote the organization and mobilization of farmers and the youth of Family Farming in order to gain their rights and access to public policies; IX - Promote moral and ethical values, valuing the spirit of solidarity, respecting the environment, promoting gender equity and analysis, ethnicity and patterns of group types, valuing cultural diversity and any nature; X - Develop the attendance and evaluation of the beneficiaries of the Organic Law of Social Assistance - LAAS, their defense and guarantee of their rights. Promote social assistance - serving all stakeholders, including: children, adolescents, young people, adults, men, women, the elderly, people with disabilities and all minorities in society; XI - Educational institution service to create, integrate, regulate, accredit, administer, covenant, fundraise, use, organize, maintain and use education resources at any level, including higher education - both undergraduate and postgraduate - University graduate. It may be offered or in partnership or cooperation with other universities;

Seeds for a Future

Perched atop the buried pre-classic Maya city of Chocola, the village of Chocola on the back slopes of the volcanoes that form Lake Atitlan, is poverty stricken yet poised to become a model of cultural celebration and self-sufficiency. What it needs most is leadership training and technical support to develop its potential for diversified agriculture, archeological-tourism, health care for its families and education for its children. In its simplest terms, the mission of Seeds for a Future is to help this impoverished community plan and achieve prosperity based on balanced development principles that protect cultural tradition, the natural environment and preserve the Mayan and post-colonial history of the town. Seeds for a Future traces its roots to the period from 2003 through 2006 when many Earthwatch Institute volunteers came to Chocola to work on the archaeological site, which was then being excavated under license from the Guatemalan government. The volunteers embraced being associated with an important archaeological endeavor and learned about the vast pre-Classic Maya city that may hold keys to the early development of Mayan language, system of time and other fundamental cultural practices. At the same time, many of us fell in love with the community, its families and children and the fabulous, healthy mountain environment. As a result, groups of volunteers organized to help a community struggling with terrible poverty and deprivation to find a way to prosperity without destroying their way of life or the delicate balance of their natural environment. A vision emerged among a core of volunteers, Guatemalan visionaries and local leaders in which Chocola is seen as lifting itself into a more healthy and prosperous community based on its historic farming skills, adding value to its coffee, vegetable and cacao producers and through community cooperative action. In the future, there is great promise for the development of Chocola as a tourist destination based on archaeo-tourism; conservation of the natural resources in which the community is embedded and conservation of one of the first and greatest coffee processing plants (beneficios) established during the 1890s. But we also discovered in the early years that before Chocola could begin to realize its potential, the people needed training in identifying their own vision for the future, learning to work together and acquiring the technical skills needed for success. Overcoming 500 years of economic and social servitude is not easily done, but real progress is being made and our program has been recognized as ground-breaking, by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and others. Four operating principles guide the work we do: We provide information and technical assistance to the people of Chocola to help them evaluate new opportunities and to plan. We provide direct funding and other forms of support for community requests for assistance on specific projects. These requests must come through Chocola leadership and must demonstrate sustainability and a willingness and capability of the community to provide part of the needed resources. All programs must aim at achieving self-sufficiency. We will help with programs that governmental agencies believe may be of value, provided that they too meet the same test as is noted for the community above. All such requests must be consistent with our mission to help the people and do no harm to either the Maya archaeological site or to the 1890 Coffee Finca site. In all of our programs we try to ensure that the participants become more engaged in the social and civil fabric, that they gain self confidence in their ability to change their own future for the better, and that we provide knowledge and coaching for a sufficient period of time that their activities and new ideas become self-sustaining in the community.

Bulgarian organization of voluntary blood donation/

Every day more than 600 people in Bulgaria have a life-saving need for blood and blood products, because of accidents, emergency life-saving procedures, surgical interventions, childbirths, different cancers and many other diseases that need blood for treatment. Their lives are directly dependent on securing the necessary quantities of safe human blood which can be obtained ONLY through DONATION OF BLOOD because BLOOD has NO substitute! Unfortunately, Bulgaria is currently in one of the last places in Europe when it comes to donating blood. Most people donate blood only for relatives or friends who are in need and the true number of genuine voluntary blood donors is less than 25% of all blood donors. Due to the very limited amount of blood donors, hospitals force patients to find donors before they can have a required treatment (the so-called "replacement donor system", which poses significant problems to the patients and their families. Also, this highly questionable practice has led to the growth of an ugly black market for blood donors.). We hope that with our joint efforts we will be able to change this situation. BULGARIAN ORGANIZATION OF VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION is a non-profit association operating in public interest done by volunteers. We are the first Bulgarian association working entirely to encourage and promote regular, anonymous, voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation. We believe that blood donation is one of the most humane acts. We also believe that our cause is extremely important for every human being because the shortage of blood could affect everyone. In our daily activities we provide information about blood donation, answer questions and give support; help in cases of an urgent need for blood; organize blood drives and campaigns to educate and inspire people to donate. In 2013 BOVBD launched the first-of-its-kind for Bulgaria long-term project called "Donate Blood", aimed at promoting and facilitating voluntary blood donation and helping those in need of blood for themselves or their relatives. The core of this project lies with the "Donate Blood" system, entirely managed and administrated by BOVBD. The system is a sort of dual registry and has two main functionalities that are interlinked - on one side for the people who are voluntary blood donors or wish to become such and help, and on the other - for everyone who needs blood. The system is extremely useful for finding blood donors on time. It is an innovative and very effective tool to at least partially fulfil the need for blood in Bulgaria and to help when the need is urgent. "Donate blood" can be used completely free through our mobile phone applications for iPhone and Android. Every user has constant access to important and useful information about blood donation, offered through the BOVBD website - www.bgblood.org, including the prerequisites and contradictions for donating blood, addresses and contact details for blood centres in the country, blood collection campaigns that are ongoing or upcoming, etc. Our ambition is to upgrade the applications with additional functionalities when we have enough funding. By focusing the public attention on the problems that arise from the lack of information on blood donation and its importance, from the insufficient number of voluntary blood donors and the risks of paid donors, we are working together to resolve them. The World Health Organization proclaims voluntary blood donation as the safest method for collecting the necessary quantities of blood and blood products needed in everyday healthcare. We hope and work for so that one day there will be enough voluntary blood donors and we, our kids, our parents and everyone who needs blood or could find himself in need of blood to be sure that there is enough safe blood that would help to save his life.

The Headstart Trust

The HeadStart Trust has been working in poor and marginalised communities of the Cape for over 10 years. In the last 5 years, activities centered around Napier in the Overberg, where the Jack family farm is located. Working at Protea Primary in Napier, we started with an organic vegetable garden development, warm beanies for the young learners in winter, donations of extra furniture and annual stationery and art equipment. We also arranged outreach programmes from privileged schools in Cape Town to do community service in Napier. In 2018 The HeadStart Trust introduced a Music Education Programme. The results reflected international experience and research, and were astounding. Music pupils showed an average annual attendance rate increase from around 75% to 98%. Their general behaviour and academic results in other subjects also improved markedly. In 2020 we hired more staff and acquired more instruments and were able to increase those receiving music tuition from 36 to 130 pupils. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Trustees of The HeadStart Trust have agreed to shift the short-term focus of the Trust to Food Relief. There is a history of rural villages in the Cape Agulhas region being ostracised and disregarded, and when financial support isn't sucked completely away, these communities are often last in line. This underlines the massive challenge we face here: for a start, children don't have access to the usual daily school meals (only twice a week) and, in the past, local government bureaucracy has hampered efficient feeding schemes. The community is consequently wary of empty promises. A majority of the community is not earning any income during the lockdown period and finding it very difficult to access the government relief grants promised by Pretoria due to consistently changing criteria and resulting confusion. Foreign nationals, who out of desperation sought refuge in these rural towns and send large portions of their piecemeal income to family members in other African states, are either unable or too terrified to register for any type of relief. The need for assistance is thus overwhelming. We have begun our efforts by vastly expanding the Napier Primary organic vegetable garden and donating the required seed and tools for the village to contribute directly in their own medium-term food security. But we require short-term, encompassing solutions as well. With the full support of Executive Mayor of the Cape Agulhas Municipality, Mr Paul Swart, and Napier's Ward Councillor, Mrs Evelyn Sauls, The HeadStart Trust will play a crucial coordinating role in helping to alleviate the growing social disaster catalysed by this pandemic and the lockdown. We have begun lobbying civil society organisations, government funds and individuals to donate financially to a structured and inclusive Rural Food Relief Platform for Napier and surrounding areas. Furthermore, we will use our personnel and farm vehicles to collect and distribute donated food (under strict lockdown safety measures) to those most in crisis. We will utilise the food storage and refrigeration facilities that have been established at the Thusong Centre and Packtown Food in Bredasdorp. Mr Swart has acknowledged that food collection and distribution is a new challenge for his administration and the municipality desperately needs cooperative partners to overcome the challenge we collectively face as a community. The HeadStart Trust is also liaising directly with various community representatives and farmers. Communication is also continuous with religious leaders and on community social media platforms. As agreed with elected representatives, we will channel food donation through the Napier Community Police Forum (CPF) and local farmer organisations. Local food donations can already be made at the Napier OK Minimark, but our intention is to expand this systematically and emphatically. We need your help to support these communities that are a foundation for our own food security, but find themselves abandoned in this lockdown period.

Young Scientists for Africa

Young Scientists for Africa (YoSA) is a registered charity supporting young African science students by: - Awarding scholarships to attend the annual London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). - Creating a student network in Africa to enable and encourage careers in science. This is necessary because: - Extensive analysis has demonstrated that Africa needs science, not just aid, to address the socio-economic and public health challenges it faces. - Africa needs young African scientists to lead the charge on reshaping the continent and improving and saving African lives. What YoSA offers: YoSA was established to support young African science students who don't typically have access to the same opportunities as those in other parts of the world. A central component of YoSA is a scholarship programme to sponsor African science students to attend the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). Proper representation of African students at this international forum is hugely important and before the creation of YoSA there was no representation of students from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa; a continent that constitutes approximately 20% of the world's youth population. YoSA works with leading scientists and scientific initiatives in Africa to identify the best young African scientific talent. These students are then sponsored to attend the London International Youth Science Forum - an annual event which attracts over 500 of the world's best science students from more than 70 countries, many of whom have won national science competitions - and are given the chance to engage with world leading scientists in a two week programme of lectures, debates and visits to research institutions. At LIYSF, YoSA students have the opportunity to share their perspectives and create lasting relationships with an audience of other young scientists from all over the world. They also raise the profile of African science by introducing other students to the challenges and opportunities for science in Africa. YoSA operates through a network of facilitators and has established links with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (https://www.gatesfoundation.org/), The Wellcome Trust (https://wellcome.ac.uk/), The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) (http://aesa.ac.ke/), Projekt Inspire (http://projektinspire.co.tz/) and the Next Einstein Forum (https://nef.org/). Through the support of its network of facilitators YoSA sponsors open and fair selection processes to identify talented young African scientists, for whom other financial support would not be available, and who are committed to pursuing science careers in Africa. The facilitators also support scholarship students locally with their visa and passport requirements as they have typically never travelled outside their own country before. Our ambition is to support young African scientists, not just in attending LIYSF, but also in creating a network that can link into other African science initiatives such as Next Einstein Forum (https://nef.org/) and Africa Research Excellence Fund (http://www.africaresearchexcellencefund.org.uk/) as they progress in their education and careers. We have directly facilitated introductions for our students with these and other leading science organisations in Africa and we actively monitor and encourage the progress of their scientific development through these connections. Each of our scholarship students has returned to Africa with a determination to succeed in science. They have been very proactive in communicating their experiences at LIYSF within their schools and local communities and inspire others pursue careers in science. They are each required to write a report of their experiences as part of the scholarship we provide and this forms the basis of these presentations. Our students are fantastic ambassadors for science in Africa and it's no exaggeration to say that YoSA and LIYSF have had a life changing effect on them and their ambitions for their future careers as African scientists. What is LIYSF: The London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) is a two week residential event held at Imperial College London, with lectures and demonstrations from leading scientists, visits to industrial sites, research centres, scientific institutions and organisations, including world class laboratories and universities. LIYSF attracts over 500 of the world's leading young scientists, aged 16-21 years, from more than 70 countries. This year was the 60th LIYSF and further details can be found at https://www.liysf.org.uk/.