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Kids for Kids is a charity set up to help children help
themselves, children who live in one
of the world's poorest areas, Darfur in the Sudan, an area still tom apart
by 40 years of civil war. Where these children live there are no roads, no
electricity, no telephones and little access to health care or education.
When the rains fail so does this fragile economy, forcing children to walk
miles for water. KIDS FOR KIDS is working with the community to prevent
this.
Extensive research programmes monitor local conditions and are used
to alert Government and the International Community but its warnings are
too often ignored, or acted on too late to avert disaster, as in the case
of Darfur, Sudan. Warnings of food shortage regularly fall on deaf ears
and by the time food does get through many children suffer severe
malnutrition which means that a supplementary feeding programme has then
to be started that costs an enormous amount to the International
community. In 2001 this was an additional one million pounds. Here is a
project with achievable and sustainable goals that genuinely benefits
children and involves wonderful goats! Their aim is to support
projects which are long lasting, self sustaining and community led
Revolving
Goat Project
6 goats are lent to a family for 2 years - providing milk for the
children, and their kids produced are their own and form the nucleus of a
little herd. Local people are trained to man veterinary dispensaries to
safeguard the goat's welfare. Our first 6 Paravets have prevented an
outbreak of a contagious form of goats' pneumonia.
Children's
Goat Committee
Our First Children's Goat
Committee has trained in goat care. The children were selected by the
village and membership is considered a great honour. Kids for Kids is very
proud that Save the Children is proposing this as a model of child
participation in the management of community development projects.
Why Goats?
Kids
for Kids pilot scheme has identified 200 of the poorest families who are
desperately in need of help. To date they funded goats for 120 families
and need help to assist the rest. The goats often live over 10 years so
have a long productive life. They drink only every other day which makes
them viable when water is scarce. Local goats are hardy, essential when
the temperatures sore in the summer to over 150 degrees. They are multi
coloured, sometimes black, sometimes white, but usually a mixture of
chestnut, browns and blacks. Rugs made of goat hair are these natural
colours. They can survive when nothing much is growing but to prevent them
from roving the children keep them closely herded and all "fields" are
surrounded by thorn hedges to keep them safe. Children tend the goats and
help them to find food so families prosper if the children do a good job -
but education is a priority in Sudan, the success of the goats means that
they can pay for schooling. Goats may give 1 litre of milk a day.
Please note that Kids
for Kids is not trying to improve the local breed but make what already
works in this area available to war torn and hungry families
Goats milk is full of
vitamins - A, which prevents blindness, B, B+, C, D, E, potassium,
magnesium, folic acid and is rich in carbohydrates, calcium and protein.
Particularly in times of drought, as now, it is the only source of these
vital elements to keep children healthy. Any excess milk is sold. Often
the price of a sack of millet is talked about in the number of goats it is
worth.
KIDS FOR KIDS
was launched in Khartoum on 8th March 2001 when Patricia Parker
MBE, who had been visiting her son Alastair, had seen for herself the
conditions in which children were living in North Darfur.
She met on her first visit a
young boy who had to walk seven miles, yes seven miles, to collect water
for his family and has been involved ever since. "The response to our
appeal for help for these children from everyone in Khartoum has been
unbelievable. Without this KIDS FOR KIDS would not exist said Patricia.
Patricia recently spoke to the Surrey Goat Club about this wonderful
charity and Richard Wood, Sue Knowles, Michael Ackroyd and Christine Ball
are delighted to respond with an appeal to give significant support to
KIDS FOR KIDS.
We would like
you to help the British Goat Society raise £2,000 which will supply a
water pump to a village and thus secure water, crops, cleanliness among
many other benefits for a local community. The pump will be named after
the British Goat Society thus ensuring continued interest and feedback on
this wonderful and essential project.
Any
additional contributions will be used to contribute to the goat lending
scheme (£56 per family)
If this
appeal goes as well as we hope we may try and support veterinary training
also.
Please send your contribution, no matter how small or large
to:
Christine Ball, Orchard Cottage, Befcote Lane, Gnosall, Staffs,
ST20 OEB.
Cheques should be made payable to British Goat Society.
THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE KIDS
Kids 4
Kids is a registered charity No: 1100045
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