Keep A Child Warm

Lifeline

'Keep A Child Learning’

 

This winter has been one of the coldest winters for 30 years.  In Serbia the temperature can drop to an incredible -35 degrees Celsius and this winter has been no different.  This would be cold enough even with the ski jackets and central heating that many of us in the UK are used to.  But we were shocked to see children living in these temperatures with no warm clothing and no heating.

These children living out in Eastern Europe live well below the poverty line and face sub zero temperatures for months on end.  With nothing to protect them against the cold it is common for children to freeze to death (even those children living in government-run orphanages). 

This little girl is wearing all the clothes she owns, being one of 8 children is tough and means there is very little go around.

Imagine the challenge of trying to keep a newborn baby warm in subzero temperatures.

We knew that we could do something, and this Christmas sent out a very small gesture of our intent (check out the blog). With help from our friends on the ground in Serbia and Hungary we have come up with a list of items that we are calling our Winter Kits.

These will include;

  • a coat
  • a scarf
  • a pair of gloves
  • a hat
  • a pair of thick warm socks
  • a fleece blanket

With your help we will put these kits together and send them out to desperately needy children in Serbia and Hungary ready for the onset of next winter.

So how can you get involved? 

1. Donations of good condition winter coats.  School across the UK are getting involved in our Winter Kit Appeal by collecting winter coats. If you would like to donate a coat or know a school, nursery or other organisation that would like to be involved please contact us on info@operation-orphan.org.

Coat guidelines

  1. Can be second hand, but need to have plenty of life left in them
  2. Only WINTER coats and heavy fleeces
  3. Other items such as snowsuits and baby sleeping bags would be gratefully received.
  4.  If possible donors should wash coats beforehand but this is not a stipulation.

2. Donations of money.  If you don’t have a coat you can give, but still want to help out please make a donation.  We will need to purchase the additional items and of course get the kits out to Serbia and Hungary.

You can help to reduce unnecessary fatalities next winter simply by donating, whether it’s a coat or a £1, it can make the difference between life and death.

 

Lifeline looks at the most immediate and demanding needs of the people we work with.  The communities we work in are faced with desperate levels of sanitation and nutrition.  This initiative works to alleviate those problems quickly and effectively with culturally relevant and sustainable solutions.

Lifeline Ghana is based in the north of the country and works in the rural villages addressing sanitation issues and nutrition.  The Nutrition Centre at the King’s Village in Ghana has had around 1,500 children through its doors since it opened in 2008. 

Alhassan and Fuseina were bought to the Nutrition Centre by their grandmother.  At 7 months old they were weighing in at just 5kg each. They were severely malnourished and both had malaria.  For cultural reasons the family had rejected the twins but Sakyina, the grandmother, had decided she couldn’t let them die.  This meant an uphill struggle fighting for food and money to keep them alive. 

   

The dedicated staff at the Nutrition Centre were able to give the milk and the extra support needed for Sakyina throughout the first year.  She was taught vital lifesaving tips on nutrition and sanitation.  The medical staff also highlighted extra fears that Alhassan potentially had HIV or TB. He was taken into the hospital in Tamale and through generous overseas donations Alhassan was given the appropriate level of care.

These are just two of the children who without the work of Lifeline would have died.  There are many more stories of success and still more where help could not reach them in time.  Lifeline Ghana is expanding to include another Nutrition Centre, getting the care closer for many families who so desperately need it.

As well as the feeding programme at Pencott Valley School, Lifeline Uganda is also addressing sanitation in the urban slum of Nabigyo. Currently the slum has hundreds of pit latrines which not only massively increase the risk of disease and diarrhoea, but are also incredibly dangerous for small children.  We have begun to install new community toilets which are permanent structures.  They are safer, can be kept clean and can be emptied and used again.  This creates a far more sustainable option for the community.  We aim to build 20 community toilets over 3 years and they cost around £500 each to build.

If you want to be a part of this frontline response you can by donating.  Every penny we receive will help save lives.

 

‘Keep A Child Learning’

Many children from deprived and vulnerable backgrounds struggle to complete their education. One main reason for this is their inability to afford school fees.  ‘Keep A Child Learning’ will allow you to sponsor a Primary or Secondary School place in poverty stricken communities in which we work.

The figures below are a guideline to what it costs to educate a child. This includes school fees, school uniform (if necessary) and stationery for each child who sits in the place you sponsor. These figures may differ between countries.

Primary School Place - £15 per month

Secondary School Place - £30 per month

How ‘Keep A Child Learning’ works

 Future plans

 

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