karma-giving

Karma Living has committed to donating 20% of the profit of each sale to worthy causes set up within the originating country in the name of “Karma Giving”. Karma Living focuses on aid and food programmes, education and sponsorship schemes, actively working together with charities to really make a difference

Karma Living works with charities that are not run solely by the government and are in a position to receive funds directly. It is not always cash funding that is required and in the case of City of Hope, Karma Living hopes to donate quality, reliable computer equipment along with text books, mathematics and sports equipment.

With over 40 volunteers based in 20 schools throughout the Central Province and offices to run in Lusaka and Kabwe, SPW will certainly benefit from cash funding.

City Of Hope

City of Hope is an open community school based in Lusaka Zambia. It is run by the Selation sisters primarily focused on providing a safe environment for girls aged 9-17. They provide accommodation for over 40 girls, many of whom have been referred by the Department of Social Welfare, and most of whom are orphans. Their goal is to to give neglected girls the information, education and training they need to be self-reliant and to offer these “girls at risk” the possibility of having a better future.

City of Hope offers a two-year vocational training course, including home management, tailoring, agriculture and personal development or a one year course in typewriting for girls who have completed formal schooling. Both courses aim to help girls develop adequate coping and social skills through gradual human, psychological, educational and technical means.

If you would more information on COH please e-mail: afmproj@zamnet.zm

SPW

Student Partnership Worldwide is an international development charity working in Africa and Asia. Through community and school-based programmes they work to empower young people, to help them get involved in the decisions that shape their future.

Volunteers live and work as peer educators in rural primary and secondary schools for between seven and nine months. Mixed nationality groups live in pairs or fours within the local community; this enables them to get to know it intimately and identify the priorities for action with the support of the head and community leaders. Their job is to represent and promote good health and at the same time bring home the deadly immediacy of AIDS and other killer diseases.

A word from Sally Griffiths - Country Director, SPW Zambia

In Zambia, HIV/AIDS is a crisis and the government has declared it a national disaster. An estimated 650,000 children have lost a parent to AIDS in this African country where 20 percent of adults suffer from HIV/AIDS. The impact on children has been devastating. 40,000 children under age 15 are believed to be infected. It’s very hard to find a child that hasn’t seen or witnessed a death related to HIV/AIDS.

SPW has been engaged by the Ministry of Education in Zambia to help in this fight through its school-based approach and use of young Zambians. After just one year, the programme has proved to be very effective with measurable outcomes recorded at the end of the first year.

Young Zambian volunteers were trained in best methods of delivering HIV/AIDS education to their peers in schools. As a result an increase in knowledge levels and attitude change towards sexual behaviour has come among thousands of school going rural youth.

The 40 young Zambian volunteer peer educators reached out to over 36,000 students and 2000 community members with awareness-raising activities, a great achievement considering the impact of HIV/AIDS on people in

Zambia. Rural girls are now empowered to refuse sex when it is not the right time and boys are now more willing to respect the decisions of the girls than before. The above outcome came from volunteer activities at both school and community levels.

You can find out more information on SPW by visiting www.spw.org

The Difference...

Zambia is one of the countries most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The prevalence of other sexually transmitted infections, multiple sexual relationships low condom use, cultural practices, gender inequality, and poverty have all contributed to the increasing numbers of people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Karma Living have chosen SPW and City of Hope because they are succeeding in reaching a wider audience and concentrate on education as prevention and a long term solution. As Mr Chipenda, HIV/AIDS Focal Person, Chipaata Basic school quoted when discussing the work of SPW: "The volunteers are breaking through and there is a revolution in the children’s minds. We are going in a positive direction. Pupils can now discuss sexual matters freely.’

"Karma Living working together with SPW & COH in the fight against HIV/AIDS"