Healthcare for Children in Africa
Many of you will know that I serve on the board of St Andrews Clinics for Children which provides much needed health care for children in sub- Saharan Africa. I thought you might be interested in our latest newsletter, so here it is. You will see that there are details of a dinner in London and a cocktail party in Edinburgh, if you are interested in either please do get in touch with me and of course if you would like to support this terrific work I would love to hear from you
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St Andrew’s Clinics for Children (STACC)
Newsletter – Summer 2015
Obatala and Oduduwa were sent by Oludumare to the world, in order to create
the land. Together they carried the bag of the world. On their way they rested and
drank some palm wine. Obatala liked the wine so much that he became drunk, and
fell asleep. Oduduwa picked up the bag of the world and continued on his own. When he
had completed his descent, he found that all was water. He opened his bag, and he found
some black earth inside it. He piled a little mound of earth on to the water. He took the
cock with five toes which Oludumare had given him and placed it on the earth. The cock began to scratch and the earth spread far and wide. When Oduduwa had created the earth, the sixteen major orisha descended from heaven and lived with him in Ile-Ife.
Yoruba folklore quoted by Editha Platte (2010) Bronze Head from Ife British Museum Press.
STACCILEIFE is based in Ile-Ife in the heartland of the Yoruba people of Nigeria
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STACC’s Board accepts that some Directors are not as young as they were 23 years ago when the charity was established. During this time STACC’s efforts to finance free health care for children in Africa have prospered thanks to the support and generosity of many friends and the dedication of local health care teams in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania (Zanzibar, Pemba Island) Kenya and Ghana.
In order to secure STACC’s future a programme of restructuring is underway. Three new Directors were elected at the AGM; Ama Addo; Virginia Crompton; Francesca Savioli. They bring different expertise and more experience of Africa to the Board. The responsibilities involved in liaison with four of the six health centres have been allocated as follows: Ghana to Malcolm McLeod; Nigeria to Peter Holmes; Pemba Island to John Briggs; Sierra Leone to Lawrence Weaver. Uganda and Kenya will continue with David Crompton as their contact.
Until October 2014 the BION project, serving Maasai children living near Lake Magadi in Kenya, was managed by Sharon Looremetta and Seleina Limion. Sadly Sharon died last October and the future of BION (an acronym for “health for mothers and children” in the Maasai language) seemed uncertain. However, Vivian Looremetta, Sharon’s daughter, and Seleina are eager to continue the BION project in Sharon’s memory. STACC is now involved in helping them develop a work plan, get formal registration with the government, set up financial arrangements and exchange a letter of agreement.
There is heartening news from Sierra Leone. From August 2014 to May 2015, STACC/SL maintained its programme of infant feeding at 16 of the government’s peripheral health units (PHUs) in the country’s Western Area. During this period, 10,076 children under 6 months and 8,442 children from 6 to 24 months came to the PHUs for food and help with feeding. This attendance rate is impressive but is all the more so since the programme was maintained throughout the Ebola epidemic. Eight of the PHUs had to close during the worst of the crisis (August to November 2014). Congratulations and sincerest thanks to STACC/SL for this courageous commitment to offer health care for children in their country. The programme continues and there are plans to expand.
Good reports about health care for children have been received from the mobile Clinics at Ile-Ife, Nigeria, the Children’s Ward at St Kizito Hospital in Uganda, the Gombani Clinic on Pemba Island, and the centre in Bongo District, Ghana.
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STACC is most fortunate that Fiona Nicolson, one of its distinguished Vice-Presidents, is a partner at Bristows LLP. For the third year running Bristows has kindly offered to host a dinner for STACC at 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DH. The event is arranged for WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2015. Please put the date in your diary; 50 will again be the maximum number of guests. Contact DWTC if you want to reserve tickets (address below). The dinner raises funds to help develop and provide free health care for children in Africa. More details will be sent out in due time.
We also hope to be able to arrange another Cocktail Party for STACC in Edinburgh before Christmas. Last year we enjoyed a most successful event as guests of Investec, the international banking and asset management group, also well known for its sponsorship of major sporting contests.
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Please visit our website which is simple and easy to use. A special feature is the range of images showing aspects of the health care offered at each centre. The address has not changed – www.standrewsclinics.org.uk.
Please continue to support STACC. Cheques, made payable to St Andrew’s Clinics for Children, should be sent to:
DWT Crompton, 101A Clifton Hill, London NW8 0JR or
Mrs LN Robinson, St Andrew’s Clinics for Children, PO BOX 461, Glasgow G12 8QT.
Bank Standing Order forms and Gift Aid Declaration forms* are available from the websitewww.standrewsclinics.org.uk.
Donations may be made online by going to www.justgiving.com/stacc/donate.
*If you pay income tax in the UK you can enable STACC to benefit from the GIFT Aid scheme. By signing and posting a Gift Aid Declaration form (see above), or simply sending a letter or email indicating your wish to participate in Gift Aid, STACC can reclaim tax worth 25p for every pound given - so £1 becomes £1.25.
St Andrew’s Clinics for Children is a company limited by Guarantee of Charitable Status and not having a share capital. Directors do not receive any remuneration. Registered in Scotland SC020553 and with Companies House SC140214. Registered office: 1 George Square, Glasgow G2 1AL, Scotland. STACC seeks to comply with Data Protection legislation. If you do not wish to receive newsletters please notify DWT Crompton at the above address or by emailing: admin@standrewsclinics.org.uk. STACC does not share its address list with any other organisation.