St Andrew’s Clinics for Children (STACC) Newsletter - Christmas 2019

It is our honour to continue to support the tremendous work being done by St Andrew’s Clinics for Children (Scottish Charity SC020553) amongst some of the poorest communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Good health is essential to allow these children to thrive, attend school and reach their potential. Without this decent start in life they cannot help build better communities and break the cycle of poverty. We are very grateful to friends, clients and colleagues who have helped raise money for this worthy charity over the last year and would like to take this opportunity of sharing the charity’s Christmas newsletter with you.

We wish you a restful Christmas with your families and friends and peace and the best possible heath for all of you now and throughout the coming year.

“We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. A child’s name is Today.”  Gabriela Mistral – Chilean Nobel Prize Winner.

Each newsletter begins with sincere thanks for your support and an appeal for its continuation. STACC’s purpose (see words on the logo) will flounder without your generosity. During 2018, STACC’s expenditure again exceeded income forcing the Directors to decide to reduce the level of support for the Mobile Clinics in Nigeria (now 12 per month instead of 20 – a reduction from £8,400 per quarter to £4,200) and for the Children’s Wards in the two hospitals in Uganda (a joint reduction from £13.000 per quarter to £6,500). We trust this prudent action will ensure that provision for health care will continue until income has recovered resulting from renewed efforts.

There is no question that over the years your gifts have made important contributions to health care for children in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1992 over 1.5 million children have received free treatments. In Sierra Leone, the STACC-supported deworming programme and the infant feeding programme served as models for adoption and expansion by the government’s health services. In Nigeria since 1998, thousands of children aged under five years have had access to free treatment for malaria with quality medicines; often 60% of the children present with this life-threating affliction. Families there, cannot afford to pay for treatment that may inadvertently involve ineffective medicines. In Uganda since 2003, care for thousands of children admitted to the Children’s Ward at St Kizito’s Hospital has been helped with funds sent by STACC. At the time of writing, the Children’s Ward has 174 little patients and 88 beds so many are having to sleep on mats on the floor.

Over the years, equipment and vehicles have been purchased, insecticide-treated bednets supplied and distributed. A small clinic building has been built in Ife-Ife and a latrine block for girls has been built near Fort Portal in Western Uganda. A garden and a flock of goats are now flourishing at St Kizito’s to help improve childhood nutrition in this poorest region of Uganda.

Your gifts have also been having a good impact amongst a Maasai community in Kenya. STACC funds support BION (Biotisho-o-ntomonko-o-nkerra, meaning help for mothers and children). The team of Maasai ladies regularly visit a community in Kajiado to distribute food and bednets. Maasai have always depended on rainfall to nurture pasture for their cattle as have mosquitoes for breeding; not surprisingly malaria remains a big health problem in the region. The BION team is eager to begin a programme to promote awareness about health risks linked to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Although the government has now declared FGM to be illegal, the approach to awareness will need careful and sensitive planning because of the challenge to a traditional and cultural way of life.

Above was a mention of “renewed efforts”. One such took place in the magnificent Chapel of the University of Glasgow during the evening of October 25th. Over 100 guests enjoyed a “Concert for our Children” generously performed by “Mackie and Me”. The artistes were Adele Paxton (vocal) and Dennis “Mackie” McCorkle (guitar). Jazz standards and their own settings of poems by Robert Louis Stevenson and Walter de la Mere were featured. Over £4,000 was raised to further health care for children; the amount should increase after Gift Aid has been claimed. Importantly, the event attracted many new friends for STACC. ……………………………………………………………………

Please visit our website www.standrewsclinics.org.uk and please continue to support STACC. Please click on How to give.

Please send cheques, made payable to St Andrew’s Clinics for Children, to

DWT Crompton, 101A Clifton Hill, London NW8 0JR or to

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 website www.standrewsclinics.org.uk.

Please donate via JustGiving 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 wish not to receive newsletters, please notify Mrs LN Robinson at the above address or by emailing: admin@standrewsclinics.org.uk. STACC does not share its address list with any other organisation.

< back to Blog