STAR4Africa

Current Projects

STAR4Africa is pleased to confirm the launch of a new auction website called www.AUCTION4Africa.com . The sole purpose of this website is to help raise additional funding for the charity.

There are many exciting plans going forward to expand the activities of STAR4Africa and we would really appreciate any support you may be able to provide us in the form of donations or signed memorabilia (footballs / books / shirts / framed pictures!) or money can’t buy experiences which we can place on the AUCTION4Africa site with all the proceeds going directly to the charity.

Current Projects Features

GLK Guides & Beautiful Kidz, Namibia

Our grants have helped service projects in Namibia with the help of the GLK Guides team.

"We spent two weeks at Beautiful Kidz and it was truly an amazing experience. Thank you once again for your kind grant, it meant we were able to make a difference at Beautiful Kidz..." Grace Labeja.

"Hi Nick,

I was absolutely thrilled to receive the cheque you sent for £400 - Thank you so much!

This is an incredibly generous donation, and it has totally spurred me on to boost the rest of my fundraising efforts in order to reach my overall goal! (I'm past the halfway mark now!)

Our team are extremely committed and excited about taking part in this worthwhile project in Namibia, and we'll definitely keep you updated on our progress.

Thanks again - this has totally made my week. I look forward to keeping in touch with STAR4Africa!

Best wishes,

Grace"

More details on the work carried out by Beautiful Kidz can be found at: http://www.beautifulkidz.org

Supporting Build A School

Build A School was founded in 2007 with the mission to build schools in the developing world. The charity has partnered the Department for International Development to construct classroom projects in Malawi. Build A School also works with HSBC in the Philippines and India. The main office for volunteers opened in Canterbury in April 2009 and the charity is now focusing it's efforts on promoting sustainable development to local people at a 4 acre site in Malawi.

STAR4Africa has helped fund the construction of teachers' houses at a school built in Mbelekete, Malawi. A key barrier to providing quality education in rural areas is attracting qualified teachers who study in the cities. The completion of teachers' houses will allow teachers to move to the area and provide the best quality education to students living in the area. This is a key component of the Malawi government's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, providing a school place to every child in the country up to the age of 11.

More details are available at: http://www.buildaschool.org.uk/

City Golf & Health Club to support STAR4Africa

City Golf & Health Club is pleased to announce STAR4Africa as its new official charity.

City Golf & Health Club is a unique and contemporary Club combining London’s finest golf facilities and academy with superb entertainment and relaxation facilities. Founded in 2005 the Club has become a renowned and popular venue in the City of London.

Facilities include six Full Swing golfing simulators, an executive gym, professional swing video analysis and training systems, P.G.A. tuition and London's first dedicated bio-mechanical golf training gym. The simulators are programmed with over 50 courses from around the world. Members also have access to the Club Room - ideal for meetings and entertaining.

City Golf & Health Club is located on Coleman Street, close to Bank, Cannon Street and Moorgate stations. Various membership packages, with extensive benefits and privileges are available. Non-members are welcome to reserve simulators or to simply drop by and hire simulators subject to availability. They are also welcome to use our clubroom to entertain guest and watch upcoming sports matches.

For more details please visit: http://www.citygolfclubs.com

Child sponsorship

http://www.endwa.org.uk/Sponsorship.htm

STAR4Africa is currently sponsoring 12 children into schooling in Ghana and invite you to do the same. Just follow the link to our partners website.

STAR4Africa opens school in Kenya on 22nd December 2009

As its main sponsor, STAR4Africa were kindly invited to assist with the official opening of a new school in Rongai near Nairobi Kenya which took place on December 22nd 2009.

"It was such an honour for STAR4Africa to open the school on behalf of Maria Chege the schools founder and we wish Maria and the school every success in the future and look forward to supporting the school further going forward" - Nick Nicholson, Founder of STAR4Africa

You can view video clips of the STAR4Africa trip to Kenya by clicking on the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oJ-2tyEGRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hWrZB5xbiQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJJ0lSOyCAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SegCNKerKac

Oxfam project in Mauritania

STAR4Africa has made a donation to Oxfam to assist in their Mauritania water project. This quote from Khadijetou Mint Lekhjine in Mauritania sums up what this project means to women like her.

"Before the repair of the well, we collected water from dirty ponds. We would spend whole nights in the basin gathering muddy water. Now we have sufficient. good quality water. This is a big relief, particularly for we women. Now we have enough time to devote to other activities, such as learning to read, and the general conditions for hygiene in our village have improved a lot."

Baharini kihoto nursery school, Kenya

In December 2009, STAR4Africa visited Baharini kihoto nursery school located in the lakeside town of Naivasha at kihoto village, which is about 80 km from the capital city of Nairobi in Kenya.

STAR4Africa is pleased to confirm that it will be providing financial support to assist the development of the school going forward and was pleased to be able to see how things are currently progressing with over 100 children aged 2 - 6 benefiting from the education and facilities the school now has to offer.

Currently the school is located in a rundown building that was a community school over twenty years ago and was bought with money sponsored from Germany. It comprises of three large rooms partitioned into classrooms, tiny sleeping/resting room and a small kitchen area. The school building will be improved greatly thanks to the support from STAR4Africa.

Kihoto village is a slum village and is home to over 8,000 people who are mainly labourers in the various flower farms that surround Lake Naivasha. Most of these labourers are very poor. It was because of this realization that Baharini Kihoto was established 9 years ago, to help bring affordable basic education to the children of these labourers. The school offers free education also gives the learning children a decent meal (lunch) which many cannot afford due to the poverty levels in this village. Children are able to eat a fruit and meat once or twice in a week depending with cash, which is a luxury to the larger poor community in Kenya despite being a vital requirement in the growth of children.

Education and a well balanced meal cannot be a priority for the majority of the poor population in this village, thus the need of filling this gap by the school.

In addition Kihoto was greatly affected by the post election violence two years ago. This greatly affected many families in many ways. Many children were orphaned and there are many cases of single families who cannot afford to take their children to school with their meagre income.

Another factor that has contributed to high levels of illiteracy and poverty in Kihoto is HIV pandemic. Many Children are orphaned by HIV/Aids which has contributed to low literacy levels.

The school was started by a retired Primary school teacher, Mrs. Phyllis Muthoni Gachie who has been managing through the help of well wishers and a committee derived from the community members. She started off with six children in her house but as of now the school has expanded and moved to a larger facility with enrolment at 106 children.

The Kenyan committee is involved in the day to day running of the school, one committee member who is also the founder (Mrs. Gachie), is a trustee and also the headmistress of the school.

The committee employs a number of teachers and other workers, (depending on the enrolment), which has been on an uphill trend. These employees are from within this community and as such benefit directly.