Dr. David Breunning, after serving in Asia, Europe, India and Africa on Christian missions, decided to use his missionary connections across Africa as a means of delivering aid to children through ICF.

Countries served include Africa include Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

Efforts are focused on protecting African children from starvation, disease and victimization.

ICF ships ocean containers of supplies and equipment that are donated from American individuals and businesses, or purchased with donated funds.

Specific types of items shipped include shoes, printing presses, medical supplies, medical equipment, clothing, computer equipment, building materials, school books and many other needed items. One interesting item is an inventory of 10,000 empty pill bottles. In the equatorial countries of Africa, the disposable pill bottle is the only effective means of keeping lifesaving medications from quickly losing their potency in tropical heat.

More information on ICF’s activities, including donation opportunities, can be found on their website.

Ball for All assists boys and girls in impoverished African schools who play soccer. Combining the benefits of education and soccer, the charity supports urban and rural schools in west Africa, including Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

School teams are sponsored through tuition assistance, books, school supplies, uniforms and soccer equipment. Many schools have little more than chalkboards … no textbooks, no supplies, and no school sports.

Additional services by Ball for All includes training players and coaches, organizing tournaments, awarding scholastic prizes and identifying and promoting All-Star teams to higher league play.

Additional information on program details, sponsoring a team or player, and other donation opportunities can be found on their website.

With the current situation in Western Sudan, AADG advocates for the immediate deployment of a strong multinational protection force in the Darfur region, with or without the government of Sudan’s consent. AADG also supports military force and strong multilateral sanctions to stop the genocide.

AADG’s efforts focus on campaigns that urge government and other influential leaders and organizations to act to protect the victims of the Darfur genocide. 

Face-to-face meetings, emails, phone calls, letters and other actions educate and urge leaders to implement new policies and take action of help the people of Darfur. Detailed information  on the situation in Darfur is collected by AADG and is also available online.

Financial, diplomatic and physical sanctions are advocated to bring pressure on those responsible for the mass atrocities. United Nations or other coalition resolutions that impose asset freezes, travel bans, and other sanctions are supported.

AADG also supports the sending of peacekeeping forces to Darfur, and the use of further UN or international military forces to protect the citizens of Darfur.

More information on the situation in the Darfur region (including videos), volunteering, taking action and other program details can be found on their website.

RISE was founded in 2001 under the leadership of the Cole family. Don and Naomi Cole served as missionaries in Angola for 18 years. RISE’s vision is to “work together to rebuild lives and communities, reflecting Jesus’ charge to love others as we love ourselves.”

Angola has been ravaged by 27 years of civil war. Two thirds of the people have no access to drinking water. The average life expectancy is 41 years. Rural schools have virtually disappeared, with an entire generation growing up unable to read or write. In April, 2002, the fighting ended, refugees have returned home, and there is a great opportunity to rebuild local communities.

RISE provides designs and plans for building schools, uses local leadership teams to oversee the construction, funds the cost of construction materials, enhances teacher training and provides school supplies.

The Ministry of Education of Angola provides textbooks, desks, maintenance, administration and funds teacher salaries.

The local churches and communities supply the land, volunteer labor, and secure the permits for construction and operation of the schools.

Teams of RISE volunteers travel to Angolan school sites to conduct workshops, training programs and classes. Adult education and community meetings are also held at the schools.

Additional information on donating, participating, and other program details can be found on their website.

API, founded in 2004, is a nonprofit organization that has an office in Indianapolis, Indiana and another office in Dakar, Senegal. The program is in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal of eradicating poverty amongst women in vulnerable situations.

Objectives of API’s programs include:

* Provide micro-enterprise training to underprivileged Sengalese women.

* Provide micro-loans for income-generating micro-enterprise activities.

* Provide a savings program as a means of promoting self-reliance.

* Provide family financial management training.

An example of volunteer opportunities is a team of 8 medical volunteers from the Chicago area that went to Dakar in January to work with the United Methodist Church in providing medical care.

More information on their program details and  can be found on their website.

The nonprofit volunteer organization was founded in 1995 by Toby Tanser, a top Icelandic runner, who currently lives in New York city.  Actor Anthony Edwards (Doctor on television show ER), best friend of Toby Tanser, is Chairman of the organization. Many African running stars have teamed with Shoes4Africa to reach communities with running programs and HIV/AIDS initiatives.

Individuals can ship their donated used shoes directly to Shoe4Africa’s Kenya office. Donated shoes should have at least 100 miles worth of wear left in them. Running shirts, new socks, and running shorts are also welcome.

Shoe4Africa also creates sporting events and training programs in Africa, and offers HIV testing and information to all who attend races and games in Africa.

Supporters and sponsors of Shoes4Africa include Cameron Diaz, Natalie Portman, Kim Alexis, Diane Dixon, Cristiano Ronaldo and runners Lornah Kiplagat, Steve Cram, Martin Lel, Moses Kiptanui, Rose Tata, Greta Waitz, Mike Boit and many more.

After a recent New York City Marathon, 10,000 shoes were donated to Shoes4Africa by the runners and other supporters.

The largest project of Shoe4Africa is the building of a $15-million children’s hospital in Kenya.

Another project, the Kibera Project, works to deliver shoes to the people of the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. It is estimated that over 1.2 million people live in the slum.

Details on how to package the used shoes, prepare customs label for the post office, and ship the shoes can be found on their website.

Also information on donating to their shipping costs, or the children’s hospital program, participating in shoe drives, and other program details can be found on their website.

Mack Bockley, who leads Zangala, has spent 10 years working closely with the Dagara through the Peace Corps and other humanitarian organizations.

Projects of Zangala include:

* Paying for the school costs for children to attend primary school. It costs about $7 per year to attend primary school.

* Providing seeds to over 250 families in 2007, which led to a banner yield in agricultural output. Also a faster maturing corn seed was selected in cooperation with a Dagara agricultural expert.

* A project to promote a bilingual education system emphasizing the Dagara and French languages is being created. The project aims to bring Dagara music, culture and values to the classroom.

* The Dagara Village Project is planned that will create a large complex where each of the 6 different Dagara clans can create their own compounds in their own style. Space would ideally be provided to include cultural practices such as archery, wrestling, dance, shamanic arts, and cuisine.

* The Festival de la Musique Dagara music festival is held in February every year and is a showcase for Dagara music. The festival has started to draw accomplished musicians from other countries.
 
Information on donating, participating and other program details can be found on their website.

64,000 new businesses, generating $79-million a year in new profits and wages, have been started through KickStart’s assistance.

One of the unique aspects of KickStart is that they design technologies, equipment, business plans, and manuals that are geared for small entrepreneurs in Africa, and train manufacturers to mass produce these new machines and tools. New technologies developed include micro-irrigation pumps, oilseed press equipment (sunflowers, sesame seeds), machines to make low cost building blocks from soil and cement, a machine to make roofing tiles, concrete pit latrine slabs, a manually operated high-pressure hay baler, cargo bicycles, animal carts, etc.

Established in 1991 by Nick Moon and Martin Fisher, KickStart now has offices in Kenya, Tanzania and Mali. The tools are also being used in many other countries in Africa. The goal is to expand the full program to many other countries in East, Southern and West Africa.

The basic plan is to:

1. Research and identify potential small scale business opportunities by examining raw materials, competing products, and local market conditions.

2. Design and develop new technologies and business packages for a simple to understand and operate small business operation.

3. Train manufacturers to produce the new equipment at a low cost.

4. Market the new technologies through local African retailers, who are trained to operate and market the business opportunity to local entrepreneurs. The retailers (over 120 retail shops work with KickStart just in Kenya) also profit from the sale of the business packages. Entire business packages typically cost $100 - $1,000.

5. KickStart monitors the effectiveness of its Program in the local countries.

Many new technologies are being considered, such as low cost well drilling, improved milk transport systems, generation and sale of electricity, and low cost provision of communication services in small towns.

KickStart’s micro-irrigation pumps are also available for distribution throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Donation opportunities and other program details can be found on KickStart’s website.

Since its founding in 2006, an estimated 2,200 nets have been distributed and 74 potential lives saved. It is estimated that 1 to 3 million people die each year from malaria, with 90% of those deaths occurring in Sub-Saharan African.

Insecticide treated net costs about US $5-$10. For every 30 nets distributed, one life is estimated to be saved.

The nets can last for 3-5 years and can protect 2 to 3 individuals.

Some of the people that have received nets from Netting Nations include 50 nets to a partner organization in Senegal and 200 nets to a hospital in Zambia.

A project with the University of Ghana is being launched which will mobilize students to distribute nets to places in need.

The Luckyhill Children’s Home Foundation in Ghana, which assists orphans and abandoned children, needs 400 nets and is a current partner organization with Netting Nations.

Other local organizations in Africa are also requesting help in supplying the life saving nets to their local people.

Information on donation opportunities, fundraising ideas and program details can be found on their website.

AHEAD has offices in the USA, Tanzania, The Gambia and Bermuda.

After working in Africa as a pediatrician and witnessing the deprivation and suffering of children, Dr. and Mrs. Williams, founded AHEAD to reduce and eliminate disease and premature death, cultivate and advance healthy living, and to foster sustainable environmental activities.

Priorities include HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, pre and post natal care, family planning, immunizations, growth monitoring and nutrition, youth development, education, vocational life skills and environmental initiatives.

In The Gambia and Tanzania, malnutrition, malaria and diarrheal diseases remain the primary causes of death among infants and children. Infant mortality rates are often 18 times higher than in the United States.

AHEAD has a full time staff which works side by side with local African assistance as well as volunteers from American and other countries.

The following projects have been completed or are underway:

- Women’s Agri-Health Training
- Health and Nutrition Outreach
- Nutrition Rehabilitation  
- Health Training Conferences, Workshops and Seminars
- HIV/AIDS Seminars
- Oral Rehydration Therapy Training
- Micro-Enterprise Initiatives for Rural Women and Youth
- Teen Action Program (TAP)
- Construction and Renovation of Health Facilities
- Health Education Program in Primary Schools
- Photo-voltaic Electric System for Lights and Refrigeration
- 50,000 Gallon Rainwater Catchment System
- Feasibility Study for Specialty Hospital for Mothers and Children
- Cross-Cultural Training Workshops and Symposia
- Youth Development and Leadership Training  
- Annual Harambee Carnival and African Expo

More information on AHEAD’s programs, including donation opportunities, are available on their website.