Children's Helpers Worldwide

Latest News

Make a difference on Giving Tuesday 2023!
November 28, 2023 7:04 am

On giving Tuesday, people around the world will be celebrating kindness and will be finding ways to give to good causes! This year, Giving Tuesday takes place on 28 November.

ORT SA CAPE, in South Africa, runs food and education programmes benefitting children from underprivileged communities around Cape Town.

Many of CHW’s supporters have contributed towards ORT SA CAPE’s work through our page on GlobalGiving.

We are delighted to let you know that GlobalGiving will be partially matching all donations during its Giving Tuesday campaign!

This will begin at 5 am (UK time) tomorrow, 28 November. The campaign will last for 24 hours!

If you would be able to spare a couple of minutes to take part on Giving Tuesday, we would be so grateful if you could share our project page: goto.gg/61258

If you would like to make a donation during Giving Tuesday, that would be wonderful. You would be making such a big difference for the children in South Africa!

Remember, your generosity will go extra far, as GlobalGiving will partially match your donation!

With thanks to Bev at ORT SA CAPE for the photo featured in our Giving Tuesday image. On Friday, the children from Rooikappie Educare went to a workshop at ORT SA CAPE and had an amazing learning experience! We were introduced to Rooikappie by an existing South African partner organisation, The Future Factory. We then made the link between Rooikappie and ORT SA CAPE.

Thank you to all who are supporting this project. You help to make sure that children, like the ones at Rooikappie, can learn about science, coding and other topics, that will open up more opportunities for them in the future!

Leave a Comment
CHW is a finalist for a Catalyst 2030 Award!
November 8, 2023 9:30 am

We are incredibly humbled and honoured to have been named as a finalist in the Donor category for the Catalyst 2030 awards!
We work as a donor to our partner organisations, and this is only made possible by each and every individual who supports our projects. We are so grateful to all of you!

If you would like to register to watch the awards ceremony on 8 November at 3pm (UK time), you can do so here.

Right from the start, our focus was on listening to, and learning from, our partner organisations because the people who run these initiatives are the ones who truly understand the needs of the children and young people in their communities. They are also in the best position to design and implement projects and programmes that will be the most effective and impactful for the children and youth.
The needs of our partner organisations are always central to everything we do.

It is such an amazing honour for CHW to be placed in the “Leaders in Partnership” section of the Donor Category.

Congratulations to all the other finalists! We are very honoured to be included among such wonderful organisations.

The nomination came as a surprise to us. We were so grateful find out that we were nominated by Amanda from Mana Preschool, one of our partner organisations in South Africa!

Children at Mana Preschool, South Africa

Leave a Comment
Meet Children’s Needs All Year Round!
March 7, 2023 9:20 pm

ORT SA CAPE, South Africa

Join the Children’s Helpers Circle to give children and youth a brighter tomorrow!

A monthly donation is the most effective way to meet the needs of children and young people all year round.

When you make a regular gift, of just £5 or more, you will be helping children and young people across the globe to have access to the basics, like food, clothing, education and healthcare.

At the same time, you will be supporting the locally-run initiatives which serve these children and which deeply understand their needs and challenges.

You can set up a donation through our GlobalGiving page here.
Just be sure to select “monthly” when you reach the payment options.

We would love it if 50 people decided to give monthly donations by the end of 2023, so please do spread the word, if you know other people who could become compassionate changemakers like you! This would make 2024 a much brighter year for the children and young people at our projects.

GlobalGiving will also make a one-off donation, matching your contribution, once you have been giving for four months!
You can easily adjust or cancel your commitment at any time.

How will your donations help?

You will be helping to meet basic, ongoing needs, for example by helping to support programmes giving food supplies to children and families in South Africa and Romania.

The Future Factory, South Africa

The Romanian project, Refugiu, also asked for help with warm coats and boots for the children over the winter. Contributions from our supporters made it possible to provide these.

Refugiu, Romania

Our supporters also contribute towards larger projects. For example, the roof of New Life’s school in Ghana was damaged in severe storms. Rain would then leak into the classrooms. Thanks to CHW’s supporters, enough donations were raised to fix the roof and the children’s education is no longer affected by the rain.

Repairing the roof at New Life’s school.

The work has now been completed to repair the schools’ roof.

Some of our partner organisations offer very specialised care. For example, Fundación Cordobesa de Equinoterapia in Argentina gives horse-assisted therapy sessions to people with disabilities. Sponsorship through CHW allows a child without means to have access to this therapy. This year, CHW’s supporters have sponsored 11-year-old Briana.

Fundación Cordobesa de Equinoterapia, Argentina

We never know what will happen next during these turbulent times. Our supporters made various Covid-response projects possible in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, they also contributed towards assistance for Ukrainian refugee children and mothers who were given shelter at FAST, one of our partner organisations in Romania.
We are so grateful to everyone who helped the children and families through these difficult times.

A monthly donation will help to meet ongoing basic needs, like food and education, and will also help us to be able to respond quickly, should another emergency strike.

We would love to welcome you as the latest member of the Children’s Helpers Circle!

You can set up your monthly donation through this page on GlobalGiving.

We look forward to having you join our global community of changemakers, as you make a brighter future possible for children and youth around the world!

——

With thanks to Anne (The Future Factory), Bev (ORT SA CAPE), Derrick (New Life International), Robert (Refugiu) and Veronica (Fundación Cordobesa de Equinoterapia) for the photos from the projects.

Leave a Comment
A tribute to Manuela, a wonderful volunteer and friend to CHW
December 31, 2022 5:38 pm

A Tribute to Manuela

Written by Catherine Franks

We were so sad to hear the news that Manuela, one of CHW’s volunteers from Brasov, Romania, passed away earlier this month.

Manuela was always very keen and willing to help CHW, in any way that she could.

Before the pandemic, she used to organise collections of items to donate to our local partner organisations in Brasov County. These collections included clothes, books, school stationery, food, hygiene products, blankets, and one time, even sweets for Easter. A couple of times there were larger items too, including a mattress, bed clothes, a cot and a fridge!

Manuela supported a few of our partner projects in Brasov and the one she donated to the most was Refugiu. Robert, the Head of Refugiu, would collect the items and distribute them to the families in a village, where his organisation works.

Here are just a few highlights of posts from CHW’s Facebook page, showing some of these collections over the years:

Manuela was also willing to help with translations too, on the few occasions that we needed any documents to be written in Romanian.

Some of our volunteers and Trustees, who visited the projects in Romania, met Manuela in Brasov.

A few years ago, Gabriela, who worked at one of our partner organisations in Argentina, volunteered at the projects in Romania. Gabriela had wanted to see some cultural sites around Brasov, and over two weekends, Manuela took the time to show Gabriela and me various places around the city.

Gabriela and Manuela at the steps leading to the White Tower in Brasov.

I first met Manuela when she was running an internet cafe in Brasov. We began talking and she was interested in finding out more about CHW. These were during the early days of the charity, so Manuela was one of our first volunteers. Manuela later became an English tutor and continued to give her time to help CHW.

Manuela was featured in a Facebook post on one of CHW’s anniversaries here, and a collection she ran was mentioned in our report for a previous project on GlobalGiving here.

Manuela had such a big personality. She had a great sense of humour and she was very witty. I had many wonderful, and entertaining, conversations with Manuela.

Any time I visited Brasov, I would meet up with Manuela. It is hard to believe that I will never see her again. Manuela had let me know during the year that she had health problems, but even then, she went forward with a practical and positive attitude.

Meeting up with Manuela a few years ago, in front of the big Christmas tree in Brasov.

I will also miss the messages I used to receive from Manuela. She knew that I always liked learning more words in Romanian. No matter the subject of the message, she would often add a Romanian phrase at the end, with a translation, so that I could learn more of the language.

I am very grateful that Manuela was part of CHW. Her enthusiasm, dedication, kindness and humour will be greatly missed.

Manuela will stay in the thoughts, memories and hearts of each person whose life she touched.

Leave a Comment
Get involved on Giving Tuesday 2022!
November 28, 2022 9:13 pm

Giving Tuesday is a global day of doing good. This year, it takes place on 29 November. We would love to invite you to get involved!

The photo above shows a child in South Africa being given food. This programme is being supported by our partner organisation, The Future Factory. Food is given to children and families across Cape Town. This initiative started during the first lockdown in 2020, and is continuing as there is still, sadly, a great need.

Having responded to the pandemic, then the Ukrainian refugee crisis and now to the cost-of-living crisis, times are really tough. We are so grateful to each supporter and volunteer who makes it possible to continue to support the children and young people at our projects around the world.

We are excited that on Giving Tuesday, GlobalGiving will be partially matching all donations made through its site! Your contribution could support children with their education or make sure they have food. Your generosity will go even further with the matching funds.

Here is the link to our project page: www.globalgiving.org/30650 If you would like to make a donation, that would be wonderful. Also, if you could help by sharing the link to help spread the word on Giving Tuesday, that would be amazing too!

You can see from our recent newsletter here, why any help you give right now will make a very big impact.

A massive thank you to everyone who continues to support the children during these turbulent times!

Leave a Comment
Assisting Ukrainian Refugee Families in Romania
March 4, 2022 6:23 pm

Update – December 2022:

We are so grateful to each person who contributed towards helping the Ukrainian refugee families, that had fled to Romania for safety.

FAST had turned its building into a refugee centre, mostly for mothers and children, who were fleeing the war. Currently, there are around 60 people staying at this centre. At the moment, FAST is receiving sufficient support from other sources. However, should there be further needs at the centre, CHW will try to assist. We cannot thank our kind supporters enough for all the generosity they have shown this year, especially during this desperate time of great need.

Casa Mea is now being run by another organisation and we want to thank all of our supporters for the help they have given to the children and teenagers there, over the years, and also for being so willing to offer support for any refugee families taken in by Casa Mea too.

We will add any further updates from FAST here. FAST has shared two videos, showing their work with the refugee families and you can see these videos here and here.

Thank you again, so much, for all your support for the refugee mothers and children from Ukraine.

Refugees from Ukraine are arriving in Romania. Our partner organisations in Brasov County have been in contact with us about the situation with the Ukrainian refugees, and about what help may be needed.

One of the organisations is already doing a lot to assist the refugees, by giving them shelter and food. The first families arrived on 3 March 2022. We are grateful that some of our supporters have been making contributions towards the efforts to help.

Entrance to FAST’s centre, which is now offering shelter to the refugees. (This photo was taken by Catherine from CHW in 2020)

We linked with this organisation, FAST, years ago. Our supporters have previously contributed towards some of their projects helping Roma communities in the surrounding villages. Help is now needed to provide the Ukrainian refugee families with accommodation, food and clothing.

You can see a video about the way FAST is helping the refugee families here.

Another of our partner organisations, Casa Mea, also took in a refugee family on 1 March – a grandmother, mother and three children. The children and teenagers at Casa Mea have made sure to make this family feel welcome in their home. Casa Mea may help more families too. We will keep you updated.

With thanks to Jan, the founder of Casa Mea, for sharing with us this photo of the children and teenagers at Casa Mea with the Ukrainian family.

Any support will make a crucial difference. You can make a donation to help with provisions for the refugee families at FAST’s centre or at Casa Mea via Paypal here.

The refugee families (mostly mothers and children, and sometimes grandmothers as well) are in very vulnerable situations, and we will be guided by our partner organisations as to what information we can share publicly.

If you would like more information about how your contribution could assist the Ukrainian refugee families in Romania, please do email Catherine @ chworldwide.org

It is also possible to contribute via our page on GlobalGiving here. GlobalGiving will be running its “Little by Little” campaign from 4 to 8 April, where donations will be partially matched. If you would like to get involved, this will be another way to support the refugee families.

A big thank you to all who contributed so far.

We are truly grateful to each person who supports CHW and makes a difference for the children, young people and families. We thank you so much for continuing to help, even during the most challenging times.

Leave a Comment
Our Continuing Response to COVID-19
August 16, 2020 5:25 pm

During these challenging times, we are so grateful to each person who has continued to support CHW and we are proud of the amazing way that our partner organisations have been responding to the crisis caused by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns around the world.

We have received so many requests for assistance for the children and young people at the projects we support. We have seen three needs in particular that came up since the pandemic started, with a fourth that is now emerging:

1. Assistance for organisations offering shelter to children

We have been asked for more help from our partner organisations that offer shelter to babies, children and teenagers. This has been from centres where children are taken to temporarily, if they have had to be removed from their families due to abuse or neglect, and also from residential centres for children and teenagers who cannot be fostered or adopted for various reasons.

The needs of the children at these centres have remained the same, but donations, in general, have dropped. Social distancing measures have also meant the cancellation of fundraising events and these centres have turned to us for help. Our supporters have made it possible to help a couple of centres in Argentina and Romania.

A sign made by the children at Casa Mea in Romania, saying “Everything will be alright.”

2. New programmes helping with food and other basic needs

Some of our partner organisations in Ghana and South Africa have asked us for support for new food distribution programmes they had set up. Some of these programmes also give out other needed items, such as personal hygiene products and masks. These programmes address the immediate needs arising from the increase of poverty caused by the lockdowns. We are trying to help as much as we can and we are thankful to each person who has contributed towards these programmes.

A photo from the food distribution programme that our partner organisation, The Future Factory, is involved with in South Africa.

Thanks to our supporters, an existing food distribution programme that we were assisting in Romania was also able to continue throughout the pandemic, helping families in need.

3. Delivering education programmes online

Some of our partner organisations in China and South Africa adapted their usual education programmes and moved their resources online, or gave online classes. The digital divide has become very apparent during the pandemic and costs of accessing the internet can create barriers for those who are disadvantaged. One of our partner organisations in South Africa supported its beneficiaries with routers and data, so they could continue to learn.

4. Costs of equipment needed to safely reopen schools and education centres

As the lockdown restrictions are easing in some of the countries where we work, a few of our partner schools and education centres need help to be able to comply with all the new rules so that they can safely open again. Our supporters have helped an Early Childhood Development Centre in South Africa with donations for the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that was needed, to be able to reopen. Some items, such as the increased amounts of bleach and hand sanitiser, will be ongoing costs that must be budgeted for.

One of our partner schools in Ghana has asked us for help with new desks and chairs, so that classrooms can be properly set up with enough spacing in between the desks. The school is supposed to reopen in September. More about the school can be found here.

Some of the children in the nursery class, at New Life’s school in Ghana, before the lockdown.

The situation continues to be complicated and many of the above issues are ongoing. These are uncertain times and we are so grateful to all who have helped, as the needs have risen so steeply and so quickly.

If you would like to help and make a contribution, you can do so here. Any support will make such a difference right now and will be so greatly appreciated.

A massive thank you to all who are helping the children, especially during this incredibly difficult time.

—

With thanks to Anne (The Future Factory, South Africa), Derrick (New Life, Ghana) and Felicia (Casa Mea, Romania) for the photos.

Leave a Comment
Desks and Chairs needed for a School Reopening in Ghana
August 14, 2020 6:16 pm

Schools in Ghana will be reopening in September for all pupils. Before now, only students in certain grades had returned.

Some of the children in the nursery class, before the lockdown.

Newness, the school, which is run by our Ghanaian partner organisation, New Life, is due to be opening again in a matter of weeks. As the school had been growing, there was already a need for more desks and chairs. Now that spacing is a big issue because of COVID-19, having adequate desks, tables and chairs is vital.

Just £15 will sponsor a place with a desk and chair for a child. As it is mid-August already, a contribution of any size will make a very big difference right now, to help the school reopen safely by September! If you would like to help, you can make a donation here.

Some of the children from Grade 1, before the lockdown.

Changing plans and priorities

CHW had been hoping to assist with some new chairs and desks earlier in the year. All plans and priorities were then changed as the pandemic started and schools closed down. New Life responded to the crisis and supported children and families in the local community.

Derrick and Caroline of New Life, with supplies to distribute to families in need, during the lockdown.

New Life asked CHW for assistance with funding for two months’ worth of food supplies, as well as soap and masks, for nine families that it had identified as being particularly in need. We are so grateful that it was possible to help with this, thanks to the kindness and generosity of CHW’s supporters. The whole situation is unpredictable and the responses by our partner organisations have had to constantly change. It was so good that people could help, in the middle of Ghana’s lockdown, when the urgent need was food. The vital need now is for the classrooms to be properly set up, so that the children attending Newness can safely go back to school and continue their education. If you, or anyone you know, would like to help, and could make a donation, this support would be so greatly appreciated right now.

James of New Life distributing the food and personal hygiene items to some of the families.

With thanks to Derrick, the director of New Life, for the photos.

Leave a Comment
A Tribute to our Friend and Former Trustee, Sophie
June 10, 2020 8:23 pm

A Tribute to Sophie Williams

Written by Catherine Franks.

All of us at Children’s Helpers Worldwide (CHW) were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sophie Williams on 26 May 2020.

Sophie was an amazing person with a bright and bubbly personality. She was always fun to be around and she was known for her love of the colour pink! Sophie was also incredibly kind and supportive, and always encouraging.

I met Sophie at university, where we were both studying law. Sophie served as a Trustee for two years when CHW was founded and she went on to support the charity in other ways. Our current Trustees all knew Sophie. Two of them had also studied at the same university.

Anna, one of our Trustees said, “I just remember Sophie as being so full of life and friendly, and, of course, loving pink!“

At a Board Meeting: Anna, Catherine, Sophie and Emma

When we started CHW, we used to speak to people about our projects, as a way to try to find support for the children. Our first actual fundraising event was a bag packing fundraiser at a supermarket near our university in Aberystwyth. People gave donations in return for having their bags packed by volunteers. Without hesitation, Sophie helped out and she also arrived early to set up. That fundraiser supported the children at New Life’s centre and school in Ghana. In a recent message to me, Sophie had asked after the children there.

Sophie at the bag packing fundraiser in Aberystwyth

Looking through our old emails, I found a message Sophie had sent out quite a few years ago, sharing an appeal to support a sports programme for disadvantaged children run by one of our partner organisations in South Africa, called The Future Factory. During the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns around the world, CHW has been supporting various projects, including new food distribution programmes for both New Life and The Future Factory. Being able to support these projects – both of which Sophie had previously helped – means that the impact Sophie made is continuing. I will forever be thankful that Sophie was part of CHW.

Catherine and Sophie at the bag packing fundraiser

Emma, a Trustee, shared her memories of Sophie: “I first met Sophie at Aberystwyth University when we were both students. I will always remember her uplifting presence and infectious laugh. She was committed to helping others, through her career in law but also during our time in Aber, through establishing the Tickled Pink Society, to raise awareness of breast cancer and being a founding Trustee of Children’s Helpers Worldwide. Whilst her life was cut tragically short, the impact she made during her time here will have made a lasting difference to so many. We will miss you very much Sophie.”

Quite a few years ago now, a volunteer in Wales wrote a song about CHW and arranged for schoolchildren to sing it and recorded a video. A photo of Sophie at the bag packing fundraiser in Aberystwyth appears at 1:48. You can watch the video here.

Patricia, who is also on the Board of CHW, said, “I fondly remember Sophie as a Trustee of Children’s Helpers Worldwide. She was bright, energetic and full of fun. She will be sadly missed.”

Sophie touched so many lives though her career, her friendships and the causes she supported. Sophie was a shining light in this world and she was a beautiful soul. I am truly grateful for the friendship we had. I know that Sophie is loved and missed by a lot of people.

Our thoughts are with Sophie’s family at this extremely sad time, especially her parents, Liz and John and her sister, Lucy. Sophie is in our memory and in our hearts.

Leave a Comment
Responding to Covid-19 and Helping the Children
May 20, 2020 12:59 pm

We are so grateful to each person who is continuing to support the children and young people at our projects during these uncertain times. Our partner organisations work directly with the children. Some have adapted their programmes, or launched new ones, in response to the pandemic and lockdowns. Others have had to find ways to keep going, at a time when it is much harder to get support. Many have turned to Children’s Helpers Worldwide (CHW) and we are thankful to all who are helping them.

Casa Mea, Romania: the sign says, “Everything will be alright.”
With thanks to Felicia for this photo.

With the help and kindness of CHW’s supporters, the following has been made possible over the past few weeks:

– Support for two food distribution programmes in South Africa. One of our South African partner organisations, The Future Factory, is involved with an initiative distributing food in Cape Town. The other programme was started by ORT SA CAPE.
– Assistance with the ongoing running costs of the home, Casa Mea, in Romania.
– Funding for Refugiu’s social assistance programme in Romania, for resources to be used during and after the lockdown.
– Extra support for a centre in Argentina, run by Manos Abiertas. The centre temporarily houses babies and children, aged 0 to 5, who have suffered abuse or neglect.
– Assistance for education programmes that had to go online in China and South Africa. Stepping Stones, in China, began giving lessons over the internet. CHW made its regular donation to them for the semester, to help during these uncertain times. ORT SA CAPE, in South Africa, is making its resources and trainings available online for its beneficiaries. However, access to the internet is costly and ORT SA CAPE is supplying data bundles so that their beneficiaries can continue to learn. Fortunately, these bundles can be bought at a reduced rate.

We also recently received a request from Pinocchio Creche in South Africa for help with funding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), so that they can have everything in place when the time comes to reopen. As well as this, New Life in Ghana has been distributing items that have been greatly needed during the lockdown to children and families in the local community. New Life has identified nine families that are particularly in need of extra help and has asked us for support with supplying food, soap and face masks to them.

The situation continues to be complicated and many of the above needs for help are ongoing. If you would like to make a difference right now, you can contribute here.

We are truly thankful to each person who is helping these children during this very challenging time.

ORT SA CAPE has started distributing food in Cape Town.
With thanks to Bev and Karen for this photo.

Leave a Comment

Join us on:

Latest News