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VfP Partner Highlight

About Reach the Children

Reach the Children, Inc. (RTC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of deprived children. It strives to strengthen families through providing educational opportunities, vocational training, and micro-enterprise. RTC's focus is to empower the people of Africa, so they can look to a brighter tomorrow.

Organizational Capacity
RTC is governed by an international board of directors and an advisory board and has since its inception in 1998, worked in over 12 African countries namely: Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar. Others are Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Tanzania, and Swaziland. RTC has also collaborated with many other nonprofit organizations including "Engage Now" in Ethiopia, United Families Inc of USA.

Indigenous partners include Mother's Rural Care for AIDS Orphans (MORCAO) in Kindu Bay Kenya, The Mutiuni Horticultural Growers Society of Kenya, Life Care of Kenya, Bugembe Development Association in Jinja Uganda, ARK Foundation of Uganda, MADAID in Madagascar, and LASAID in Zambia. RTC is an active member of the nonprofit/nongovernmental branch of the United Nations- ECOSOC.

Rural/Urban
RTC promotes and encourages rural development. To help stem the tide of rural-urban migration, RTC supports the growth of sustainable rural communities by creating and promoting schools, agricultural projects, industry, micro-finance and/or other needed programs in rural areas. RTC believes that the urbanization, if not stemmed, will be devastating for many African families and ultimately for the countries in which they live.

RTC may also undertake urban projects, though this will not be the focus of it's efforts. The primary function of urban projects will be to establish a physical presence and begin networking in new areas. RTC plans to use these urban contacts to network back to villages.

Gender
RTC affirms the need to compensate for existing inequities by making a conscious effort to support women and girls in programs. The ravages of poverty continue to afflict many, but all should be concerned with the alarming feminization of poverty. RTC will continue to advocate for women at macro levels in it's work with the U.N. and other networking as well as in on-the-scene anti-poverty initiatives and programs.

Education
RTC gives priority to the following types of programs:

• constructing primary and secondary schools
• partnering with existing schools that share RTC's commitment to principle-based education
• providing school supplies to these schools
• advocating national and international educational policies that will benefit children

RTC also supports adult education programs, especially where the use of it's own educational facilities can be leveraged. RTC is committed to finding appropriate ways to make its educational programs open to all, without regard for ability to pay. 40 million children in Africa are not receiving basic education. RTC will strive to help as many children as possible have the opportunity for education. RTC will help implement repeatable, sustainable, self-reliant, and responsible educational programs. Employment Economic self-reliance is of critical importance to families and individuals. Most of Africa has high unemployment rates.

Training and education, including vocational training, is critical to success. RTC will offer and support vocational training programs for older youth and adults. Micro-credit loans are an important tool for those with an entrepreneurial interest. Health Care RTC believes that good health is essential. To facilitate this, RTC will focus on preventative health strategies such as providing vaccinations, immunizations, and other services. RTC will find feasible ways to provide, or to facilitate the provision of, affordable, sustainable, and quality health care in the areas where RTC is involved. RTC also believes in quality health-care education. Basic health and hygiene information can be powerful tools for preventing illness. RTC commits to actively make accurate health information available in the communities served.

International Voluntary Service Activities

African Expeditions
Several times a year, Reach the Children facilitates the travel of volunteers to countries in Africa to do various service-oriented projects hand-in-hand with African brothers and sisters. RTC will post 2005 expeditions after Labor Day 2004. Below are descriptions of the 2004 African expeditions:

• Ghana: May 18-June 15, 2004
• Full Ghana: May 18 - June 15, 2004
• Full Team Leaders: Clayton Brown, Stefanie Jeppson, and Kira Golding

This Ghana Team plans to:

• Provide service in village schools
• Assist in orphanages
• Volunteer in facilities for blind and deaf children
• Visit inner-city communities (in Accra)

• Uganda: May 2004
• Full Kenya: June 3-19, 2004
• Full Team Leaders: Claudine Mace and JeVonne McDonald

This Kenya Team plans to:

• Lay water pipe in Mutituni as part of the project for which Claudine's class raised funds.
• Kenya: June 14-30, 2004 (Washington International School)
• Full Kenya: August 3-16, 2004 (Meridian Magazine)

Full Note: For those expeditions that are full, participants may fill out an application to be put on a waiting list for any spot that may become available.

The amount required to cover the service-related expenses of a volunteer traveling to Africa is approximately $3,000. Volunteers are sponsored in the form of donations to Reach the Children, which are tax deductible. Please contact RTC if you are interested in leading an expedition, being trained in team leadership, or sponsoring volunteers to go on expeditions.

Uganda: May 2004
Full Team Leader: Kathy Kay Brewer
This Uganda Team plans to: Conduct medical therapy trainings and administer same to patients in a leprosy hospital near Kampala and provide therapeutic training for care takers in orphanages

Kenya: June 3-19, 2004
Full Team Leaders: Kindee Nielsen and Rick Nielsen
This Kenya Team plans to: Add a second story to a primary school building, continuing the 2003 Kenya Team's efforts. This will provide classrooms and living quarters for orphans. Visit a local Maasai village and possibly start construction on a high school in the Maasai Mara. Work on various projects in orphanages/schools throughout Nairobi.

Team Leaders: Claudine Mace and JeVonne McDonald
This Kenya Team plans to: Lay water pipe in Mutituni as part of the project for which Claudine's class raised funds.
Team Leaders: Claudine Mace and JeVonne McDonald
This Kenya Team plans to: Lay water pipe in Mutituni as part of the project for which Claudine·s class raised funds.

 

Volunteer for Prosperity Opportunities
Number of Opportunities	20-40
Geographic Regions	Africa
Health & Prosperity Sectors	Agriculture, Economic Growth, Health, Capacity Building, Education, HIV/AIDS,Water,Women Youth Empowerment
Types of Opportunities	Technical,Support
Average Duration of Projects	3-10 weeks
Volunteer Profile Summary
A majority of volunteers have been college students, and medical staff. They have done different types of projects.