Partnership and collaboration seem to be keywords in Africa discussions these days. The following press release from the NextGen Africa Forum hosted by Goods for Good explains a little why that trend is important.
New York, 17 June 2010 – Earlier this week Goods for Good hosted the NextGen Africa Forum at NYU’s Kimmel Center, where The Right Honorable Joyce Banda, Vice President of Malawi, gave an address on the plight of Africa’s 50 million orphans to an audience of 350 NGO’s, key experts in the field and other interested individuals.
The Forum was initiated by Goods for Good Founder and Executive Director, Melissa Kushner, in order to facilitate discussion the creation of partnerships for advancing Africa’s next generation. ” The issue is too complex for any one organization to tackle alone,” she explained. “We’re hosting NextGen Africa to encourage dialogue, partnership, and collaboration between organizations working towards the same goal of helping to create a better future for these children and their communities.”
Setting the tone for the evening, Vice President Joyce Banda started by giving numerous examples of how the situation in Africa is not hopeless. Interventions, when implemented properly, can and do have a real impact on the ground. “By working with local leadership – chiefs and local village leaders who are a powerful, critical mass of local leaders – important change can be made in communities. These leaders are the custodians of tradition. People listen to them because they are respected and have authority.” – she explained. Most pointedly, Vice President Banda highlighted a program spearheaded by her Foundation, which has reduced child malnutrition in Malawi from 20% to 2%.
Joyce Banda’s inspiring speech was followed by a Q & A discussion panel , complemented by Dr. Jane Aronson (Founder and CEO of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation), Ann Veneman (Former Executive Director of UNICEF) and moderated by Claire Gaudiani, author of The Greater Good.
“Working in partnership is critical. Different organizations with different goals constantly going into countries and doing their own thing doesn’t work,” said Ann Veneman. “We have to create collaborative, community approaches that will be sustainable over the long term.”
The general consensus amongst the panel and audience was that to address the issue of orphans and vulnerable children, you must first address the larger issue of poverty. For example, micro-finance programs can stimulate the economy, increase household income and provide parents with the means to better care for themselves, thereby reducing the risk of parents deaths and therefore orphans.
Increased parental income also enables the education of girls, who are customarily pulled from school first when faced with a lack of funds. When girls are unable to gain an education they typically marry at the age of 13 or 14, have children soon thereafter and enter the viscous cycle of lack of education, low income, poor nutrition including lack of pre-natal care and increased risk for early parental death.
But the concern that African orphan crisis is too large to confront with viable solutions was addressed unanimously by all parties. The resounding opinion was that “we must divide up the pie” and help one child at a time with culturally appropriate solutions.. There are many ways for individuals to become a part of the solution, starting with supporting www.goods4good.org. For just $10, Goods for Good can provide a child with the materials they need to gain an education. Joyce Banda explained: “Melissa’s nonprofit , Goods for Good, is partnering with people on the ground, and that’s the way to do it.”
About The Right Honorable Joyce Banda:
Joyce Banda is the first female Malawian Vice President. An influential advocate for women and children’s rights, she previously served as Minister of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Development and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Among other notable achievements, she received the International Award for Health and Dignity of Women by Americans for UNFPA and founded the National Association for Business for Women, a network of over 30,000 women. She also founded the Young Women Leaders Network, and the Joyce Banda Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships for secondary school children in Malawi.
About Goods for Good:
Goods for Good (G4G) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 to promote the educational and emotional development of orphans and vulnerable children in developing nations. Through partnerships with international companies and grassroots organizations abroad, Goods for Good provides much needed school supplies, clothing and health and hygiene products to children in need while at the same time reducing waste at home. To date, Goods for Good has rescued and delivered over 120 tons of surplus goods reaching over 510,000 vulnerable children and their communities.
To learn more, visit www.goods4good.org.
Videos of the speeches and Q&A can be seen at: http://vimeo.com/goods4good/videos.
