Educate for Life (EFL) aims to help the tribal Adivasi community in Rajasthan who are often seen as backward, facing bias and suppression. Infant mortality is high; the entire community lives under the poverty line and government services are scarce. Impact1) A grant of £6,760 ensures that a class of 25 children are able to attend school for a year. It will cover their school uniform, books, stationery, all their learning resources and a nutritious daily meal. It will enable them to take part in class trips, excursions and workshops as part of our holistic approach to education. All pupils will also receive all their vaccinations and regular health checks. Our funding will also cover their teacher’s salary and their training and professional development.2) The school currently serves both breakfast and lunch to over 400 students, a food service that has increased nine-fold since the kitchen was first designed and built. A grant of £7,500 would help towards the expansion and upgrade of the school's kitchen infrastructure which, by 2021, will enable the school to serve up to 350,000 meals a year.3) A grant of £9376 ensures 16 Hunar Ghar students will study further at secondary schools.4) A grant of £5805 will support the professional development of 27 teachers to teach at Hunar Ghar.  Update    08th November 2018My recent visit to Hunar Ghar was hugely inspirational and a reminder of the very challenging circumstances in which the community live. We spent a night in Bakhel, hosted by a family who gave up their bed and blankets and cooked us a delicious dinner over the fire in their simple home. I was woken in the night by some goats rushing in and they were tethered up next to where we were sleeping. An early morning chai was very much welcomed before we set off for the start of the school day at Hunar Ghar to see the children gathering for morning assembly.  I took the attached video showing progress with the new kitchen at Hunar Ghar. There is still outstanding work to be completed, including the plumbing and electrics, but the structure is there and complete and we are pressing our partner as much as we can to ensure that all the remaining work is completed as soon as possible. It continues to be challenging to get contractors to work in Bakhel, due to prejudice many hold against the community who live there. We will get there in the end and are grateful for your patience and understanding. In the meanwhile, I can testify that the food being prepared in the makeshift kitchen is extremely tasty and the team are managing well. During our visit, we spent some time in a couple of nearby government secondary schools. This was a sobering experience. The learning environments were so different to Hunar Ghar. It was very sad to hear children sharing that they had no confidence that they would pass their end of school exams as they lack teachers in the subjects they need to pass. Their life aspirations are therefore very low. We have begun an intervention to tackle this, working with a new partner called Kshamtalaya. We are conscious that as we have increasing numbers of Hunar Ghar graduates, those who do not manage to secure scholarship places at other schools, will end up at these local government schools. We want to raise the standard of education at these schools for Hunar Ghar graduates, but also as part of our commitment to the community where the schools are situated. Our ultimate aim of socio-economic transformation of this area will only be fully achieved if we can help children growing up here to complete their secondary studies so they can make choices about their futures.  As Ash mentioned, I spent some time with Bhuri and her class. I don't think I impressed them very much with my frisbee skills...but there was a lot of giggling and it was wonderful to see Bhuri interacting with her classmates and teachers! Update    06th November 2018 Iona-Jane and I recently returned from a trip to Hunar Ghar- it was wonderful to be out there and see the children and team- I've attached a few photos IJ took, including a couple of our community health worker conducting a home visit for a mother and newborn baby as part of our Safe Childhood Programme and some of our children on a Community Learning Morning where they learned about the various crops growing in the community, how they are pollinated and their market value when sold.  (Photos in gallery)   I was so impressed seeing our community health worker conducting her visits- a UK GP spent 6 weeks working with her last year, and I think her guidance has really boosted the quality of advice and information provided to women. As you may know, our data suggests that there's been a 40% reduction in under -1 mortality in the 4 years since our work began. Similarly, there was a wonderful energy at the school, with lots of beautiful interactions between the children and teachers, including library and sports sessions. Bhuri, whose healthcare you supported last year, also continues to do well and Iona-Jane observed a sports class in which she participated.  Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  24th September 2017A grant of £9376 was made to support 16 Hunar Ghar students to study further at secondary schools.A further grant of £5805 was made to support the professional development of 27 teachers to teach at Hunar Ghar.  Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  21st December 2016A grant of £7500 was made towards the expansion of the kitchen service infrastructure in 2017.  Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  24th November 2016A grant of £6760 was made to provide support as described above to support a class of 25 children. DetailsEducate for Life aims to transform one of India’s poorest, most marginalised rural communities in Mandwa Panchayat, near Udaipur in Rajasthan. The tribal Adivasi community it seeks to help are often seen as backward, facing bias and suppression.  Infant mortality is high; the entire community lives under the poverty line and government services are scarce. Educate for Life works closely with the villagers to provide education, healthcare and community development services. Hunar Ghar School has been operating as a school as well as a community hub since 2007.  The school fees, uniform, textbooks, learning resources, nutritious meals are provided free of charge as are vaccinations and health checks The charity have succeeded in slowly changing the attitudes of parents towards education particularly for girls, reduced child marriages, trained teachers within the village, improved mortality, opportunities, nutrition and health of the entire community.Educate for Life has good sound medium-long term vision - to be successful in their endeavours and be a shining beacon and an inspiration to other rural communities to have similar aspirations. About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Millions of children across India do not have access to shelter, education or healthcare, so, how can they have dreams? The Big Hug Foundation are working to change this by ensuring every child understands their rights and is given the opportunity to dream. They work with organisations across India to empower underprivileged children through education, giving them a head-start in life and the opportunity to achieve their dreams.ImpactA grant of £12,300 for The Early Intervention Clinic will provide early screening and intervention for infants (ages 0 -2) affected by Cerebral Palsy and other motor-neurone difficulties (expected to benefit 269 users) in Kolkata, India. Details PurposeDespite a steady improvement in the quality of prenatal care over the last two decades, instances of severe disabilities remain high in newborns throughout India. We work with our local partner, the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy to care for the needs of infants at high risk of cerebral palsy and other motor-neurone diseases. Through the Early Intervention Clinic an early diagnosis is given and offers affected children the best possible care, support and therapy. The clinic offers relief to local hospitals and health centres, providing diagnosis for many at-risk infants, where early intervention is key. Many of the families referred to the clinic live in slums, below the poverty line, and without access to basic medical care and treatment. The free support and therapy provided by the Early Intervention Clinic truly is a lifeline to these vulnerable children.Expected outcomeThe service the Early Intervention Clinic provides includes medical assistance, physical and occupational therapy and assistive technology devices. The clinic also provides advice and guidance on home management offering a trans-disciplinary team of therapists, special educators and social workers to affected families.

The Early Intervention Clinic is split into three key areas – all vital in providing the best possible infant care:• Paediatric Clinic: Two paediatricians conduct weekly clinics, performing thorough check-ups through to diagnosis.• Neurology Clinic: Conducted by a neurologist twice a month, more than 100 children are referred for treatment of epilepsy. Anti-convulsion medication is provided free of charge to the children from low income families.• Speech Clinic: A Consultant Speech Therapist and Audiologist conduct this clinic every week. Children are screened for possible hearing difficulties and rehabilitation programmes are advised. All infants below the age of three who attend the Early Intervention Clinic are routinely checked for any hearing abnormalities.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Sierre Leone is one of the poorest nations of the world, with thousands of people living in slums. UK based charity, Home Leone, has initiated its pilot “Destiny” village, a community-led relocation plan, enabling over 2,000 people to be relocated into a new community that provides jobs, education, low cost homes, social infrastructure, utilities, vocational training and health facilities. The photos below depict what Home Leone aim to achieve, Before and After.  ImpactBuild a block of 8 homes enabling around 40 people to leave Sierra Leone's horrific slums and start a new life at Destiny Village.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   24th September 2017A grant of £35,180 was made to commence and complete the building of a block of 8 homes, enabling around 40 people to start a new life at Destiny Village. The photos below show the marking out of the foundations for Belu Villas, making the 2,500 cement blocks by men and women breaking down the rocks that go in to the foundation, putting the covers on the calverts that are built to drain the heavy rains away, bringing the ballstone in to the foundation, the whacker plate crushing the stone in the foundations and finally, of raking of the foundations and the foundation walls. So much work has been done by the local community in such a short space of time. Details Home Leone is a charity that believes in caring for and loving vulnerable people facing difficult situations. It is hoped that one day, a nation can be changed.  It is not funded by any large organisation, just a small group of people with a big heart and vision.  They are helping some of the world's poorest, working with them on a journey to lift them out of horrific slum life into inspired life of new communities. Home Leone's pilot "Destiny" village relocates over 2,000 people on its 22-acre site, with 6 foundational elements ensuring sustainability:  *   Employment and skills means participants contribute to society in a sustainable manner, with lasting jobs and dignity;  *   Education - by building primary secondary and vocational training schools the village and community equips and empowers the next generation;  *   Low-cost homes - 344 homes, designed by slum dwellers deliver culturally appropriate living at affordable prices in a rent-to-buy scheme;  *   Healthcare - Local facilities, a health savings scheme, a care home and partnerships with local healthcare providers;  *   Water and Waste Management - Drinkable water delivered to homes and a water bagging factory bringing jobs.  Together with our effective waste management,        children and adult's health is improved;  *   Power - Connecting to the local NPA power grid and supplemented by solar and generators, provides a core component to village living.Their programmes, social justice initiatives and training maximise the effective use of this vital infrastructure.  They also welcome corporate teams to come and help as part of their Team Building and Corporate Social Responsibility programmes to send employees on a life changing journey for a week in Sierra Leone.In August 2017, One Kind Act hosted a garden party with a goal to charity Home Leone.  This proved timely, as within a few days the monsoon rains and flooding brought about a landslip, killing hundreds of people and making even more homeless.  The need for low cost homes has never been more urgent.Nigel Hyde, Home Leone's Chief Executive said "One Kind Act is a catalyst beyond just the life transformation for many of the work's poorest.  It really means the first people can be relocated by April 2018 and is also opening doors for others to get involved through volunteering overseas and raising further funds for investment.  It is also an honour to build these homes to celebrate the life of Belu Bhogal, who sadly passed away earlier this year."About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Childrens Hunger Relief Fund (CHRF) promotes the relief of hunger and improved sanitation facilities for the orphans and poor children in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. Amongst so many things in desperate need, it has also identified for better irrigated farming and wells to provide safe drinking water. Impact                    10 Wells Repaired At a Cost of £500 EachUpdate - Grants Provided By One Kind Act - 06 November 2018A grant of £10000 was made to carry out the construction and funding of a new pre-school for children as part of a new development for the poor.Update - Grants Provided By One Kind Act - 16 June 2017A grant of £5000 was made to build/repair wells.Update - Grants Provided By One Kind Act - 18 June 2016A grant of £5000 was made to build/repair 10 wells.DetailsThe Sri Lankan civil war is well documented in the media.  Although peace was restored in 2009, the legacy of 30 years’ war has been devastation and destruction that is still acutely suffered by those who survived. A ten square mile area in the Northern Province witnessed some of the most shocking horrors.  Tens of thousands were killed and many more tortured and maimed.  There was large scale destruction of homes, hospitals, water and sanitary facilities among other buildings.  Livelihoods like fishing, farming, trading were shattered.  Families were held in camps for months before being sent back to their village to rebuild their lives.  Over time, the large foreign charities left, leaving behind thousands of bewildered, lost and despairing victims.Children's Hunger Relief Fund UK (CHRF) has provided the hope and lifeline so desperately needed.  Since 2010 they have sent everything - from clothing, blankets, milk powder, food, to sewing machines and bicycles. Their vision is to restore self-sufficiency in the long term....to give a hand up rather than simply a hand out.  Some examples of this initiative are setting up a sewing centre for widows, giving boats and nets to fishermen, seeds and water pumps to farmers, building wells.In the past few years their work has brought excellent results enabling displaced families to find their feet again.  CHRF is now focussing on the high proportion of disabled in the area. Land mines, torture and indiscriminate bombings have left large numbers with loss of limbs, paraplegic or quadriplegic.As a start, crutches, commodes, beds have been provided.  However they are looking to the long term future.Having identified most disabled are farmers, they are being encouraged to earn a living through farming, poultry, cows and goat rearing.  A huge impediment has been the lack of water facilities close by.  It is impossible for a disabled person in a wheelchair or artificial limbs to travel for hours to the nearest well to fetch sufficient water for even small scale cultivation. CHRF has identified those families in dire need of nearby wells and has undertaken to build them. The hope is that even the disabled will live a self-sufficient life in dignity.OKA is proud to support their noble work and has donated towards building several wells for the disabled.Update - Progress/Reviews - 05 May 2016Mrs S Kaneshanathan, Chairperson CHRF-UKWater, which is a very basic need for human existence is denied to many disabled people. Most of the amputees are farmers, and farming is one of the options or only option to earn a living, in addition to poultry, raring cows and goats. Without water they can't do any of these.It is a common practice with the farmers to grow popular crops (short term crops/long term crops) in their own land, feed the family and also sell the excess and earn an income. This opportunity is denied to many   disabled people due to the lack of water. They have to walk far, difficult to walk far with the artificial limbs to fetch water for their daily use and drinking. They can only bring water in small pots. There aren't any ways of getting water for sanitation and for the toilets.The houses are far apart and hence it is not possible to construct common wells. Tube well is another option. But these cannot do cultivation. They need water for drinking, cooking and for their cultivation. Out of the 50 people that we visited, about 24 people needed wells. There are more people asking for wells, but we didn't assess them yet. If we can provide them with wells, they can use water for drinking, their daily use and will be able to do cultivation, rare cows and goats and earn an income. Wells, though expensive, are long term investment for these farmers and can be used for many generations. There are about 200 children whose parents are paralysed and about 200 children whose parents are amputees from the list given to us. Without water, these children will be starving and go thirsty and can get many illnesses including kidney problems.The disabled people and their children encounter lot of difficulties during their day to day life. Travelling is the main hurdle as they live in rural areas, access is difficult, no public transport. They all will benefit from 3 wheel motor bikes and bicycles. But the priority at the moment is the water If we can give them a well at any cost, most of them will survive. They will at least be able to feed their children and fulfil the other basic needs. The cost to construct a well is about £1000.00, depending on the depth, width and the texture of the soil. The cost will go up or down depending on beneficiaries’ contributions and whether it is given to a contractor or not. Our field officers monitor the site and get the work done. Old wells can be refurbished at a cost of £500.00. Amongst the disabled people, we will be choosing only the keen, enthusiastic and knowledgeable farmers/disabled people for the construction of the wells. This is to limit the number of request due to limited funding. Wells could be constructed only in summer.During my visit to Srilanka in March 2016, I was pleased to see the farmers doing various short-term/long term cultivation and earning income. We bought lots of various vegetables and made them happy. They were ever so grateful to us for constructing the wells. We hope to see the same progress with the disabled people.Update - Progress/Reviews -  14 November 2016Mrs S Kaneshanathan, Chairperson CHRF-UKDear Mr AmitEnclosing herewith 2 reports regarding the well project. One is a detailed account with photos taken during contruction,stage by stage and accounts. We visited most of the beneficiaries before and during construction.2nd one with photos of completed wells and the beneficiaries detail. Really sorry for the delay in sending this report. It was beyond our control. Since construction of a well involves various factors , we just could not finish the work earlier than this. Still construction is going on with other  wells but disturbed by intermittent rain.  Hope to finish them all soon.At the beginning (2012), we constructed the associated facilities such as water trough to store water, hard floor to stand and draw water or to have bath and a pulley system to draw water. It costed a fortune, about £1000.00- £1500.00 per well. Since there are so many thousands in need of well/ water, now, we are excavating as far as reaching the water level, constructing parapet walls for protection of the well from ruining and rubbish falling into the wells during flooding, and people accidentally falling into the wells and plastering inside and outside for protection. Below is a such completed well. We expect the beneficiaries to do these associate facilities   as and when they can afford. By doing this , we are able to construct wells for many people. We sincerely thank  you and your members for the kind  and generous donation and to enable us to construct these wells. We hope you will be able to help us  in the future alsoWe appreciate if you could  give us a feedback, positive or negative about this project.On behalf of CHRF-UK, we extend our sincere thanks to all the members of OKA.Kind regardsShantha KaneshanathanChair person CHRF-UK Update - Progress/Reviews -  15 November 2016REPORT FROM CHRFThe £5000 donated by OKA was used to build 10 wells for the disabled in Vanni, Sri Lanka.Some examples are given below.  As we can see all the beneficiaries have lost a limb or are paralysed due to the devastating legacy of land mines.Arulmathy is a widow, below knee amputee, with 3 children. She earns about £50.00 per month from tailoring. She has completed the well with the money given by OKA-UK. She is planning to do cultivation in addition to using the water for drinking and other daily use.Rasaratnam is a below knee amputee, with wife and 2 children. He has completed the well with the money given by OKA-UK. Wife earns £50.00 from tailoring. He has already started cultivation. They say, they will be able to enhance their income if they have livestock poultry etc.Subramanium is paralysed below waist, wheel chair bound; depend on his wife for total care. He has 4 children, all married and living elsewhere. Wife has been taking him out to (other people’s house) give his personal care and shower. Their well is successfully constructed with the money donated by OKA.There are 10 families like this who have been given a hand up towards a self sufficient, dignified life. CHRF would like to sincerely thank OKA for the successful completion of the wells which has brought real improvement in the quality of life and happiness for these unfortunate victims. Click here to download the full report from CHRFAbout One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

ABLE Charities is an internationally registered non-profit organization that operates in the rural areas of Palwal and slums of Faridabad in India to facilitate education and healthcare for the grossly underprivileged strata of our society. From the time it was founded in 1993, the focus of ABLE Charities in the rural areas has been to serve poor women, especially widows, their children and orphans through affordable medical services. Impact1) Furnish a new shelter for orphan/slum children with beds, mattresses, fridges and furniture.2) Able runs an orphanage for 100 poor needy girls who lost their parents. They seek the running cost of and regular expenses of food, residence, health and education for these girls, which is estimated at approx. £75 per child per month.3) Support cataract operations for up to 2000 poor old people to get their lost vision back and to prevent the onset of blindness due to lack of affordability and unavailabilty of medical services.  The total cost of one cataract surgery is Rs.2500/-(approximately 27 pound). ABLE CHARITIES have target of doing 2000 cataract surgeries in 2018-19.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   06 November 2018A grant of £6750 was made to carry out cataract operations for 200 elderly people to regain vision/prevent blindness.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   24th September 2017A grant of £9000 was made to support 10 girls at the orphanage. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   November 2016A grant of £2000 was made to support orphan/slum children in India.   Details Able Trust started out to help vulnerable widows in poverty and their children in Faridabad, India.  From a small room in 1993 it has expanded to include a hospital treating over 4000 patients to date.  They own the only ambulance in the area which is used to bring the sick from neighbouring villages.  They are also involved in educating children in nearby villages. They are in the process of completing a much needed orphanage for girls aged 4-14.  Girls in this area are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking and exploitation.  They hope to shelter and educate up to 100 girls so they can live a life of independence and dignity .About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Nearly 240 million Indians in around 18,000 villages currently do not have access to any form of electricity. Headquartered in Mumbai, Project Chirag, currently implements solar lighting projects in rural areas across 7 states in India to address this very problem. Impact4th November 2018Diwali is the festival of lights.And this Diwali, One Kind Act has partnered with Project Chirag to bring in Diwali cheer to 16 villages in Palghar district, Maharashtra in a very different way.Yes, these are the "dark" villages where there is no access to power.When Project Chirag provides its solar energy solutions to these villages, villagers would be able to walk around after dusk without fearing a scorpion or snake bite.And women would be able to cook, without inhaling noxious smoke.And children will be able to study after sunset and transform their future. And play around in open spaces without fearing bites.They can do the things we take for granted.This November and December we are ensuring that Diwali -the festival of Lights never ends for these villagers.And every supporter (or donor) who has helped us can feel the warm glow of satisfaction that comes when you bring light into the lives of people.Thank you for joining us in our mission of Spreading Light, transforming lives!A grant of £9100 would provide for 2 solar streetlights for 16 villages – 32 streetlights Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   28th October 2018A grant of £9100 was made to provide 2 solar lamps to 16 villages in the Palghar district, Maharashtra16th October 2017 A grant of £5,600 would provide 2 solar lamps to each of 150 households in a rural village of Barmer (the third largest district in Rajasthan, occupying over 28,000 square kilometres and the most backward of this colourful state) who have absolutely no access to electricity and use kerosene that is detrimental to their health and gives poor quality light.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   16th October 2017A grant of £5,600 was made to provide 2 solar lamps to each of 150 households in a rural village of Barmer, Rajasthan.DetailsTo gain a deeper understanding into the challenges and problems faced by rural India due to lack of electricity, Project Chirag has carried out a detailed assessment of the same across villages. Based on the assessment carried out, it has been concluded that the lack of access to light has a 360-degree impact on the lives of rural India. The following points indicate the need for the project:HealthKerosene lamps, used by villagers for light emit high levels of carbon dioxide causing air pollution higher than WHO guidelines. The inhalation of these toxic gases is detrimental to the health of the rural population.Due to inadequate light, villagers end up consuming several small insects and flies which result in villagers suffering from illnesses. Problems due to kerosene usageVillagers buy around 5-6 litres of kerosene per month for lighting kerosene lamps. The kerosene is to be available to them at a subsidized rate of Rs. 10 – Rs.14 per litre through Government’s Public Distribution System, but due to leakages in the system, they are forced to buy it at an increased price of Rs. 40-50 per litre. Thereby, every rural household spends a significant amount of their annual income on kerosene.Kerosene lamps presently used by villagers emit poor quality of light. Hence, one kerosene lamp is not enough to light up the entire home, keeping parts of the home in darkness. There is existing danger of burning kerosene lamps overturning and drinking of stored kerosene by children. This has even been responsible for deaths in some cases.EducationThe lack of electricity and light and the high costs of kerosene enable most households to afford only one lamp. This lamp is used for cooking and other basic household chores. Thus, students are unable to study post sunset, which in turn impacts academic results.Lack of social securityDue to the lack of light, venturing out of the house becomes a challenge for villagers. There have been innumerable instances of snake bites owing to villagers encountering and stamping on snakes in the dark.Farmers are unable to prevent wild boars and stray cattle from encroaching fields during the night due the inability to survey these fields in the dark. This is results in a loss of agricultural productivity.There have been several instances of women being sexually abused when they move out in the darkness post sunset for sanitation or other reasons.LivelihoodLack of light results in the loss of productive working hours as the villagers are forced to stop work and return home at dusk.Shopkeepers find it difficult to cater to customer requirements after sunset due to lack of adequate lighting in the shop.Mobile phoneVillagers often must travel several kilometres to a nearby village that may have electricity to charge their phones. Further they pay anywhere between Rs.5-10 every 3-4 days to charge their phones. OUR SOLUTIONOur team has conducted assessments to understand what type of solutions work best in remote villages without electricity. Several leading practitioners have been consulted as a part of the process and technology solutions have been devised. After due consultation, it was decided to provide 2 solar lights to each rural household which has no access to any form of electricity by the Government. We have hereby listed several considerations in our decision to do so:UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY NEEDSEach rural household in India has an average of 5-7 family members. There are several out of-home activities like catering to sanitation requirements, collection of water early in the morning or late evening, surveying agricultural fields after dark or reaching out to medical facilities in case of health emergencies. To carry out these activities, members of the home carry a light along with them. If a single solar light is provided to each house, the house tends to return to a state of darkness the moment a member steps out for any one of these activities. A QUALITATIVE APPROACHAfter understanding the community needs, Project Chirag with its vision to provide ‘Light for all’, decided to adopt a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach. It was decided to provide two solar lights instead of just one, so that when a member of the rural home left for out of home chores the house continued to remain illuminated. In doing so, Project Chirag feels that it will be successful in lighting up not only a life but an entire household.PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONProject Chirag provides each rural household with 2 solar lights powered by solar panels - one is a larger solar light which is used for indoor household activities and the second one is a portable solar lantern which can be used by villagers both indoors and outdoors. One of the solar lights has the provision of an in-built mobile charging facility which enables villagers to charge their mobile phones. Careful technical due-diligence is carried out on all products that we use across the country to meet highest standards of quality benchmarks for our beneficiaries to ensure long term impact.PROJECT IMPACTThe solar lights provided have a 360-degree impact on the lives of the beneficiaries. We believe that it is not just a physical light that we are providing these villagers, but a spark which will put into motion an entire socio-economic revolution in the villages.ENERGY ACCESS: Sustainable source of reliable lighting throughout the yearEDUCATION: Children would be able to study post sunset and achieve better grades and resultsENVIRONMENT: Impact on environment due to lack of emission of CO2 which is emitted by Kerosene LanternsLIVELIHOOD: Farmers can survey their fields at night and prevent economic damage to their crops by cattle intrusion. Shopkeepers can keep their shops open for longer into the night and earn additional income.HOUSEHOLD CHORES: Women can cook fresh food post sunset which otherwise was not possibleHEALTH: Villagers do not need to consume the smoke from kerosene lanterns thus impacting their healthcare.KEROSENE USAGE: Complete reduction in usage of kerosene which is not only expensive, but also has poor light qualityOUTDOOR MOBILITY: Villagers can now move out of their houses post sunset for various purposesSOCIAL SECURITY: Women would have a sense of social security when they move out with lights post eveningMOBILE CHARGING: Villagers do not need to travel to far-away places to charge their mobile phones and do the same at home.ADDITIONAL WORK HOURS: Productive working hours created at night which can be used for income generating activities.THE AREABarmer is the third largest district in Rajasthan, occupying over 28,000 square kilometres, and the most backward of this colourful state. Located in the western part of Rajasthan, the majority of the district has vast sand covered tract that stretches for miles on end and forms part of the Thar Desert sharing a border with Pakistan to the west. The region is known for its dryness, extreme temperatures, and erratic rainfall. Most of the population at a striking 93%, are rural inhabitants, majority of which live below the poverty line with only 53.6% of these families have electricity access. Life for these families is a struggle; agriculture which is the main source of livelihood in rural India is an unattractive proposition due to the frequent droughts that plague the area, the inhospitable terrain, and the lack of irrigation facilities. With no industry around, the only sources of livelihood are animal husbandry, the traditional craft of patchwork and mirror embroidery practiced by the women of the area. OUR PARTNERS & BENEFICIARIESOur partner organization aims at working towards the empowerment of women artisans, the beneficiaries of our solar lights, through the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Traditional techniques of Applique’s & patchwork are used to develop the products, as per the demands of the urban market. They set up a network of artisans through the formation of SHGs. These artisans are trained and equipped in developing high quality products. The organization also has an in-house workshop for training and skill development of artisans and new design development. The profits earned are used in community development work.PROJECT BUDGETCompletely off-Grid VillagesVillages that have absolutely no connection to the electricity grid and use kerosene as their main source of lighting. Cost of providing a Solar home lighting system (2 solar lights per household with mobile charger) is just over £30 per home.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Healing Little Hearts (HLH) is a registered charity set up to send specialist medical teams internationally from all over the UK to perform life-saving operations on babies and children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Each team stays for one week, donating their time for free, and operates on between 10-12 children per trip. They also train junior doctors and nurses in children’s heart care with the eventual aim of helping the centres to become more self-sustaining.  ImpactA grant of £6000 will fund a medical camp to various parts of the world where there is urgent need for intervention to save the lives of children with congenital heat disease.  The funds will be used to support the travel, accommodation and organisational costs for sending a team of medical experts to deliver free medical care to paediatric patients with congenital heart disease who require corrective surgery.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  14th August 2018A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to the West Bank, Palestine from 23rd-30th September 2018.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  4th November 2017A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to Sibiu, Romania from 4th-11th November 2017. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   23rd September 2017A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to Kelantan, Malaysia from 23rd-30th September 2017. DetailsThe Leicester based charity, Healing Little Hearts (HLH), was established in 2007 to address the unmet medical need in the treatment of congenital heart surgery in India. Each camp in India and beyond is supported volunteer medical and nursing team (every 6-8 weeks) and costs approximately £6000 per camp. The reach of the HLH team has extended beyond India having now worked in Malaysia, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania, with ongoing planning in other countries. In 2016 alone, 21 camps and 281 operations were conducted to ensure that children received deserving care and to initiate local capability to become self-sufficient. Over the last 10 years HLH has operated on 1093 children with heart defectsThe Malaysian camp in Kelantan will be the 10th camp undertaken this year. HLH is one of the most prolific children’s heart charities in the world and as time has gone on its role and function has evolved into 4 main areas1. Sending entire team of doctors and nurses to selected Hospitals who already have the basic infrastructure for and are keen on developing a heart service for children. HLH would go to such hospitals 3-4 times per year. 2. A smaller team of Children's specialists who specialise in the post-operative care or post- surgery care visit Hospitals where there are Surgeons capable of operating safely on children but there aren't the required Intensive Care Specialists. There is a huge dearth of training in the developed world for post-operative care. Good post-operative care literally makes the difference between life and death for those patients3. Guidance and advice on capacity building i.e how to build Heart Units from scratch4. Collaboration with other similar NGOs who are short staffed. Recently an HLH ICU nurse went to Muhimbili Hospital, Tanzania to work with an Australian team as they were short of an ICU nurseAs a result of many many people donating their time for free, there are virtually NO administration costs and all the donated money is spent on sending teams of doctors and nurses to perform heart surgery for children. Healing Little Hearts are pleased to announce that the forthcoming camp in Kelantan, Malaysia from 23-30th September is being wholly supported by the London based charity One Kind Act. HLH and OKA share the same vision and aspiration to ensure that as many sick children receive the care they deserve and to build sustainable models of care in areas that have been under-served or riddled with inequality.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Punarnava Charitable Trust is wholly focused on improving the health, education and welfare of poverty struck villages on the outskirts of Coimbatore in Tamilnadu, South India, highlighting, amongst so many pressing demands, the need to feed the neglected elderly and provide a monthly free medical health camp.  ImpactProvide food and medical camp for 100 neglected poverty struck villagers for 1 yearUpdate - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - 1 August 2018A grant of £12,283 was made to provide food and medical camp for 100 neglected poverty struck villagers for 1 year Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - 19 June 2017A grant of £11,500 was made to provide food and medical camp for 100 neglected poverty struck villagers for 1 year Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - 04 April 2016A grant of £10,000 was made to provide food and medical camp for 100 neglected poverty struck villagers for 1 year DetailsPunarnava is a charity trust based in Coimbatore in South India. They run a completely transparent operation with the philosophy that everyone can make a positive contribution to the world, no matter how humble or not your back ground is.They are focussed on supporting 5-10 villages in the Thirumalayampalayam panchayat.  These villages suffer from extreme poverty, social problems with neglected elderly and children being raised in negative environments.They are not supported by any large organisations and need money for various projects undertaken.  These include:Building a kitchen for a children's home to house 30 orphans or children of struggling single parents from the poverty struck areas.They aim to identify those children in the most negative environments e.g. with alcoholic abusive fathers, or exploited widows and place them in a positive, nurturing environment teaching higher spiritual and moral values.The children's home is already built but until the kitchen is ready they cannot take in any children.Relief of sickness.  Every month they provide a free medical camp to ill villagers for whom this is the only access to medical care.  The difference they make to the quality of life of the sick and diseased is inestimable.  Diabetes, infectious diseases, blindness, strokes, arthritis are  just some of the prevailing issues.Feeding 100 elderly neglected villagers daily.  With increased urbanisation many elderly are left to fend for themselves with no family to take care of them. Many of them are blind, disabled or immobile. All of them are malnourished and painfully thin. They are too frail to work and would slowly starve to death if it wasn't for the wholesome, fresh, hot meal Punarnava delivers to them daily.  Toilets are being built in the villages to increase hygiene and stop open defecation in the fields.  But they now need a water supply to use these toilets.  Punarnava aims to make water sources available through various means including building wells and harvesting rain water effectively.  Careful due diligence was done by an OKA associate (see below for further details) who visited them.  The incredible thing about their work is the minimal costs. There are no administrative costs at all as it is run by dedicated volunteers.  Similarly the logistics, doctor's fees, identification process for eligibility is all free.  This means that all the money donated goes directly to those that suffer most with no wasteful and unnecessary administrative costs. Update - Progress and Reviews - March 2016Richa Varma, OKA AssociateIn March 2016, I visited Punarnava charity to understand their daily process of feeding the neglected elderly of several villages in Tamil Nadu, South India.  They also hold a monthly free medical health camp treating and feeding hundreds of poverty struck villagers. The philosophy of Punarnava is 'maitreya' or friendship and 'karuna' or compassion.  They believe we should create abundance in whatever form possible for everyone around us. Greed, a strong sense of ownership, and making life only about yourself are seen as unethical and egotistical. People should be instruments of a larger, positive purpose.When I arrived, I met Geetha, a remarkable lady who has dedicated her life to administering the charity. She works purely on a voluntary basis, simply for the love of making the world a better place.She introduced me to the other volunteers: Suresh and Somu, both articulate, driven, young men who oversee the logistics, delivery and problem solving of the drive to feed the elderly and the medical camp.Every morning fresh vegetables, rice and dal are cooked by two village women.  These women often have alcoholic husbands who beat them and gamble their money away.  The initiative supports them to earn a safe, independent income.The meals are packed into tiffins and loaded onto a jeep.  The jeep makes 5 stops in the centre of each village where the elderly eagerly await the day's hot meal.  A hundred meals a day are delivered. There is a comprehensive selection process for eligibility. Those elderly who do not have regular access to food or any relatives to support them are considered.  Disabled villagers are also fed as are widows with young children.I spoke to several villagers seeking to understand how they became victims of circumstances.Maraal is a softly spoken woman in her eighties.  It is obvious she must have been stunningly beautiful in her youth.  She lives next door to her alcoholic son and daughter in law and is only allowed to eat the leftovers they throw out.  On the days there are no leftovers, she goes hungry. She has a 1000 watt smile when I ask her if she enjoys her regular tiffin.Bagyam is a widow who doesn't remember how old she is.  Her son and daughter in law died in an accident and she was left to raise her grandson.  She spends the day herding her seven goats but it is not enough to feed her.Munni and Kanamma are an elderly couple in their 80s.  They have one daughter who is married.  The daughter is not allowed to visit or support her parents, expected instead to sacrifice her life for the in laws, husband and children.  They are too frail to work and depend on Punarnava for the only meal they get.Arunchamy is paralysed and his wife Ramathal takes full time care of him to the best of her ability.  He has improved with treatment from the free monthly medical camp but still does not have use of his arms.  They would have starved if it wasn't for the regular tiffin delivery.There were stories of alcoholism, domestic violence, accidents, disease, social problems and gambling breaking up families.  The eventual victims are often the elderly who traditionally rely upon their sons to care for them in their twilight years.  These elderly have nothing: no earnings, no hope, poor health, no family, no youthfulness on their side. They are without exception painfully thin and malnourished.There was a palpable sense of insecurity and fear. Time and again we were asked "will you feed us till we die?"I asked one man what the worst and best part of his day was.  He said waking up with gnawing hunger in the middle of the night was the worst.  The best part was the hour before the tiffin was delivered. He always arrived over an hour early to wait in the hot sun as the anticipation of food made his "heart soar with happiness".Another lady said her grandchildren would sometimes come and pick at her food.  Although it meant less for her, it gave her great happiness to have the social interaction and time with them.It was frustrating to hear of problems the volunteers sometimes face.  In one village the corrupt local councillor insisted the tiffins be given to him.  It was obvious he planned to feed his cronies, friends and family.  Somu refused and was threatened with violence.  When Somu stood his ground despite the argument escalating and turning nasty, the councillor threatened the villagers.  He said any villager who collected their tiffin would have their pension stopped.  For several days the villagers were too frightened to take their food and went hungry.  It was only when Somu threatened to go to the newspapers and file an official complaint with the political party's headquarters that the issue was resolved.  However, having a resentful bureaucrat remains a thorn in their side.The incredible thing about this whole operation is the minimal costs. There are only four costs: the salary of the village women who cook, provisions (rice, lentils, vegetables, spices etc), petrol and cooking gas.  The office, jeep, kitchen use, administration, driver and logistics are all free.It is clear that every penny donated goes directly to where it is needed with no wasteful administrative costs.Punarnava is doing wonderful work that is not supported by any large organisations and is in keeping with OKA's ethos of living and giving with minimal costs.Update - Progress and Reviews - September 2016Geetha, Volunteer at PunarnavaDear Amitji , Shamitji and all,Namaste!Trust this mail finds everyone at One kind Act in good health and in great spirits.We at Punarnava are writing this to report about our community meal program, for which you graciously donated GBP 10000/-We are thankful for your kind support and pray that onekindact and each one of you go from strength to strength.Our meal program is going on very well. I personally go to meet the beneficiaries of the program periodically, and find that they are very happy to get the hot meal at noon and bless every one for this gift.In my recent visit to the village last week, I was pained to see some of the old people suffering with pain in the limbs due to old age and arthritis. We are taking remedial measures of going on motorcycle to all the remote villages with a doctor to provide the much needed Ayurveda care.Given below is the link for the facebook page on ANNAM- God's gift where we post the meal provided for the day.https://www.facebook.com/PATannam/?ref=bookmarksAlso attaching herewith some latest  pictures for your kind reference.Thank you very much.warm regardsGeethawww.punarnava.orgAbout One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Light in Africa provides dignity, love, education and care for sick, disabled and children abandoned due to cultural stigma, as well as those who are unsupported in the Kilimanjaro and Manyara Regions of Tanzania. Impact1. Building of Roof for Children’s Learning Centre2. Completion of building of Children’s Learning Centre3. Install Furniture in Children’s Learning CentreUpdate - Grant(s) Provided by One Kind Act1. 3 August 2015 - A grant of £8000 was made to build the roof of the new Learning Centre.2. 22 February 2016 - A grant of £20000 was made to complete the building of the new Learning Centre.3. 16 July 2016 - A grant of £750 was made to provide furniture for the new Learning Centre.4. 13 December 2016 - A grant of £2500 was made to LIA to provide school fees for the children.5.    30 July 2018 - A grant of £3000 was made to pay for the school fees of 3 older students of LIA into further taining in nursing/social work. This was done as a result of a fantastic fundraising effort by Amin Karimi through his Crazy Bike Ride (see details on the Events page) and OKA's supplementary  pledge of monies to see the 3 girls of LIA into further education.     DetailsLIGHT IN AFRICA(LIA) :  Albinos, Abuse & AIDS - The English grandmother saving Africa’s childrenIn the East Africa republic of Tanzania British, great-grandmother Lynn Gissing, known as Mama Lynn, oversees the Light In Africa NGO, running orphanages and food kitchens for children no one else wants to love. These are children who are HIV+, have suffered horrific abuse particularly Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the case of girls, are disabled or traumatized, or have been abandoned because they can no longer be cared for their parents. There are grim tales of sick children suffering terribly for the simple lack of painkillers, a five year old girl suffering from gonorrhea, the disabled being tied to trees in the wilderness and left to die, starving street kids living in a mining township under constant threat of being kidnapped into the mines, while others have a price on their heads for the color of their skins, namely the albinos....the list goes on. Mama Lynn began her mission in 1999 just two years after the passing of Mother Teresa, India’s angel of mercy for the poor, needy and unwell. Perhaps in some heavenly capacity she may have passed the torch of human charity to another believer, this time from the north of England with three children of her own. To that end Mama Lynn’s passion and compassion has saved countless lives, with an estimated 350,000 lives impacted for the better through her relentless efforts. Through her tireless efforts, she has had schools and accommodation built, food camps established and water tanks installed in remote areas where no such facilities have ever been available. On an individual basis, she has a comprehensive plan for the long term futures of these children. Each child gives a year back to the home as a staff member before leaving. In the process they learn cooking, administration, cleaning, organisational skills which hold them in good stead as they step back into the world as young adults.Even in her old age, weary and weather-beaten, Mama Lynn refuses to end her mission and retire peacefully, pushing herself to keep going for the deprived children all around her. Through sheer ignorance and inherent stigma towards Aids sufferers, albinos, the mentally or physically disabled and the like, some locals do not understand the good that she’s doing. So sadly, there have been attempts on Mama Lynn’s life at least three times from poison in a fanta bottle to being threatened to be cut up into pieces and scatter her dismembered remains in a pit. She puts unwavering faith in God and soldiers on fearlessly. Yet even with all her good work, sometimes even Mama Lynn has to face the harsh realities of life. Towards the end of 2014 she made the bitter decision to close her boys’ orphanage in the tanzanite mining town of Mererani, a heinous hotbed of criminality, due to conditions there turning it into more of a hovel than a home. Now she needs to find a new roof to house these hungry young mouths. Moreover, she relies heavily on volunteers to help at the orphanage. But with the recent fear of Ebola outbreak across Africa, she has seen a drastic fall in the number of these volunteers. Thankfully, Mama Lynn has faith and lots of it. In this God forsaken place she needs it too, an awful lot of it. But she desperately needs more help.What Is One Kind Act DoingOne Kind Act has committed to help Light in Africa both in the short and long term. As a first initiative, with the generosity of our supporters, we have sent suitcases full of shoes, shirts and books that have been delivered directly to the orphanage by a supporter in Tanzania. This is of vital necessity for children who travel enormous and difficult journeys to come to the orphanage for food, education and support. As a long-term project, One Kind Act has raised monies to finish build an urgently needed school for disabled children, those others schools cannot or will not accommodate.For more details go to:www.lightinafrica.org   Update - Progress and ReviewsUday Bhardwaj, Volunteer/Supporter at LIAToday I visited Light In Africa, a charity that supports the young, the disabled and the elderly in Tanzania.  I was carrying all the donations from OKA to give to Mama Lynn who founded the charity.  When I arrived I met two British medical students who were volunteering there for their summer holidays.  Last year LIA had almost no volunteers because of negative press about Ebola in Africa even though there hasn't been a single case in this region.  As they rely on volunteers it is good to see a few back here.  One of the good things about LIA is that other than Mama Lynn, the senior staff are all local Tanzanians (including her daughter in law) and they are as actively involved as she is.Mama Lynn came to meet me and when I presented her with the donations she was overwhelmed.  She said she thanked god that good people would send her these gifts for the children in her care. The staff and the volunteers immediately put on some of the OKA shirts that had been sent and posed for a photo with Mama Lynn.  I was told the shoes were very welcome because the children grew so fast and it was very hard to supply them all with decent footwear.  The shirts would be ideal for the school uniforms of the older kids.In the photo above there is one man amongst all the women and his name is Rushima.  He is one of the original children that LIA supported through primary and secondary school and then college.  He returned to give back to LIA what they gave to him and is working there.  he has made a short video about his experiences which I shall pass on to OKA.We had lunch together and she told me that she had well over 200 children at Tudor Village, the main part of LIA's property.  There is a smaller girls home in the mining town of Mirerani and also a food kitchen there to feed hundreds of poor children.  I did not visit Mirerani but took a tour of the Tudor House area.  First Mama Lynn took me to see the classroom and dormitory they were building as a facility for diasabled children that were not able to attend regular school.  OKA have offered to help with the roof and I have a copy of the quote from a local builder which is Tshs22,302,000.After this we toured the lavender fields and planned butterfly farm.  These facilities are intended to provide employment for the disabled children once they finish schooling as they have no career prospects and LIA are trying to find some means of giving them a future.As most of the kids were at school I was only able to meet those who were either too young or too handicapped to be sent to school.  At Happy House I met the youngest kids here that range from 11 months to 6 years (they start school at 7 here).  The kids were indeed happy and smiling and all sang me a welcome song.  They were so keen to be noticed and wanted a hug or to hold my hand which was very touching to see.  Able bodied and handicapped kids are mixed here as long as the handicapped kids do not require special needs assistance.In one of the Gallery photos of young girls standing at a doorway, a young albino girl can be seen hiding on the right hand side behind the doorway.  She is a sweet but nervous and shy young girl with a sad story.  Witch doctors in Tanzania decided that albino body parts would make powerful spells that would make them rich "like white people" and the younger the albino the more powerful the spells.  So Tanzania has seen a huge increase in the abduction and murder of albinos, especially children.  This young girl's mother tried to hide her but a local gang broke into the house one night.  The little girl luckily had been trained from a young age to crawl into a secret hiding space dug under the bed and she managed to get into it. She could hear her mother being tortured to reveal her whereabouts but managed to remain hidden until the men left.  Her mother smuggled her out the next day and brought her to LIA where she is given round the clock protection.  It may not be safe to send her to school.  At the time of the attack she was only 2 years old but has been traumatised by her experience and still hides behind the other children. After this we went to visit the house for the more special needs kids.  These are kids with cerebral palsy, terminal illnesses severe handicaps etc that are made as comfortable as possible. The three children on the left all have severe cerebral palsy but now are well looked after. The little girl on the right, whose mother had died giving birth to her, had been beaten and starved by her family from birth.  Her bones are so brittle that they break if you try to pick her up.  Her leg was broken in two places, arm fractured and she was severely malnourished. Tied to a tree and left to die she was lucky to be found by LIA staff and now is receiving the medical care and the attention she needs.  She lay there in silence and when Mama Lynn hugged her the little girl had tears in her eyes, not because she was in pain but because she had never experienced human contact that was not violent before.Finally Mama Lynn and I discussed future plans for LIA.  Other than the butterfly farm, lavender fields and facilities for the handicapped kids, LIA is also planning on promoting tourist visits by creating residential facilities and organising tours of Masai villages.  These tourists are also welcome to volunteer and help out.Having met the kids and seen the good work that LIA does, I am very happy to be helping them in any way I can and hope OKA will support them in the future.Update - Progress and Reviews - 14 March 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAGood evening gentlemen.  I pray everything is going well for One Kind Act and Alisha is progressing well.  Thought you would like an update on how we are progressing with the Learning Center.The children are now taking lessons in their make-shift store, and all appears well with their studies and new teacher.Kind regards Mama LynnUpdate - Progress and Reviews - 01 April 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAHi Amit, some of the desks have arrived and the children are already in class using them...Thank you so much for making there lives so much easier.   To try to raise some funds Amit to keep us going until after Xmas I am going on a 3,000 kilometer trip along the old caraven and slaving route here in Tanzania.  It is the route that Henry Morton Stanley took on his epic journey to find Dr. Livingstone. Just to make the journey that more interesting I shall be making the journey in a bajaji a three wheeled vehicle that has arrived from India into Tanzania.This week we should have all the details up on our website, we are hoping to place all the names of all the people who are willing to support this fundraiser for our children on the site.  If you have any friends Amit who would be interesting in this project, I would be deeply grateful... I do pray Aisha and her family are keeping well.  Warmest wishes, Mama LynnUpdate - Progress and Reviews -  29 November 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIADear committee members of One Kind Act, on behalf of the staff and children of Light in Africa I would like to express our most grateful assistance that you have given to us by donating funds to help our most 'vulnerable' of children'I have learnt today that we shall receive a 'most welcome' gift of £2.500/= over the Xmas period,  This most gracious of gifts is especially welcomed at this time of year as after our festivities of ensuring our children receive some new clothes to wear on Christmas Day when our very large family all come together to celebrate Christmas plus a bag of sweets and a gift, we are then straight into January where here in Tanzania no child can return to education unless all the fee's are paid upto Easter,  With over 120 children in the education system who all need new school uniforms etc., this is always a 'drain' on our finances and sometimes it is actually February before we have all the children back in school.Once again, we thank ONE KIND ACT for helping us to help the children no-body else wants to help, Bless you all, and we wish you all A VERY HAPPY XMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR.   Mama Lynn - Founder of Light in Africa Children's Homes - Tanzania - East Africa.  29/11/16Update - Progress and Reviews -  31 January 2017Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAThank God the start of this New Year is proving to be far better than the end of last year.   Firstly as I write this email it's raining!!!!   That is fantastic news for us here at Tudor as the water in the river that we are able to use to water our lavender plants etc has been dry now for 7 weeks, and animals are dying by the roadside, giraffes and zebra's have migrated just down the road from us searching for food, so our prayers have been answered today with this downpour.   I might have to remove the lavender and start again but this time I will know that Lavender works!!!I am planning a further trip which I hope will help us until June when guests arrive again.     Through the eyes of a maasai worrior.On the 14th March I shall attempt to travel anti-clockwise around all the surrounding countries of Tanzania.   Kenya, Uganda, Rawanda, Burindi, Congo, Zambia,  Malawi, Mozambique by all different means of transport, starting from Tudor Village on a motorbike!    Yes I do know I'm a crazy women!....  When I did the old caravan route in a tuktuk, and my driver was a man who had never been further than 80 miles from him home, it was such a delight to watch him take on this new experience of talking with different tribal people like the go-go tribe whom he had only heard of.  So through his eyes I saw his mind expand with trying different foods and experiencing different things like seeing the Indian Ocean for the very first time, and sitting by Lake Singida.  So I thought "what would happen if you took a maasai moran worrior and allow him to experience his tribal routes with different tribes?   So on the 14th March I am taking Richard whom I have known for fifteen years and who is building our maasai encampment for the tourism, with me and my trusted bodyguard Julias and we shall be going around the country.  Can you imagine how Richard will feel when he sees the small fixed wing airplane which is a short hop to Lake Victoria... or sleeping two nights on a ship as we travel all the way down Lake Tanganyika, or sitting on a train?   I shall hopefully have video clips of the journey which we shall post, the only difference on this trip is that I won't be taking Lassie the dog with me.So there you have it my dear friend,  a complete update.Bless you and your family and your team for caring about us.  Mungu Akurbiriki. Lynn   About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here