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

Via Ninos, in Quito, Equador target certain areas of the city whose children are most vulnerable to abuse and squalor by raising awareness amongst the children’s parents of the importance of education and health, and strengthen skills and aptitudes through participation in UBECI’s playgroups.  ImpactA grant will fund one of their out-reach workers to help provide educational activities to vulnerable street children to build them a brighter future.  Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   9 July 2018A grant of £6590 was made to employ one outreach worker for the third year.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  13 May 2017A grant of £5900 was made to employ one outreach worker for the second year of our two year pledge.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  14 April 2016A grant of £5148 was made to employ one outreach worker for the first year  of our two year pledge.DetailsIn Quito, Ecuador, poverty struck parents working in open air markets are forced to take their children with them.  The children as young as two accompany their market vendor parents from 4am for 12-hour days.  The days are hard and monotonous and can be a harsh and dangerous environment for the young children.  They face aggression, abuse, boredom, neglect, poor health, malnutrition, lack of education and discrimination that impedes their chances of a healthy productive life.Via Ninos aims to improve the lives of these street children by supporting educational and training programmes, offering social and psychological care, health care and where necessary accommodation. Outreach workers are employed to go into the market places and work closely with the children as well as their families to address prevalent issues like poor mental and physical health, behavioural difficulties, social problems and low self esteem.The aim is to break the cycle of poverty, exploitation and abuse to create better futures for the children and their families. This means less time, if any, working and more time either in school, studying or undertaking other activities beneficial to their wellbeing and development.Update - Progress and ReviewsNelly (name has been changed) is 12 years old and currently attending secondary school. Her dream is to become a singer when she finishes school. She lives with her grandmother and younger sister. Her parents both have problems with drug addiction and have therefore never taken care of their daughters. Nelly’s grandmother sells vegetables in the market from 3 in the morning until 8 at night. She is an elderly woman but she is very motivated and loves her granddaughters so she struggles day in day out to bring money home to cover their basic living costs.How has UBECI (United to Benefit Ecuadorian Children, International (project funded by Via Ninos) 9VIA) helped Nelly?  Nelly first got involved with UBECI 10 years ago. She had very low self-esteem due to the situation with her parents. Initially she was very timid and cried all the time. Part of what UBECI did for her was to offer her the care and affection which she never got from her parents. Little by little she started letting go of her pain and gaining confidence until she was able to smile and play with other children. Now she is an adolescent, she has ups and downs with regard to her self-esteem, because she still finds it difficult to accept the sad reality of her parents’ drug addiction. On one occasion, as a cry for help to her grandmother, she threatened to kill herself. Nelly currently sees a professional psychologist who is helping her deal with the trauma. It has been a long process but with positive results. UBECI’s work with Nelly has been to mentor and support her in her education as well as her social development.Over the years that UBECI has been working with Nelly, they can identify a number of achievements: she is attending secondary school, she wants to progress and develop and she is in a much better state of emotional health. UBECI continues to work with Nelly. 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

The Real Junk Food Project London seeks to eradicate child hunger in UK and has started up enterprises to address this in our local communities as they have successfully done in Leeds.  ImpactTo facilitate a Community ‘pay as you feel’ café in Edgware by purchasing a van to collect vast quantities of available provisions from local major food retailers.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   29 July 2018A further grant of £150 was made as a result of a fundraising initiative by Hilton HQ in celebration of the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity. Hilton HQ held an international bake sale to raise funds for The Real Junk Food Project. See further details on our Event page.  Furthermore, Hilton and TRJFP have joined hands in launching the first of their Bistro nights, when they served a 3 course meal created entirely from rescued food. It is so heart warming that OKA have been able to facilitate a new partnership that will help towards the future success of this noble efforts by TRJFP in north west London. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   24 September 2017A further grant of £2000 has been made to complete the expenses for the much-needed van to collect vast quantities of available provisions from local major food retailers. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   23 June 2017A grant of £10,000 has been made to purchase a much-needed van to collect vast quantities of available provisions from local major food retailers. These provisions are then being made available to needy people in the local community at a pop-up shop in north west London. DetailsThe Real Junk Food Project London seeks to eradicate child hunger in UK.   A routine shopping trip to Morrisons by an OKA Associate saw children waving their buckets to collect for their own breakfast clubs. This led to a conversation and OKA offering help.Too often in UK children from poor families or those neglected by their parents live in hunger. They go to school without nourishment and struggle to concentrate in class due to hunger pangs.    The Real Junk Food Project London aims to provide cafés and breakfast/homework clubs for vulnerable families.The model is based on their founding charity in South Africa where local farmers use produce to feed children in local schools. Unsurprisingly there was an improvement in attendance, behaviour and an eagerness to learn.The Real Junk Food Project London has started to identify local communities where such need is the greatest. One such community is based in northwest London.The Real Junk Food Project London has secured premises where a ‘pay as you feel’ café and a breakfast/homework club can be provided after refurbishment of its kitchen facilities. Planning permission has been sought for.  In the meantime,  The Real Junk Food Project London is putting the premises to good use by setting up a pop-shop where local people can come and collect food they otherwise can’t afford. They have secured a contract with local food retailers, including major outlet Morrisons, to collect provisions that can be used for this purpose. The potential for this service is huge as many food retailers have provisions they can give. Transport of these provisions is the biggest hurdle. One Kind Act believes it is so very important that we help our local community. Therefore, OKA have come forward to purchase a vehicle for them so that they may continue with more ease the noble work they are doing.  There is something distressing and so wrong about young children starving in this day and age in a relatively wealthy country like UK.  The Real Junk Food Project London is trying to fill that gap. One Kind Act is aiming to facilitate it. 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

The Jemima Layzell Trust helps the provision of treatment and care of young people suffering as a result of brain injury, whilst also raising awareness and educating the public on the risk and impact of brain injury.ImpactFunds would meet towards the enormous need of providing physical and neurological rehab facilities to children living here in the UK after suffering life-changing injuries to the brain. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   5th March 2018A grant of £25,000 was made to assist with the support and provision of specialist equipment requested by various trusts to detect the early detection of strokes in young children, to encourage children with brain injury to interact whilst developing motor skills. Also provision of specialist beds, baths and supportive chairs to support the well-being of children at the same time providing opportunities for recovery.DetailsJemima was helping set up for her mum's birthday party.  She was excited and happy, setting up chairs, when she suddenly screamed in agony and collapsed.  Jemima had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and died four days later in hospital. A family friend was killed in a car accident just weeks before which led to a conversation by young Jemima about organ donation.  In death, Jemima saved the lives of 8 people and restored the sight of 3 more.  She holds the UK record of organ recipients.  She was 13 years old.Despite their devastation, her parents ensured Jemima leaves a proud legacy.  The Jemima Layzell Trust helps fund the provision of treatment and care for young people suffering from brain injury.  They also encourage organ donation.  Funds raised are spent on specialist equipment for children who are unable to afford the treatment following brain trauma.  Advised by professionals they judge each case individually and provide the most suitable equipment required, improving the quality of lives beyond measure.One Kind Act granted them £25,000 towards various elements of equipment and treatment.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

The Indian Head Injury Foundation is a charitable NGO working in the area of head injury prevention, rehabilitation of victims of head and spinal injury, training of first responders and education of road users of various categories, so as to prevent traumatic injuries.ImpactFunds would meet towards the enormous need of providing physical and neurological rehab facilities to the under-privileged sections of India's society after suffering life-changing injuries to the brain. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   5th March 2018A grant of £26,000 was made for the treatment and rehabilitation of up to 30 trauma victims in rehabilitation centres in Jodhpur and Delhi, India together with the provision of up to 50 active wheelchairs to those in need.DetailsFounded in February 2007 by His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, the Indian Head Injury Foundation was the outcome of a father’s concern for his injured son. After Maharaja Gaj Singh’s son Yuvraj Shivraj Singh suffered a serious head injury during a polo match, the family was subject to countless medical procedures, numerous remedial opinions and many tough decisions. Seeing the state of India’s social and medical response to head injury accidents and brain trauma, the Maharaja started on a mission to build a comprehensive system for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury, and to provide neuro-rehabilitation to the victims of such unfortunate incidents.  According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, in India a total of 501, 423 road accidents took place in 2015 and these caused 146, 133 deaths. This is increasing by about 4-5% every year. The analysis of road accident data reveals that about 1,374 accidents and 400 deaths take place every day on Indian roads which further translates into 57 accidents and 17 lives on an average every hour in our country. Out of these, two- Wheelers account for 28.8% (144, 391) of total accidents and 25.9% (34, 057) of fatal accidents. This leaves almost 135, 343 persons injured from two wheeler accidents alone and totally about a million debilitated. This is not the end. This death rate is further increasing and we have the mortality going up by 4% every year.The work IHIF does is desperately needed with India being the head injury capital of the world. IHIF won the prestigious British Medical Journal Award 2017 in the category of non-communicable diseases for their work in spreading awareness of Head Injury Prevention. Most of these accidents can be avoided if the riders and pillions take proper preventive measures and car passengers use seatbelts. Keeping this in mind, IHIF is actively involved in spreading awareness amongst the youth, i.e. school children. We also regularly sensitize their parents by doing workshops for them and their kids work as catalysts. After the completion of the workshop, we distribute ISI marked specially designed children’s helmets to those kids, whose parents have two-wheelers as the primary source of transportation. Till date, we have distributed 12000 high quality children’s helmets under different CSR projects. We have now vast experience in educating children on the issue of Road Safety and want to further spread the message. This CSR initiative has won many awards for its effectiveness and uniqueness. A large number of survivors of such accidents sustain varying degrees of debilitating damage and require long-term rehabilitation treatment. Approximately 200,000 new cases of rehabilitation get added to our existing number every year. However rehabilitation for them is virtually non-existent in most parts of India, and where available, is highly expensive. In several cases, victims of traumatic injuries have to relearn to walk, talk and formulate thought. Even mild TBI leads to symptoms like decreased memory, insomnia, inability to focus, anxiety, mood swings, etc. As rehabilitation is a neglected area in India, it is important to create attention of individuals towards it and make them aware about importance in bringing back victims of Head and Spinal injuries to lead a near normal life.At present IHIF is running two rehab centres at Delhi and Jodhpur with a significant number of TBI, stroke, CP and other patients. Our aim is to cater to these economically weaker patients, who cannot afford treatment. IHIF has some top of the line & expensive Neuro Rehab Equipment like Hand Arm Therapy System (Pablo), Functional Electrical Stimulator (FES), Combined Multi-frequency Ultrasound and Universal Electrotherapy, Opto GAIT Analyzer, Rifton Walker, Static and Dynamic Balance System, Automated Parallel Bars with Harness to deliver rehab services to the poor and needy.Another very important part of rehabilitation of paraplegic/quadriplegic patients is mobilization. This is possible only with wheelchairs. There are two types of wheelchairs available, one is normal and another one is active. Normal wheelchairs are used for general mobilization, whereas active wheelchairs are more effective in performing ADL. With the proper training and help of active wheelchairs, physically challenged people can move around and do their activities independently or with minor support. We at IHIF have been donating these wheelchairs to the needy as per the requirement and with the support of donations. OKA are proud to support their effective life saving work.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

Xavier Project is a not-for-profit organisation that works to improve the rights and protection of refugees in East Africa through formal education in a safe environment. Impact£600 would pay for the fees for 1 refugee child in Kenya and Uganda to attend secondary schooling for one year. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   16th December 2017A grant of £6,121 was made to equal the funds raised by Rupa Lakha at her Danceathon event held on Sunday 12th November. Raising over £6000 has meant that 10 children have benefited from this grant.DetailsXavier Project believes that everyone has the right to equal opportunities and protection wherever they live and whatever their background. Globally this right is denied to refugee and they believe education is the best tool to change this. They work in Kenya and Uganda to make sure that refugees of all ages are able to access quality education so that they can integrate better into their host communities and build towards a better future for themselves and their families. They use pioneering education solutions to achieve this. The organisation was founded by Edmund Page in 2008 when he made a volunteering trip to Kampala and began sponsoring ten refugee students through primary school. The organisation now sponsors thousands of children through formal education. In Eastern Africa there is a refugee crisis rapidly unfolding. War, violence and famine are causing thousands of vulnerable individuals - mainly women and children - to cross the borders in Kenya and Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia and in 2017 most significantly from South Sudan. Uganda, which is the same size as the UK, is now home to 1.4 million refugees with 1,000-2,000 South Sudanese crossing the border every week. Xavier Project's work now and in the future has never been more importantAbout 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. ImpactA 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