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 up to 40 blocks/300 homes enabling up to 2000 people to leave Sierra Leone's horrific slums and start a new life at Destiny Village.Update(s) - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  As a result of funds raised by Shanta Foundation and OKA in September 2018 in aid of Home Leone, the following grants have been made towards building new homes and meeting various operational costs that were seen to be vital for Home Leone to continue in its success. This totals a FULL AMOUNT OF £162,500 RAISED BY SHANTA FOUNDATION AND ONE KIND ACT.  1) £20,000 15th November 20182) £30,000 24th December 20183) £41,250 28th February 20194) £33,000 16th April 20195) £24,750 21st May 20196) £13,500 25th June 2019Update    22nd July 2019One Kind Act feel immense pride in being able to help towards the building of the brand new village for slum-dwellers, Destiny Village, in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Nigel Hyde, founder of Home Leone, a charity OKA supports, sends these words of thanks and a video of what has been achieved so far for the slum-dwellers moving in.........Dear Annu, Mona, Shamit, Amit ….. and all at One Kind Act,I am just on the plane home and reflecting on the amazing support you have been and how the fundraising for the last 2 years has come to fruition.The last few days have been truly remarkable in Destiny as we completed the moving of over 200 people from the slums into 48 homes.  The 8 homes you funded directly and the 16 homes you enabled Shanta to help us with are all occupied and the life giving stories people share are really moving.We have now built 56 homes, 6 classrooms, have 6 businesses (construction, water bagging, bakery, brick factory, garage, market garden) are now going and the water supply is largely done.  Teacher training is happening now and the school will open its doors in September.A local company kindly funded a party for the people on arrival.  It is a remarkable time. We had a number of people come and share their story and one stood out that I want to share with you.We have an initiative that has bought 5 x 3 wheel taxis. We had someone fund this with a £10,000 loan.  The 5 guys have a deal with us to repay this over one year which enables them to make a livelihood.  One of them  told his story.  About 4 weeks ago, his behaviour was wild and he threatened to hurt someone badly.  We had to decide if we could continue with him and his family to come to the village and give him the opportunities he sought.  After some careful thought and discussion he told how we decided to give him a second chance (we recognise that people moving from slums will not all exhibit perfect behaviour so we extended his probation). He said how he had turned his life round and behaved so well that he and his family moved to Destiny on time.  He came from a slum named Cobalt.  He told us how last Thursday, his next door neighbours from the slum, had their house flood and one of them drowned.  They had moved out in time to have avoided a similar disaster. He was truly grateful.We pass on this thanks as in truth each one of you are is such a key part in saving this man and his family’s life.  I pass on his thanks as whilst he may never know you, and what you did that enabled us to push ahead with a pilot new town for this nation.The picture of me and the baby is the first baby born in the village – they called him Destiny!With much love and thanksNigel         Update    13th December 2018Update on Home Leone – Destiny Village post OKA Trustee visit 1-8 Dec 2018 OKA Trustees, Annu Shah and Mona Bhogal, and loyal OKA Supporter, Reeta Hosein, travelled out to Sierra Leone to see for themselves what Sierra Leone was like and what Destiny Village has to offer.Apart from being stunned by the beauty of the country with its abundant vegetation, mountainous coastline, white sandy beaches and fun-loving friendly people, they soon realised the plight of the slumdwellers of Freetown. No wonder Nigel Hyde, Chief Executive of Home Leone, sees it as his personal calling to re-house these poor needy families into Destiny Village and give them new beginnings to their lives.  Below is a summary of OKA’s findings about the country and the progress made on Destiny Village.  Background to Sierra Leone 1. 80% Muslim, 20% Christian 2. 90% practice witchcraft, medical facilities very limited 3. Very high unemployment, mainly govt jobs and little agriculture 4. 82/1000 infants under 5 die 5. Life expectancy is 466. Average wage is £60pm. 7. Schooling is meant to be free but costs around £15 per term per child which is a large chunk of their wages. 8. Health free for certain people eg pregnant women, otherwise most medication/treatment has to be paid for. 9. Has very decent main roads which have been recently built by the Chinese. Home Leone – Destiny Village (DV)1. Overview• Location - approx. 22m east of capital Freetown; one & half hours away from slums• Site - overall circa 25 acres, legally owned by HL with strategic plan to incorporate low-cost housing, sustainable businesses, education & health facilities and                 water/power infrastructure• Current Infrastructure - includes power generators, water tower, sewers, lighting, etc• Construction to Date•      5 Blocks fully built•      Each Block has 8 Houses, 2 bedrooms each, 40 houses built•      6 Classrooms and Admin Block built•   Occupation to Date -7 Families •   Construction in progress/planned - 2 Blocks with 16 Houses•   Site Capacity - for Housing, approx. 40 Blocks for over 300 Houses2. The Model: • To provide a house for the entire family, employment to the main bread-winner, full schooling to the children, full medical facilities to all the members of the family and private allotments to the household to grow own produce to self-sustain.• The families are selected through a selection process that requires various criteria to be met. The application process consists of 20 pages of questions, including current state of housing, motivation level of want to move, referees in family, skills, partnership for at least 3 years, religion (1/2 Christian/Muslim), age etc. A weighted average is obtained and if score above a level, then an interview follows. 3. Self-Sustainability • Business units set up to include garage/car mechanics, bakery, water bagging, chicken -farm and brick-pressing businesses. The bakery will have a retail outlet to sell to the villagers of DV• Have own generator providing power/electricity to the village  • Cultivated a new nursery of plants - hoping to sell them to hotels/businesses for income an education for children • Brick pressing workshop has been set up. Local spare scaffolding used to house the workshop. About to buy their own hand pressing machine with a random donation of £5000. This will mean that there will be enough demand for skilled jobs (but at present, there is not enough skilled labour on site) • ‘Community kitchen/oven’ to cook staff food which also has capability to be used to burn plastic and recycle waste like rice and coconut husks that can be eaten. • Plastic recycling process also going to be set up 4. Health• Still in creation mode, ongoing research of data on live health cases ie what illness, action plan, medication required, costs etc to establish health needs of the villagers going forward.  • The original model was to build a full health clinic at DV. However, as the funding of the maintenance of a health clinic is not sustainable, in consultation with World Health Organisation, HL have decided not to do this in the immediate future but to rely on nearby clinics • A new Community Health Worker has been appointed to support the villagers of DV and attend to their health issues through nearby clinics. Priority is to make her fully robust in her duties so that ultimately, she can train others as DV becomes bigger.   HL pay for transport but the patient has to pay for treatment and medication unless exempt eg pregnant women. • Re-evaluation is taking place based on data gathering and then, HL will decide on the way forward • Perhaps the way forward is to provide a service that:o Monitors the health of the villagerso Serves as an advisory health centreo Direct patients to existing nearby clinics o Allows for use of medical cover (very much in the future) • Need to also make provisions for workers on site as well the villagers • A mobile health clinic has been donated by World Hope, a big NGO in SL, that can be used for basic diagnostics eg blood pressure. 5. Education• Some classrooms, staffroom, offices, playground have been built thus far towards building a fully operational school for the children of DV  • However, since there are only 7 families residing at DV at present and most of these children are infants, it has been concluded to not implement an up-an-running schooling system until Sep ‘19.• Future discussions on education will include:o Changes required to the current structural design of the schoolo Prioritisation of deliverableso Installation of a Head-mistress who will be pro-active in the recruitment of good calibre teachers and future needs of the school – requires funding o possibly private tutorial classes will be provided for the youngsters currently residing in DVo visits to local primary schools to discuss sending DV children there and training of new teacherso discussion with the ‘movers’ already in DV to establish what they want for their children from the school  o possible apprenticeship programmes for the older children to be able to work at the business units of DV6. What do the ‘Movers’ say?• They’re happy and very grateful to have come from such dire conditions to these ‘mansions’ • Children are more healthy and have space to play• However, families feel isolated at present• Mums can’t rely on the larger community to mind their children whilst they do their petty trade eg selling their wares eg tie-dyed fabrics, hairdressing• Finding it hard at present to make ends meet on just one income of main breadwinner because of the costs of paying towards the house (will be subsidised owner-occupied by 20 years), ancillary costs at school and healthcare treatment/medication costs. £60pm paid to the workers is the minimum wage.• But are very confident that conditions will  get better as more people arrive.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   20th November 2018A grant of £20,000 was made towards building the next block of 8 homes. These funds were raised by Shanta Foundation. 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. 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Whisper‘s new Magical Children's Hospital in Jinja, Uganda supports and provides essential medical attention for children up to age of 13 from some of the poorest areas of the country, often with serious conditions.ImpactA grant of £5000 buys essential medicines, medical supplies and often lifesaving drugs. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   21 June 2019A grant of £1000 was made as a result of fund-raising efforts by OKA Supporter, Amrisha Prashar, at a recent Marathon event (see EVENTS page for details) to buy much-needed medication and drugs to treat 400+ patients.     Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  8th January 2017A grant of £5000 was made to provide medical attention and drugs to children at the hospital. DetailsTreating 30-40 children daily, Whisper has facilities for a parent to stay with their sick child at the 20-bed hospital.  Children are brought here from up to 4 hours drive away and no one is turned away.  Outpatients are encouraged to pay a nominal amount of £6 but are still treated if they cannot afford this.  They often deal with serious conditions like TB, HIV, severe malaria and malnutrition.  Whisper’s hospital saves so many lives because of the high quality of care. Uganda has good (if scarce) medical staff but are routinely let down by poor support services and standards of care. For example, power cuts are common and in government hospitals, small children on oxygen routinely die when the power fails.  Whisper’s inpatient mortality rate has been very low by local standards, with just 5 unavoidable deaths since the hospital openedAbout 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   21 June 2019A grant of £905 was made that was raised at a coffee morning held on 1st May (see EVENTS page for details) to purchase a much-needed multi-activities work station for upper extremities exercise.      Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   7th February 2019A further grant of just under £24K has been awarded towards the civil works, building, furniture and fittings of a new Rehab Centre in Patna. It also includes the cost of essential new Rehab Equipment; a Paediatric Walker, a Tilt Table and a Functional Electronic Stimulation Machine.The work in Patna is in full swing. OKA are HUGELY proud of the fact that the new Rehab Centre in Patna will be entitled with SUPPORTED BY ONE KIND ACT.IHIF hope to complete the project and perform the inauguration in June 2019 to which OKA have been invited. 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

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    7 June 2019A grant of £3500 was made from funds raised at various recent OKA events. The monies will be used to create storage space at the Harrow Cafe project, purchase kitchen equipment and signage for the Barnet cafe, and for general training of volunteers in the kitchen in Basic Food and Hygiene.        Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   10 December 2018OKA were very clear we wanted to help source xmas presents for the children of low-income families in Burnt Oak being suported by TRJFP.  So OKA Associates Alisha Malhotra and Ritu Soni went out on a shopping spree to buy £300 worth of presents. OKA are proud to be able to help towards making Christmas a time of peace and love for those here in the UK in desperate need.                        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

fare and Awareness Team (SWAT), a charitable organisation based in West London, aims to financially help disadvantaged communities in various parts of UK. Their core purpose is the support of the homeless and displaced living on the streets of the UK. These people are self proclaimed ‘ghosts of society’, they are there but no one wants to see or engage with them. SWAT's short to medium term vision is to make the life of a homeless or displaced person more comfortable, by providing food and warm clothing; their long term vision is to completely eradicate homelessness in the UK.  SWAT currently serve up to 2500 hot meals every week from 14 locations with 20 sessions.  They have a volunteer network of over 800 volunteers, many of whom are there to provide emotional support and take time to engage and spend time talking to them to make them feel valued, cared for and special and all others who take part in the serving of food and the distribution of warm clothing, including sleeping bags and blankets. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act -  February 2019OKA are very proud to donate a cheque for £10,000 to help towards the purchase of a new building for SWAT to operate from. They are currently renting but feel the need to lay their foundations as they have grown rapidly over the last 10 years. We presented the cheque on Sunday 17 February at the Strand, when many members of One Kind Act team were present to serve the food to the homeless who come every week to be fed their daily nourishment. OKA made a further grant of £500 to fund the feeding on Sunday 17 February.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - December 2018A grant of £2,000 has been made to fund 100 sleeping bags and 100 hats and gloves for the homeless.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - August 2018A grant of £1,460 has been made to provide a supply of biscuits to over 200 homeless people.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - March 2018A grant of £1,663 has been made to provide a supply of biscuits to over 200 homeless people.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - December 2017A grant of £2,200 has been made to fund 100 sleeping bags and 100 hats and gloves for the homeless.Update - Progress and Reviews - 30 January 2017On Sunday 29 January 2017, a dozen OKA affiliates and Sponsors, Meera & Harry Bhogal, joined SWAT for their regular slot in the Strand to feed the homeless.  Hot food, dessert, cake and hot drinks were distributed along with blankets, scarves and hats to almost 200 deprived homeless. It was a particularly brutal day with icy driving winds and heavy rain.  Everyone was huddled under hooded jackets, handing out food, trying hard to be upbeat and joyous. However, an OKA trustee looked sorry enough to be mistaken for one of the homeless and was promptly offered compassion and a warm meal!Despite of, or perhaps because of the weather, the homeless continued to stream through for almost two hours, grateful for the food, blankets and the warmth of volunteers who clearly cared about them as individuals.SWAT not only feed the homeless in UK through their volunteers' fundraising efforts, but also do other wonderful work like providing maternity care support for mothers in poverty in Kenya. Update - Progress and Reviews - 9 May 2016On one of the warmer evenings in May we’ve experienced this year, members of the OKA committee gathered at the Strand to offer help to an amazing charity SWAT (Sikh Welfare & Awareness Team). Initially set up as an organisation to primarily unite and transform financially disadvantaged communities, SWAT recognised in 2009 a desperate need to attend to so many people sleeping rough on the streets of London.  It was then that they established their "Homeless Project" to reach out and feed the less fortunate in all different areas of the UK.  London brightens up noticeably in periods of fine weather, no doubt apparent on that sunny evening in May as we noticed a greater bustle and liveliness on its streets. However, balmy weather does not disguise the real hardships of the homeless, who struggle daily without food and shelter. This uncertainty prevails throughout rain or shine. This was abundantly clear as we witnessed a queue of around 200 men and women waiting in line to be given their daily meal. We felt privileged that we could help. With an assortment of drinks, snacks, pre-prepared food and pizzas donated by the Pizza Express chain of restaurants, we were able to help alleviate some of their despair. In particular, one woman stood out. 8 months pregnant, she expressed immense gratitude for her next meal. She had nowhere else to go and though she was likely to be admitted into hospital for the birth of her child, she was under no illusion that she would return with her new-born to the unforgiving harshness of the streets of London. It saddened our hearts to hear this and we, as associates of OKA, felt humbled to be able to help.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act - December 2015A grant of £100 per month for 1 year (Total of £1,200) has been made to provide monthly supply of biscuits to up to 200 homeless people.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

Miriam Hyman was one of the 52 people killed in the "7/7" London bombings of 7th July 2005.Miriam's memorial is The Miriam Hyman Children's Eye Care Centre (MHCECC) within the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Odisha, India. Miriam appreciated her own eye care services.The commonest childhood cancer is Retinoblastoma – eye cancer. Typically, the treatment requires 6 cycles of chemotherapy, 6 times examination under anaesthesia and at least 2 times CT scan. The total treatment cost of each child is Rs 48,000.The MH CECC in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, typically treats 17-20 children in a year with retinoblastoma.ImpactA grant of £5000 would treat up to 10 children with retinoblastoma at LVPEI. Details LVPEI established a tertiary eye care facility in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of the eastern Indian state of Odisha, in July 2006. The centre has all clinical and laboratory facilities (Pathology) for care of all types of eye cancer. Retinoblastoma is the commonest eye cancer in children. It constitutes nearly 3% of all childhood malignancies. Nearly 66% of cases are diagnosed before the age of 2 years and 95% before the age of 5 years. It has a much higher incidence in India (6-10 cases per million population) compared to the USA and Europe (2-5 cases per million population). It is among the top 5 cancers in children in India.  The success of treatment lies in 1. Early diagnosis by clinical examinati0n (dilated eye exam, and imaging- Fundus photo, B Scan, CT/MRI scan)2. Laser and/or cryo therapy3. Chemotherapy in combination with laser/cryotherapy4. Radiotherapy with or without chemotherapyMost benefit is derived from Laser, Cryo and Chemotherapy either alone or in combination.  Despite these treatment modalities and expected cure, the survival rate in India (and other similar developing countries) is significantly lower compared to the more developed countries. The challenges faced in our care (and India) are (1) Late presentation due to ignorance of both families of people affected and the referring physician, and (2) the cost of care Facts about our experience with retinoblastoma at MH CECCAnnual volume of new cases: 25- 30 new casesEconomically under privileged annul volume: 20-22 new casesBoth eyes involvement: 25-30%Treatment modalities: Systemic and local/intraocular chemotherapy, focal laser therapy, cryotherapy and surgery. Eye salvage rates: 80% Five-year survival rates: 75%. Patient drop out between treatment: 5-8% (economic reasons)CASE STUDIES1) Ashutosh Mishra, Puri, Odisha, IndiaAshutosh (seen above with his mother and maternal grandmother) was only 3 months old when he presented to us with retinoblastoma (the commonest intraocular cancer in very young children and potentially lethal if not treated) in both eyes. The left eye had very advanced tumor and there was no scope of visual recovery in that eye. Added to this was also a risk of tumor spread out of the eye. We counseled his parents that it would be best for that eye to be surgically removed. Though devastated by the news, his mother showed exemplary courage in agreeing to go ahead with this decision. The tumor in his right eye was successfully treated by multiple cycles of chemotherapy and laser applications. This timely treatment ensured that we were able to save his right eye. Today Ashutosh has good vision in his right eye. He is preparing to join school and can now look forward to leading as normal a life as any other child.The LV Prasad Eye Institute at Bhubaneswar in Odisha sees around 25 such new retinoblastoma patients every year and provides protocol based management to these children with this potentially lethal cancer of the eyes. Our fight continues against the low levels of awareness of this cancer in the community, the advanced disease presentation that we often get to see and the resource constraints that we face on a regular basis. In spite of all this, it is gratifying to note that we have been able to make a difference to the lives of children like Ashutosh.2) Junaid Mohammed, Jatni, Odisha, IndiaJunaid came to us with retinoblastoma (the commonest intraocular cancer in very young children and potentially lethal if not treated) in both eyes when he was about 1 year old. On examination, he was found to have moderately advanced tumor in both of his eyes. He was treated with multiple cycles of chemotherapy and laser therapy. We were able to salvage both his eyes as the tumors regressed well with the treatment that was carried out. He has been on regular follow up with us for the past 2 years to monitor the status of both his eyes. Meanwhile, he has grown up into a mischievous lad who is endearing to all who know him and is looking forward to joining school very soon.The LV Prasad Eye Institute at Bhubaneswar in Odisha sees around 25 such new retinoblastoma patients every year and provides protocol based management to these children with this potentially lethal cancer of the eyes. Our fight continues against the low levels of awareness of this cancer in the community, the advanced disease presentation that we often get to see and the resource constraints that we face on a regular basis. In spite of all this, it is gratifying to note that we have been able to make a difference to the lives of children like Junaid.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

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.  5) A grant of £10,000 will continue to support three important ongoing projects in 2019; their teacher training, the secondary education of some of Hunar Ghar graduates and the school meals programme.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  26th November 2018A grant of £10,000 was made to support three important ongoing projects in 2019; their teacher training, the secondary education of some of Hunar Ghar graduates and the school's  meals programme. This is what Educate for Life had to say.....'The funds you have awarded us will continue to support Hunar Ghar graduates who are continuing their education at secondary school. It was great to have the opportunity to share how these students are getting on at the OKA Summer Garden Party. It is wonderful to know that their school fees and accommodation costs for this year are fully funded.The funds will also cover the cost of all Hunar Ghar teacher training experiences this year. We know that our teachers benefit from developing their teaching practice through opportunities provided by our partners. Whilst I was at Hunar Ghar in October, one teacher shared with me how the social and emotional training provided by one of our partners, Apni Shala, helped him see the children more as individuals, each with their own different talents and abilities. The training helped him create space in his classroom for children to speak and share what is happening in their lives and to recognise that just because a child is struggling with one aspect of their learning, there will be other areas in which they can really shine. This focus on valuing children as individuals really permeates the whole school atmosphere.Your grant will also support our school meals programme and will fully fund all meals for two classes of children for the full academic year. This programme is incredibly important in our efforts to tackle high child malnutrition within the community. I saw and heard evidence of real hunger while I was in Bakhel. It is vital that we continue to ensure regular and nourishing meals to all those attending Hunar Ghar, and the extra guests that sidle up the school steps at lunchtime, who are always made welcome. ' Update    8th 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

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.Some photos of the first foundation stones being laid...... 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