I am a member of Centre for Health Economics & Development. It is a knowledge research institute focused on Africa. Checks us up on the web site.
"Went to Zambia for the wildlife, stayed because we love the people" That's what Steve and Carol say of the foundation they started. Thanks to the Africa Hope Fund:
Thousands of children have had access to education (there are over 700 pupils attending the Uyoba school, which is full beyond capacity because the need is so great and so is the school) Uyoba school, which was started by Carol Van Bruggen and Steve Kuhn, operates on a shoestring but is more successful than most of the local government operated schools. It is truly a labor of love. When we went to the school to help with some minor maintenance, the teachers told us many of the children need shoes, need help paying for uniforms (which cost about 10 dollars each), need food, and the teachers need housing at or near the school. Many of the teachers come from far away, and there is little housing available in Mfuwe, so most of them rent a room with a family. Africa Hope Fund does not currently have enough grant money to supply all these needs, so they could really use your donations, and every dime will make a difference.
Chipembele wildlife center and educational facility provide in-depth environmental and wildlife education to children, helping them to understand that survival of the wildlife goes hand in hand with economic improvement in their country, whose primary source of income is tourism. Several hard working pupils were selected for advanced education through Africa Hope Fund, and one is now serving as a safari Guide at Mfuwe Lodge. Some of the highest paying jobs in Zambia are teachers and safari guides, so being able to teach these skills lifts up not just the family of that pupil, but all the villagers that live nearby, because those with wealth share resources like wells with the village. And when awareness of the importance of conservation is raised from the time they are children, you will have a more sustainable community in the future.
South Luangwa Conservation society-an anti-poaching organization that collaborates with ZAWA (the Zambian Wildlife Authority) to remove poachers snares from the national park, as well as darting wildlife who have been caught in the snares and providing veterinary treatment to injured wildlife. 12 elephants were poached in just the month we arrived. The black market (mostly Chinese) for ivory and the Chinese purchase of mining rights may soon destroy the national park and lead to extinction of the elephant, in the same way that Rhinos in the park were hunted to complete extinction within a span of just 20 years. But poaching is lucrative, some of it has gone high-tech, with poachers coming in by helicopter, shooting elephants, severing the tusks and flying away before they can be detected. and many villagers, including some teachers we spoke with, fear and resent the elephants, who leave the park and roam throughout the village, looking for food and in the process destroying granaries where crops are stored. SLCS provides education on how to live with Elephants, publishes information on Chili fences to keep elephants out, as well as providing free concrete granaries that are elephant resistant. Our own group had a very close encounter with elephants, and I can see where villagers would be very frightened of the real threats posed by elephants. But they need more help both from the government (who has been reluctant to allow anti-poaching drones, and who do not protect the villages from elephants) and more resources from conservation-minded donors. Those who are poaching have all the money in the world, while those combating poaching are surviving on a shoestring, and need help, more officers and supplies and more help collaborating with the government.
Between the school, SLCS and Chipembele, Africa Hope Fund is improving the lives of both the people and the wildlife in and around Mfuwe. Without their help, there may one day no longer be elephants in South Luangwa National Park, and no economy sustained by the tourists who come here to see Elephants in the wild.
There are plenty of charities who hold out their hands for your money, but they are administration heavy and project light. Africa Hope Fund is just the opposite; it has very low overhead and a high level of engagement and approval in the community. It is a charity indeed worthy of your donation and your time. I saw the work they do first hand when I went on a volunteer trip with some other Rotarians and was overwhelmed by all the things they do in the community. They are truly loved and respected there because Africa Hope Fund is a labor of love. They came to see the animals, but stayed because they love the people.
If you care about saving the animals of this world and educating the children of this world to care about this issue, then Africa Hope Fund is an organization that does both. It is a small but mighty organization that has done a herculean job in its chosen corner of Zambia, supporting the organizations there that save and protect the animals (which is the main reason travelers go to Zambia), and educate the children. My husband and I have travelled with its founders, Carol VanBruggen and Steve Kuhn, to Zambia, and even though we were already supporters, became even more involved once we saw how connected and respected they are in the community there, and how successful their efforts have been.
I recently traveled to Zambia (Sept 6th - 22nd) with other Rotarians that support the work done by the Africa Hope Fund. AHF's support for the Chipembele Wildlife Conservation Education Center, Uyoba School and the South Luwanga Conservation Society (anti-poaching efforts) is invaluable to the country, its residents and the children who will be tasked with caring for this beautiful country and its wildlife. The education children are receiving at Uyoba School and the Chipemble Wildlife Conservation Education Center will take Zambia down a successful path, while preserving their culture and this fabulous African country. The hard work carried out by the South Luwanga Conservation Society is daunting and sorely needed to stop the terrible poaching that takes place. Their efforts are to be applauded. I am hoping to return in the future.
I was in Zambia in September and got to see the great organizations Africa Hope supports like Chipembele Wildlife Conservation Education Center, Uyoba School and the South Luwanga Conservation Society (which focuses on anti-poaching efforts). Africa Hope believes in a multi-pronged approach to preserving wildlife, whether it's educating children, funding detection dogs to thwart poachers, or encouraging economic growth in the Mfuwe area. Small projects producing tangible results!
Africa Hope fund was started by our wonderful friends, Steve and Carol. While visiting Africa they fell in love with the people of Zambia and saw a need. They stepped up and took action to build schools, improved water supplies, and protect wild life and the countries natural resources. I was present one evening when friends ask Carol and Steve why Zambia rather than helping right here in the US. The answer, "The US has schools and agencies to help, Zambia doesn't. One dollar invested here would go unnoticed, invested in Zambia it changes lives." We've had the opportunity to meet some of the students who have benefited from the work of Africa Hope. These students are now attending university here in the US and plan to return to Zambia to "Play it Forward." It is like teaching a man to fish and now he feeds the village and continues to teach others to fish. It's a wonderful story! This is an amazing charity. I encourage you to get involved............
Recently spent 2 weeks in Zambia working in a school supported by Africa Hope Fund. I can tell you that the support the school receives is much needed and appreciated. There are now 3 new classrooms, and 3 more in process. The approximately 700 students in this village now have a chance to go to school, attend classes in a room with desks and learning tools thanks to the good works of the Africa Hope Fund.
In addition, the Africa Hope Fund is most successful in educating the need for wild life conservation. Not only is it important to save these wild animals from poaching, and from extinction, the wild life is an important economic resource for Zambia and all of Africa. This conservation effort is most effective and can be witnessed by the passion the local people have in saving their environment.
And, I am impressed by the fact that the Fund is 100% run by volunteers and that every penny you donate goes to the cause!
In August of 2008 I traveled with Carol and Steve and twelve others to see the animals and people of Zambia and specifically the schools that they have been helping for over six years. Carol has used her dynamic leadership and fundraising skills to develop programs and support groups, i.e. starting a Rotary Chapter in Zambia, to help both financially and with time and energy.
Steve and Carol are passionate about the people and the schools and providing children AND adults with a better understanding of the value of the animals as their nation's assets, and the ways they must learn to protect the wild animals from poachers.
The purpose of Africa Hope Fund is to educate children and preserve wildlife. This makes a difference to us here in the U.S. because conservation of wildlife affects the planet, not just a village.
I began as a tourist through Africa Hope Fund, fell in love with the people and the good work Carol Van Bruggen, Steve Kuhn and others are doing in Mfuwe, Zambia. This past summer, my daughter and I returned to volunteer in Uyoba School for a month to help with English.
What I love about Mfuwe Village in Zambia and the work we are doing there is that the people are so fiercely determined to see their children educated. Parents work very hard to see that their children get to school and they have scant resources. Even though they are often hungry and have walked many miles to get to school, students are focused and clearly aware of how important their education is. Yet there is also joy and strong sense of community where I saw much generosity and caring.
Africa Hope Fund raises funds and helps pull all the resources together so we can work collaboratively with a variety of programs. We help build and refurbish schools, we've provided books to schools where there were none previously. We help support several wildlife conservation efforts. We are determined to help reduce poaching in the national park by supporting programs that provide alternatives to hungry, impoverish people so they will protect the wildlife.
China's demand for ivory Zambia's other wildlife resources make this struggle more desperate. We have to provide alternatives to poaching endangered animals or they will end up like the rhinos which were already been hunted to extinction. Snares create unintended damage/death to elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and other wildlife.
There are no overhead or administrative salaries in our nonprofit. Every penny collected goes to education and wildlife protection. I fell in love with the people in Zambia and am grateful to Africa Hope Fund for introducing me. I intend to do all I can to help fill the needs we saw there last summer. It's not an easy task. Cultures can be different and time moves differently, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step backward. But we have stories to tell like the one about the shy young girl in primary school who now has her PhD and has returned to help with wildlife conservation. It's personal with us, we know their names and their stories and we are grateful for sponsors who help give them a future that benefits all of us.
I find Africa Hope both inspirational and pragmatic. By helping the young people of the village earn educations on their way to winning financial freedom, Africa Hope establishes another place in an increasingly fragmented world where people will be able to guide their own destinies—which greatly discourages terrorism and anarchy. Carol and Steve have been tireless, sincere and generous advocates in Zambia. I respect and continue to support their objectives.
Through this organization I was introduced to the opportunity to help a deserving and motivated student advance his education beyond the secondary school level. My husband and I sponsored Aleck through his 2 1/2 year study program that in December will lead to an advanced accounting certificate. We were lucky to be able to meet Aleck in person when we visited Zambia in June, and to experience his growth, commitment to giving back, and excitement about his future was immensely gratifying. During this visit we were also able to visit the schools and conservation organizations that the Africa Hope Fund supports, and see firsthand the direct impact of how our donations are being utilized. Lives are being changed. There isn't any better reward.
I was delighted to be educatied and motivated at the Safari on the River fundraiser! This was a fun event and raised awhareness about the wonderful work the Africa Hope Fund is doing in Africa. I am delighted to support the efforts of the Africa Hope Fund.
I've helped Africa Hope with a fundraising event because I am so impressed with what they do and the thoughtfulness with which they do it. Africa Hope works hands-on with all levels of the community they support in Zambia and in a way that is holistic (i.e. educating the children about the importance of conserving the country's precious resources.) I'm also impressed with how careful the organization is with any money that is donated. They make sure that they get maximum impact for every dollar they spend.