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URIDU

How To Save Millions Of Lives With A Simple MP3 Player The solar-powered device developed by URIDU is used to provide health education to illiterate rural women in developing countries Every six seconds a child under five dies. Almost all of those deaths occur in developing countries - and most of them are entirely preventable. Millions of lives could be saved just by providing illiterate rural mothers with accessible health education. Unfortunately, bringing this knowledge to remote locations has so far been an enormous challenge for both governments and NGOs. A new project is tackling that problem with a groundbreaking solution based on solar-powered MP3 players. The so-called MP3forLife Player has been developed by URIDU (www.uridu.org), a German non-profit social enterprise. Each player contains more than 400 carefully selected answers to questions about health, nutrition, family planning, child care, work safety and many more topics. All texts are translated with the help of more than 10.000 volunteers from over 100 countries who participate in a unique crowdsourcing effort. Once the information has been translated it is recorded by a native speaker of the target language. Local NGOs are taking care of distributing MP3forLife Players free of charge to women in need. We conceived the MP3forLife Player for small group listening - it fosters discussion, exchange and group building", explains Felicitas Heyne, psychologist and founder of URIDU. We want to provide basic knowledge to illiterate rural women, but we also want to create a team spirit among them. They are key to positive change in their countries. Wherever women are empowered, a favorable spiral is set in motion. Health and education improve, populations stabilize, economies grow." The MP3forLife approach has been successfully implemented in Tanzania in co-ordination with the national Ministry for Health and Social Welfare. Further East African countries are following the example. About URIDU: URIDU is a German non-profit social enterprise that empowers rural women in developing countries using solar-powered MP3 players and mobile-friendly web content. The organization's website at www.uridu.org contains additional information.

Society
Education
St. George's Society of New York

One of the oldest charitable organizations in New York, St. George's Society (named after the patron saint of England) was founded by Englishmen living in New York in 1770 to celebrate St. George's Day and to assist fellow countrymen in need or distress. Over the years, SGS's assistance has taken a variety of forms: a bag of coal or a voucher to a woodpile to keep a family warm during the winter months; free ship passage on the White Star line back to England when the "American dream" did not work out for a spinster in 1898; a free hospital bed at St. Luke's Hospital for the ill (the average stay in 1927 was one month); a pawn ticket paid to retrieve a winter coat in 1904; assistance for "British War Brides" who found themselves in need upon their arrival in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, SGS has two main areas of philanthropic endeavor, a Beneficiary Program to assist disadvantaged New Yorkers of British and Commonwealth heritage, specifically the elderly, disabled and others in crisis; and a Scholarship Program for promising students enrolled at Lehman College, part of City University of New York (CUNY), in the Bronx. While the assistance SGS provides has changed over time, the purpose has remained the same - to help those who cannot help themselves. Since its founding 242 years ago, we have aided thousands of British and Commonwealth persons while striving to fulfill our mission statement: "Let mercy be our boast and shame our only fear." As a result of this unique record of charity, SGS has a close working relationship with the British Consulate-General in New York and for over a century each serving Consul-General has been SGS's Honorary President. His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester became SGS's Royal Patron in 2000. He takes an active interest in our work and has met several SGS scholars and beneficiaries on official visits to New York. SGS was also honored in 2000 with armorial bearings by the College of Arms in London, acting under the authority of the British Crown, to recognize the charity's long and respected history of aiding British and Commonwealth subjects in New York.

Society
Education
Premiere Urgence Internationale

Premiere Urgence Internationale envisions a world where crisis-affected people have the means to meet their vital needs and shape their own future. We see access to healthcare, food, water, education, protection and safe housing as fundamental human rights and essential to all aspects of community well-being. With 40 years of experience in the humanitarian and development aid sector, Premiere Urgence Internationale is an independent French NGO, operating in 25 countries worldwide. Recognized by our peers and partners as "the last mile NGO", we intervene in crisis settings, particularly in the hardest-to-reach areas, to support populations affected by the effects of natural disasters, war, epidemics or economic collapse. In 2023, we assisted 5 million children, women, and men across four continents, making our NGO a key humanitarian player: -Because our 3,000 field staff understand the complexity of situations and local cultures, -Because we work hand in hand with local, national, and regional authorities and actors, as well as with communities, from the needs assessment stage, -Because our deep, holistic and agile expertise draws on complementary areas of competence - health, food security, nutrition, infrastructure rehabilitation and construction, water access, hygiene and sanitation, economic recovery and access to livelihoods, education and protection - we are able to respond: 1)in emergencies, to treat and manage physical, mental, or material trauma, 2) and beyond the emergency phase, to address the longer-term effects of crises, prevent recurrence risks and restore the ability of vulnerable populations to act on the path to resilience and development.

Society
Environment
Education
Art
Animals
K2011127140 trading as PSI Projects

The Paardeberg Sustainability Initiative (PSI) was conceived in 2001, in recognition of threats to the biodiversity and natural resources of the Paardeberg , a privately-owned mountain in the Western Cape, South Africa. A primary threat is economic pressure facing some 50 farmers and landowners of the mountaintop and surrounding areas.Additional and aggravating threats are global climate shifts, poverty, limited statehood. compromised capacity, education and implementation/enforcement of legislation. These challenges must be addressed to fulfill world guidelines (Agenda 21,SDG's, et) for sustainable development. PSI is currently a VAT- registered Non Profit company [NPC] and Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A tax exempt status. It is aligned with several partners which share its vision and operate in the Paardeberg, and in this sense can be described as collaborative facilitator. Through fundraising for various integrated non-profitable projects, the PSI seeks to promote sustainability in the Paardeberg and in broader Southern African contexts. The PSI also encourages local profitable enterprises to contribute generously and tax-efficiently to a central fund that is managed by the Board of Directors of the PSI. These funds are either 'ring- fenced' for specific projects, or allocated to projects requiring support, through a process that seeks to fulfill both the agenda of the donor and the mandate of the PSI. The PSI houses both enterprises (SMME's) and projects. Projects depend on the PSI for funding, while the enterprises represent potential sources of funds/assets for the PSI. The PSI acts as an umbrella offering core functions of administration, marketing, HR management, accounting, etc to all projects and SMME's based on an economy of scale. It is thus an ideal incubator to develop new businesses while minimizing risk. The vision of the PSI is to create a successful model of sustainable development, promoted by profitable enterprises and non-profitable projects, co-operating in partnerships that oversee responsible management of natural resources and biodiversity , within an economic framework that obviates the plague of poverty and social decay while upholding the law and supportive of good governance. The PSI has housed several projects, including the Paardeberg Fire Project, Paardeberg Environmental Awareness and Response(ongoing), Paardeberg Alternative Energy Solutions, Paardeberg Botanical Surveys, PSI NatReM Project and the Paardeberg Erosion Project. It is also acting as an incubator of SMME's engaged in these and other projects. All finances are conducted through a central bank account, but independently managed and audited for each project/business separately, as per the PSI MOI. The PSI does not prejudice the independence of enterprises or projects falling within its ambit. However, its role in protecting biodiversity and natural resources influences the directives it generates. Participation of all interested and affected parties of any single project or enterprise is key to the application of these directives.

Society
Justice Rights
Health
Education
Bududa Canada Foundation

Bududa Learning Center is an umbrella organization that includes a vocational high school, an orphans program for children, and a microfinance program for women. It is located in the isolated mountain district of eastern Uganda. It was founded by Canadian-born Barbara Wybar, who has been living on site a portion of each year for the past 14 years. This isolated region, one of the poorest in Uganda, is over-populated with most families having an average of 8 children. They live by growing their own food. Most of the region has no running water or electricity. Both the education and health care system are severely under-funded and inadequate. Jobs are scarce. Most people are hungry most of the time. How & Who We Help. We work to address the problems in three ways: 1. Training young people in basic trades: carpentry; brick-laying; dress-making and tailoring; nursery teacher training; computer skills training; and hairdressing training. 2. Providing broad support to 170 children and young people, many of them orphans from AIDS, by providing education enrichment, food, and health care. 3. Training and providing micro finance loans to single mothers and grandmothers in the region who are bringing up children on their own and have no means of support, so they can start small businesses. How It Is Run The Center is staffed by Ugandans working in a professional capacity. Barbara Wybar acts as Executive Director and works in a volunteer capacity. There is a growing volunteer contingent of people from the west who visit and do volunteer work there and others who take on management and administrative work in Canada and the US in a volunteer capacity. A guest house and annex provide housing for up to 12 visiting volunteers at a time. Local Oversight A local Advisory Board of the Center, led by Father Paul Buyela, provides oversight to the headmaster of the school and the directors of the two other programs. It is made up of representatives of the teachers, the parents, the regional education board, and the community as well as the executive director. The chairman is a highly respected educator as well as clerical leader in the region at large. Governance and Financial Support Bududa Canada Foundation provides governance to the Center and raises funds from individuals, foundations, and organizations to support the Center. It is incorporated in Canada holds charitable status from the Canadian Revenue Authority (#82535 8286 RR0001). There is a board directors of five people, three of whom are Canadian and two American. Financial support comes from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Officers & Board of Directors Sally Bongard (Toronto), Chairman and Secretary Scott Douglas (Connecticut) Cecily Lawson (Montreal) Lizette Gilday (Montreal), President Barbara Wybar (Philadelphia, Quebec, and Uganda), Treasurer

Society
Education
New Agriculture New Generation Non Profit Civil Law Company

"New Agriculture New Generation" is a non-profit organization, which aims to create career and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth in the Agrifood sector in Greece. The organization was founded in 2018 under the initiative and with the founding support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its "Recharging The Youth" program. The initiative started in 2018, led by Rutgers University (the state university of New Jersey), in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and the American College of Agriculture. In October 2020, the initiative evolved into a Non-profit Civil Law Company based in Greece, expanding its activities and partner network while maintaining close collaboration with Rutgers University which is our strategic and technical advisor. We are a catalyst for innovation in the Agrifood ecosystem in Greece. We enable empowerment of youth and support the revitalization of the sector through. We build capacity, expand advisory networks, nurture innovation, support business development, and encourage collaboration and dialogue through programs and initiatives which focus on four major pillars: 1. Workforce Development, 2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support, 3. Rural Development (Programs restarting agricultural economy in disaster-stricken areas and stimulating regional development), 4. Strategic Initiatives (Initiatives addressing and mitigating climate change effects on the agrifood sector). We have built a wide network of partners, embracing the entire ecosystem of knowledge, entrepreneurship, and innovation across the agrifood sector in Greece. Furthermore, we work closely with all the Greek Academic Institutions and Research Centers, institutional, public, and private bodies. Our dynamic role in the agrifood ecosystem is acknowledged through our participation in several advisory groups to the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as well as in relevant working groups and committees of the Hellenic-American and the Hellenic-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Since 2018, we have empowered more than 29.600 young farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, graduates and other professionals, through our capacity building, entrepreneurship, and regional development programs as well as through natural disaster relief initiatives (Fire relief initiative for Northern Evia, Initiative to support the stock farmers of Karditsa, affected by Cyclone Ianos). We have implemented more than 50 capacity building programs and we have supported more than 100 SMEs, family and start - up businesses and cottage industries, and over 300 professional trainers, mentors and advisors. Our socioeconomic and environmental impact: 94% of our beneficiaries have improved their existing farming and technical processes, more than 44% of our beneficiaries have invested in the development of new products and services, more than 36% of businessowners/self-employed beneficiaries reduced their environmental footprint, 16.8 million is the total value created from our operations and 10.9 million created from our beneficiaries in the Greek economy. Our estimated economic leverage effect in the real economy is x3.6 (for each 1 euro spent by the organization, 3.6 is generated in the Greek economy). Furthermore, our organization has adopted 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while our activities are aligned with ESG criteria. We offer unique value to the ecosystem and we are a trusted and effective ecosystem builder: 1. Transferring knowledge from the best. Capacity to mobilize the best scientific and professional resources from Greece, Rutgers University and other international institutions. 2. Building communities of dynamic young farmers and agrifood entrepreneurs Developing sector- and location-based synergies across Greece. Goodwill and capacity for collaboration with our alumni. 3. Developing and implementing in-house expertise and unique Methodologies Supporting rural development by empowering the agrifood economy in business and entrepreneurship support. 4. Extensive, active network of knowledge providers. Impactful current collaborations with all academic and research institutions in Greece, top industry professionals and consultants, and thriving businesses and cooperatives. 5. Credibility. Trust and support from renowned and respected international organizations, such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Folloe Foundation, ActionAid. 6. Flexibility. Capacity to respond to the sector's needs in an agile, transparent and effective way. 7. Competent team. Combining different disciplines and knowhow, ability to work well in collaboration with other organizations, domestic and international. 8. Positive reputation. Good awareness of the organization across the sector and positive reputation In 2022, NANG has been: 1. Acknowledged as best practice by the European Commission DG Agri and invited in the "Vocational Education and Training for Agriculture in Transition" event in Brussels. Also, NANG was represented in the "Workshop on Young entrepreneurs - Engines of innovation in rural areas" in Dublin. 2. Selected among the top 30 non-profit organizations in 10 countries to collaborate with 3M / PYXERA Global within the 3M Global Impact Program, for "Integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles with the strategic vision and operational sustainability of NANG"; 3. Selected for collaboration in 2023 with the Iraq-based, newly established MERG Foundation, implementing women empowerment programs focused in rural areas of Iraqi Kurdistan; 4. Acknowledged for its impactful work in Greece by the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM), Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations (FAO), and invited to attend the International Workshop on Algae Cultivation and Innovation in Saudi Arabia; 5. Exploring synergies with GFCM, regarding developing programs in the Mediterranean, locally adapting NANG methodologies on knowledge transfer and community building, collaborating and empowering local stakeholders.

Society
Education
Art
SLUM FILM FESTIVAL

Slum Film Festival is the first ever film platform-featuring stories from slums, about slum realities and made by filmmakers from the slums in Africa - and beyond. It is a celebration of the creativity of filmmakers living and working in slums. It is also an opportunity to show a range of films within slum communities who have limited or no access to cinema. The first pilot edition of the festival was celebrated with success in August 2011. This program has now been extended and expanded in subsequent 4 editions between 2012 and 2014. The festival has reached out for submissions from across Africa and indeed the world. It has gathered audiences from thousands of slum dwellers and urban culture enthusiasts. There are numerous international film festivals around the world, but the Slum Film Festival is exceptional in its mission to be celebrated within slums, and it is dedication to sharing slum stories. More than just a festival, it is aiming to become an international film platform for young independent voices and upcoming and established filmmakers from across the universe. 2 The Organisation The Slum Film Festival is an independent organization, whose goal is to develop a network of partnerships with media production groups, organize film awards, facilitate and organise film screenings and conduct other film and arts related events across Africa's informal settlements, promoting and sharing slum stories from across the world, and becoming a key network for the distribution of films made by and about slum communities. Having run as a project of 2 media organisations [Slum TV and Hotsun Foundation] for 3 years, Slum Film Festival is now registered as an independent Community Based Organisation. 3 Our Objectives and Aims The Slum Film Festival does not aim to legitimise the existence of informal human settlements, but to raise public attention to pertinent issues here, while promoting and celebrating the creativity of the people who live in these communities. The aims of the Slum Film Festival are: To offer a platform for films from slum communities to reach broader audiences, and facilitate disenfranchised filmmakers in joining the international film circuit. To promote dialogue about life in slums that goes beyond stereotyping, using stories from slum communities to promote deeper perceptions about life in the slums. The Slum Film Festival demonstrates that slums are also a home for the very talented, creative and culturally active artists. For the festival event to become a magnet for media attention, while changing media discourses about slum realities. This media presence can also allow mainstream media to acknowledge the presence of smaller slum-based media content producers, and promote new partnerships. To support the expansion of the festival into new slum locations, eventually becoming a networked festival for celebrating the diversity of Pan-African and global creativity.

Society
Education
Fundacja Mamo Pracuj

The Mamo Pracuj Foundation is dedicated to addressing the significant challenges faced by women returning to work after maternity, parental, and childcare leaves. Our mission is to empower these women by supporting their professional and personal development, enhancing their self-esteem, and helping them achieve a harmonious balance between family responsibilities and career aspirations. By aligning our activities with three key Sustainable Development Goals-Goal 5 Gender Equality, Goal 8 Decent Work, and Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities-we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable society. Since 2011, we have operated the nationwide portal www.mamopracuj.pl, which offers a wide range of resources including articles, webinars, video broadcasts, online courses, and podcasts. The portal attracts 80-100,000 unique users monthly, ensuring accessibility for all women, including those with disabilities and those living in remote areas. By connecting job-seeking women with employers who value diverse talents and support work-life balance, we facilitate opportunities for women to develop businesses and achieve financial independence. We collaborate with employers on diversity and inclusion initiatives, employer branding, and recruitment campaigns. Notably, we established Poland's first Parent-Friendly Employer Database and network, promoting supportive work environments. A core aspect of our work involves empowerment programs providing individual support, workshops, and training. In 2023, over 3,000 women benefited from these initiatives. Our #MamoPracujwIT project, launched in 2016, encourages women to pursue IT careers and challenges gender stereotypes by showcasing diverse IT roles and sharing success stories of women in tech. We have conducted several reskilling projects, including three editions of Let's Do IT AKAdemy with Akamai, two editions of Destination IT, and one edition of Her Way to IT. By partnering with companies seeking to diversify their teams, we make it easier for women to find employment in the IT sector. Our community of nearly 13,000 women supports and motivates each other, united by the goal of increasing diversity in the tech industry. In 2023, our activities included nearly 6,000 applications for 15 development programs, with 3,000 places available. We provided 1,500 hours of individual support and organized 28 offline meetings with almost 800 attendees. We hosted 100 webinars with over 4,000 participants and reached almost 1 million users on our portal. Our partnerships with organizations like Google, CITI Foundation, State Street Global Advisors, State Street Bank, and Mercy Corps (with support from the American Red Cross) underscore our commitment to empowering women and promoting equal employment opportunities. Three of our development programs were featured in the 2023 Responsible Business Forum report, and our partnership with Google was highlighted in their 2024 Diversity Annual Report.

Society
Education
Disaster Relief
Ikirwa School Project

From Articles of Incorporation "Ikirwa School Project is a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed but not limited to the establishment, operation, and expansion of the Ikirwa English Medium School located in the rural village of Midawe near the town of Arusha, Republic of Tanzania. Activities included but not limited to the following: fund-raising and donation acceptance, recruitment of paid and volunteer labor, capital planning and expenditures, marketing, and maintenance for the benefit of the Ikirwa school." About Ikirwa School: The idea for this project was born during a camp-fire conversation between a Tanzanian guide and a Russian-American tourist. Gasper had a dream to build a school in his home village of Midawe to give local children access to English-language education and significantly improve their future academic and employment opportunities. After spending close to a decade managing World Bank capital, Masha was looking for a way to make a tangible contribution to development. Finally, America Educates, our NGO partner and fiscal sponsor, was looking for an education project in Africa. And so Ikirwa School Project was born. We are taking a multi-phase approach to building and establishing this school, starting with kindergarten classes and organically growing the school into a single-stream education program for up to 300 students. Tanzanian students are taught in Swahili and learn English as a second language. However, English has become a language of both commerce and higher learning, limiting the prospects of government school graduates, especially those who are unable to afford remedial language instruction, which is often needed to become proficient in English. Our project's goal is to provide the option of English language instruction to the children of Midawe and nearby villages. We will leverage resources offered by many volunteer organizations and the NGOs in both providing instruction and education materials to offer world-class quality academic instruction to the students as well as career development opportunities for the teachers. Our goal is to ensure that all our students score in the top quartile of the TOEFL test at the time of graduation and the Tanzanian instructors within 2 years of joining the staff. The seed funds for the project are coming from its founders, with Gasper contributing a plot of family land for school construction and Masha financing Phase I of construction. Students will be charged tuition and boarding fees and those funds are expected to eventually cover the majority of the operating budget. Up to 20% of spots will be allocated for underprivileged children of Midawe. The architectural plan calls for construction of 13 classrooms, 4 dormitories, offices, staff quarters, dining hall and kitchen, library and assembly hall in four phases. We have completed Phase I of the project, consisting of 4 classrooms and 2 offices. On January 7, 2013 Ikirwa School open its doors to 38 kindergarten and 1st grade students and has successfully completed its first semester on March 27th. Based on the feedback we have recevied during Parent's Day, the families are thrilled to have their children in our program and are impressed by the progress they are seeing. Our vision is to build a small school that makes a big difference and stands on its own without depending on outside donors for day to day operations. We intend to grow organically and pragmatically, building a track record and using our success to attract donor funds for capital improvements.

Society
Science
Justice Rights
Education
CoderDojo Foundation

Our purpose is to create the worlds leading network of affiliated coding clubs for young people. Our goals are to support, develop and scale CoderDojo to inspire young coders around the world.

Society
Education
Comite por la Libre Expresion (C-Libre)

C-Libre was established in June 2001, after a series of violations of freedom of expression and the right to information that culminated in the dismissal of several independent journalists, which led to a complaint by the country before the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom. of Expression of the Organization of American States (OAS), a body that responded by calling attention to the worrying situation of the Honduran press. This documented and formal complaint is the antecedent to the annual reports that would later make known the work of the organization. We advocate for the defense and promotion of the right to freedom of expression and access to information as fundamental rights for the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law. C-Libre is a human rights organization that advocates for the defense and promotion of the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Honduras, as fundamental rights for the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law. C-Libre was created as a response to the concerns shared by a group of journalists when public and private power sectors promoted policies and mechanisms that threatened the professional practice of journalists and violated the constitutional precepts that guarantee the free emission of thought. Those of us who make up C-Libre are convinced that in the construction of a rule of law, the existence of an ethical, investigative journalism, an oversight of public management, that works in an environment of security and free access to information, is essential and that promote a public opinion regime that enforces your Right to Information: http://www.clibrehonduras.com For 20 years C-Libre has been working to strengthen networks, groups and individual journalists, social communicators and spokespersons to raise awareness about freedom of expression and the press, as well as citizen protest. In the last 10 years, the creation and implementation of regulations that restrict the dissemination and access to information has been increasing, since the approval of the Special Law on the Intervention of Private Communications "Law of Wiretapping", passing through "Law of Secrets "," Law of the National Security and Defense Council "and the" Intelligence Law "among a myriad of information reservation resolutions that contravene the Law of Transparency and Access to Public Information, the instruments and international agreements on transparency and accountability, the Honduran government has accumulated a legal framework that legitimizes and legalizes the culture of secrecy and state opacity, opening the possibility of increasing levels of corruption and impunity, mainly of public officials and employees. The technical team is made up of specialists in various areas of knowledge, mainly communication, social, legal and administrative sciences. Likewise, there is the collaboration of volunteers at the national level, who carry out work within the organization as columnists, reporters, compilers among others. Its function is through 4 programmatic areas : Communications, Access to Justice, Knowledge Management and Self-sustainability, which interact to execute the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan. Currently, C-Libre has 10 people who make up the organization who work full time. The direction of the organization is mainly in charge of the Executive Directorate, who must work together with the President of the Board of Directors. The organization's performance is supervised by the Board of Directors, and this responsibility falls much more strongly on the President and the Supervisory Board, made up of the Treasury and 2 more members of the Board of Directors. Annual reports are submitted to the Board of Directors and the Assembly of the organization, financial and technical reports that are also sent to the pertinent government bodies. In addition, once a week the technical team meets to plan the week's activities, as well as discuss topics of interest to the organization, annually the assembly and the board of directors meet to render annual reports and every 2 years for the election. of a new Board of Directors.

Society
Education
Art
The Headstart Trust

The HeadStart Trust has been working in poor and marginalised communities of the Cape for over 10 years. In the last 5 years, activities centered around Napier in the Overberg, where the Jack family farm is located. Working at Protea Primary in Napier, we started with an organic vegetable garden development, warm beanies for the young learners in winter, donations of extra furniture and annual stationery and art equipment. We also arranged outreach programmes from privileged schools in Cape Town to do community service in Napier. In 2018 The HeadStart Trust introduced a Music Education Programme. The results reflected international experience and research, and were astounding. Music pupils showed an average annual attendance rate increase from around 75% to 98%. Their general behaviour and academic results in other subjects also improved markedly. In 2020 we hired more staff and acquired more instruments and were able to increase those receiving music tuition from 36 to 130 pupils. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Trustees of The HeadStart Trust have agreed to shift the short-term focus of the Trust to Food Relief. There is a history of rural villages in the Cape Agulhas region being ostracised and disregarded, and when financial support isn't sucked completely away, these communities are often last in line. This underlines the massive challenge we face here: for a start, children don't have access to the usual daily school meals (only twice a week) and, in the past, local government bureaucracy has hampered efficient feeding schemes. The community is consequently wary of empty promises. A majority of the community is not earning any income during the lockdown period and finding it very difficult to access the government relief grants promised by Pretoria due to consistently changing criteria and resulting confusion. Foreign nationals, who out of desperation sought refuge in these rural towns and send large portions of their piecemeal income to family members in other African states, are either unable or too terrified to register for any type of relief. The need for assistance is thus overwhelming. We have begun our efforts by vastly expanding the Napier Primary organic vegetable garden and donating the required seed and tools for the village to contribute directly in their own medium-term food security. But we require short-term, encompassing solutions as well. With the full support of Executive Mayor of the Cape Agulhas Municipality, Mr Paul Swart, and Napier's Ward Councillor, Mrs Evelyn Sauls, The HeadStart Trust will play a crucial coordinating role in helping to alleviate the growing social disaster catalysed by this pandemic and the lockdown. We have begun lobbying civil society organisations, government funds and individuals to donate financially to a structured and inclusive Rural Food Relief Platform for Napier and surrounding areas. Furthermore, we will use our personnel and farm vehicles to collect and distribute donated food (under strict lockdown safety measures) to those most in crisis. We will utilise the food storage and refrigeration facilities that have been established at the Thusong Centre and Packtown Food in Bredasdorp. Mr Swart has acknowledged that food collection and distribution is a new challenge for his administration and the municipality desperately needs cooperative partners to overcome the challenge we collectively face as a community. The HeadStart Trust is also liaising directly with various community representatives and farmers. Communication is also continuous with religious leaders and on community social media platforms. As agreed with elected representatives, we will channel food donation through the Napier Community Police Forum (CPF) and local farmer organisations. Local food donations can already be made at the Napier OK Minimark, but our intention is to expand this systematically and emphatically. We need your help to support these communities that are a foundation for our own food security, but find themselves abandoned in this lockdown period.