Millennium Development Goals were set by all the
nations of the world to achieve universal primary education by 2015. Other developmental
goals for the impoverished of our world include addressing the lack of
immunizations for children: the continued level of poverty and local wars; and
the needs of the 121 million children (of which 65
million are girls) who are not able to attend school. The total world mortality
rate calculated by the UN showing that there are still 29,578 children a day
that die from preventable causes is intolerable, and the time for change is now.
Our work has just begun. Our commitment is grounded in the research and proven
strategies for development, and our dedication to children is firm and based on
the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS OF 2004?
2004 brought To Love Children many new partnerships, programs and an improved, clearer and more
focused understanding of our unique position among the thousands of Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOS) volunteers, governments,
schools, parents and businesses that are making brilliant engines for
developmental change at the grassroots level. We have emerged in our third year
of working in the field for children with a number of additional assets that
include resources and friends that cannot be calculated on our financial
statement in terms of dollars and cents.
One such example taking place in Uganda is that we have selected
David Lubaale as our first ever African Director of To Love Children Global Programs. David has
opened numerous doors of support from the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the Hon
Rebecca A. Kadaga, to His Royal Highness Waako Mulooki, the King of the Busoga
Kingdom. He has also
engaged the ex Ambassador to France
from Uganda,
numerous volunteers, NGOs, schools, teachers and various youth groups. Most
recently, he has involved the Kampala Youth Brass Band, which will perform plays and
music to heighten awareness on issues concerning HIV/AIDS, Education and Human
Rights and Peace.
Kampala Brass Band WEW Uganda
This overwhelming and overarching new underpinning
shifted our focus from just opening individual Resource Centers and Libraries
to creating partnerships with children, NGOs, government, communities, families,
schools and the health and education sector as a more viable model for our
sustainable educational development program. With the help of our Information
Technology Team volunteers, we can now also expand our program to include a
technology and video conferencing center along with our Universal African
Resource Center
and Library, which will support community and international links of
partnership in educational development.
Once we establish this model we can individualize
our Centers to meet local needs and concerns anywhere in the world. It is with
local support and input that we base all of our work on. Our intent is to
become community based and let each community become the major stakeholder in its
educational development.
Consider our growth by reflecting back on Tamadapu
Chinna’s quote from our 2003 Annual Report below.
“Till now we do not know of
books other than our class textbooks and today I have seen many wonderful books
in our children library and resource center. Hearing this library and resource
center is for us I am very much excited.”
(Tamadapu Chinna, a student girl
from K. Santhapalem a village in India.)
The TLC focus on sustainable
educational development for the girl child is now making a lasting difference
by having identified and addressed the issue of sustainable education through
the support of governments, educational institutions and NGOs. Consider the
statement from the RT.Hon Rebecca A. Kadaga Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the
Republic of Uganda, regarding TLC’s growth as an
emerging specialist in educational development for the girl child.
“I wish to recognize that TLC 's programs related
to HIV/AIDS, support of micro-finance business, etc., are timely and in step
with the focus of sustainable educational development in Uganda and Africa as a
whole.”
Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda Hon Rebecca A. Kadaga
David Lubaale, David
Kenneth Waldman, Hon Rebecca A. Kadaga
To Love Children
is positioned to take even greater strides in the coming year 2005. We cannot,
however, take this journey alone or without your support. TLC’s concept of
sustainable programs includes the stability of our own organization. By
positioning ourselves to run programs that are profitable while also meeting
our mission, we can become a true model for sustainable development.
To Love Children’s
primary goal is to show that investing in girl education proves to be the most
substantial and productive development strategy. To Love Children is committed to
breaking the pattern of non-profits that constantly struggle for
funding and have to fight the top 400 non-profits for funding dollars. If run
poorly, non-profits can end up cutting programs and staff due to lack of financial
support. In order to create a sea change for educational development worldwide,
one that creates a positive and sustainable methodology in educational
development,
we need to find a model for growth and sustainable funding that we can teach to
others. Inside this report we have described our GEOTOP™ Global Educational Outreach Travel Opportunities
Program as one of our most important tools to achieve this goal.
To Love Children
declares that, as a profit-oriented non- governmental
organization creating a sustainable, efficient and 100% accountable organization, our hope is to remain unburdened with using most of
our resources, talents and time in raising all of our money from the good
will of our donors but instead it is best that we focus on our mission and
devote the preponderance of our profits, resources and talents, minus
our administration and operating expenses that are reasonable and in line with
the highest standards set in the non-profit industry, to channel back our
profit for the public good of girl children, people of the developing world and
boys in need of educational development and opportunity.
-Photo 1000
chicks Uganda—Micro-loan program for
sustainable educational development
Future Victory
School 2004
To Love Children
is positioning our programs strategically to maximize our resources through a
more efficiently run organization. We aim to use our volunteers’
best talents and experiences, and to educate about girl education beginning
with the release of our first Premier issue of the Global Child Journal,
published in December 2004.
To Love Children’s
Cornerstone Strategies for 2005 is to provide:
·
early childhood
education training and provide early childhood educational development centers
·
vocation
education
·
micro loans to
create sustainable income for women and their families
·
peace education—conflict
resolution workshops and curriculum
·
HIV/AIDS Healthy
and Safe Curriculum— including all health, water conservation, safety,
pre-post natal care workshops and education training
·
literacy
education including agricultural, environmental, sustainable development, science,
technology and arithmetic along with critical thinking and problem solving
skills
·
teacher
in-service training including technology and developmentally appropriate
practices
·
gender awareness
workshops
·
publishing
opportunities for educational leaders in the developing world
·
opportunities for
life-long learning workshops and materials
·
education for our
youth so that the present generation of youth is willing to accept leadership
roles to learn about geo-political forces in order to better function in civil society
The goal is to foster real change for the world
they are going to inherit. We honor the children and youth of the world by giving
them a voice through our website, publishing books, our Global Child Journal, which will have a feature to
capture their art and perspectives, as well as real opportunities to be seen
and heard such as through our Walk for Education World Wide TM program that first started in November 2004 in association
with the International Week of Education celebrations.
2004 will be remembered for the start of many new
friends and volunteers, as well as TLC projects and programs such as providing
sustainable educational development to children living in Internally
Displacement Persons camps, peace curriculum and HIV/AIDS curriculum called Healthy
and Safe. To Love Children found its strongest voice to date in addressing
the issue of girl education. Join us NOW in planting more trees, as the
African proverb says ‘there is no better time than right now.’
Thank you for your friendship, support, ideas,
contacts, resources, donations, partnerships and participation in our programs.
We have reached well over 22,000 children in Uganda,
Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya,
Ghana, Brazil, India,
USA and Nepal and we are growing stronger
everyday. We will not stop until all children achieve the universal human right
of education, peace, health and prosperity.
As the last edits
are made on the last day of 2004, I am greatly saddened by the news of the
calamity of death and despair in the aftermath of an 8.9 earthquake that struck
Southeast and South Asia. To Love Children
has made a donation in support of the NetAid Asian Earthquake
Crisis Fund. The crisis in Southeast and South Asia
can be tracked at http://www.netaid.org .
Children come under threat from natural
causes as well as from human origins, and To Love Children
will join in supporting humanitarian aid whenever we can to ease the suffering
of the children most in need.
Sincerely Yours,
David Kenneth Waldman
Founder/President/CEO
Report from David Lubaale
African
Director Global Programs
|
To Love Children Educational Foundation
International Inc.
David
Lubaale (left) and David Kenneth Waldman
(right) at the first annual
Walk for
Education World Wide TM
Kamuli, Uganda November 25, 2004
Dear Partners, Donors, and Friends:
As my message
reaches you today in this Annual Report 2004, you will come to maintain your
position in TLC Family as we make tremendous prospects around the world, here
in Africa in particular.
Fortunately, members, sustainable education development
aspects are no longer an academic discussion. It is not an arcane topic for
high-minded legal debate. Nor is it a dusty, little-used flowchart in a vacant
boardroom. Nevertheless, it is a concern and conviction for global prosperity
of which you are invited and requested to keep part. Like never before,
the broad message of Sustainable Education Development has attracted an
extraordinary degree of public attention and new level of educational awareness
here in Africa. New imperatives now demand a
revitalized and modern perspective on the fundamental responsibilities of organizations
like TLC to their beneficiaries. In an educational arena driven by technology,
information and a more empowered staff base, strong organizational management
is more than just a sensible moral practice – it is an indispensable by-product
of educational discipline. Having served on a number of organization
committees, boards and now as the African Director for Global Child Programs
with TLC-Uganda, Africa office, I am convinced
there are many bright-line tests or methodologies that ensure the effective
performance of TLC. TLC operates uniquely through the separation of ownership
and control. The system works brilliantly, provides those in control to operate
for the benefit of their local communities of the true owners of the project,
by promoting accountability – not just for financial performance, but also for
ideas, practices and decisions.
In an era when some
donors are increasingly able to shift their positions in and out of development
cheaply and easily due to economical imbalances, it serves us well to remember each
nation has a moral obligation to maintain her citizens until the issue of sustainable
educational development is completely addressed and manifested.
I urge you not to
miss the opportunity to comment on this matter of fundamental fairness and good
performance toward the rights of the women and poverty eradication initiatives
that have taken root in Africa. Peace and
Reconciliation programs supported by the Dalai Lama Foundation are indeed
timely and worth for all regions in Africa and in northern Uganda, particularly where people
have lived in Refugee Camps for over 19 years.
In addition, I must
add, distinguished Partners, Donors, and Friends, that the continuous
growth of TLC is both a product of and follow-up to your efforts, as you were
the leading actors of the international work plan. It is a product of the
process you have launched in order to transform TLC into a leaner, more
effective and more field and mission-oriented, (that is child-oriented) organization.
It is also a follow-up because it is the first step in the implementation of
the decisions made by Board Members in California
and ratified by the regional offices around the world.
Final Remarks and Significant Importance of this Report
Firstly, it is of a worth
importance and unique opportunity for TLC-Africa office, and Headquarters'
units to discuss, identify and define together practical ways of implementing projects,
to take stock of new priorities and areas of concentration assigned to the organization
and to specify the best practices for providing better services to our
beneficiaries in a timely and efficient manner. We will therefore continue to
call for your involvement and support.
Secondly, the report is important because it gives us all an opportunity
to reshape the relationship and the interaction between the Headquarters' units
of TLC and its field offices with a view to bringing about a real
transformation of the methods of work and the manner in which the services and
products of the organization are delivered to our beneficiaries
internationally.
Thirdly, it offers an opportunity for TLC, all
stakeholders in education, peace, HIV/AIDS awareness and her partners to engage
in a fruitful dialogue on the best way to network at the field level for the
promotion of Sustainable Education Development "SED".
Finally, for me personally, this report is an
opportunity, at the beginning of my mandate as the African Director, to give a
strong impetus to the growth of the organization through a revitalized field
representation effectively linked to Headquarters and capable of playing a
leading role in our relations with our beneficiaries. This is possible by supporting them in the
assessment, identification and formulation of their educational development
needs and by marshalling, in close cooperation with Headquarters' units and
with other partners at the field level, the delivery of TLC services.
The ultimate goal should be to make the organization more
mission-oriented and to bring its services closer to her beneficiaries. There
is a complete need and immediate attention given to the children and women
living in the Internally Displaced Persons camps in northern Uganda and some parts of the neighboring areas
of Uganda and Sudan.
Moreover, I should make it clear and plainly identifiable that
through your support, we have opened up the first Universal
African Resource
Center and Library in Gulu District,
northern Uganda.
In fact, this is one of the significant answers to the absence of resources for
school children, which had created an educational vacuum for many years in that
region, torn by war.
A more globally integrated and interconnected educational approach
in order to break the cycle of poverty is upon us. In addition, you have to
know that the need for vigilant oversight is believed to have become nothing
less than a new global directive.
David
Kenneth Waldman and HRH
Waako Mulooki the King of the Busoga Kingdom
By identifying a unique approach in self-help initiatives, the
beneficiaries get the most advantageous solutions to their own problems. This
may also be called bottom-up approach: where local resources are secured and
used to solve a local problem.
Therefore,
as we acknowledge and support the underutilized resources of women in raising
the global awareness of pressing issues, it is important to take note of the
following achievements in this year’s Annual Report.
The following
areas of emphasis define the significant achievements that TLC has made in our
TLC Africa office in Uganda
during eight months of operation.
- TLC has received legal permission
from the government of the Republic
of Uganda to carry
out her activities.
- TLC has secured a fully furnished
building to carry out training sessions and Library services in Gulu town.
Childcare and Development
Organization has offered this building to TLC.
- TLC supports a Poultry Project of
1,000 chicks in Kamuli District, eastern Uganda,
that promotes and sustains the HIV/AIDS orphans at Future Victory
School. 700 children
are benefiting from this project as well as several additional schools.
- The Deputy Speaker of Parliament of
the Republic
of Uganda, Hon
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, is one of the biggest
supporters of TLC's services.
- TLC has established partnerships with
local organizations that serve within the war zone of northern Uganda,
making it easy to deliver services effectively.
- TLC has established a Universal
Resource Center and Library in the war zone region of northern Uganda,
intending to promote education for all children and supporting schools
with libraries throughout the internally displaced persons’
camps in the country.
- TLC has voluntary
staff performing up to the expectations and principles of humanitarian
action and the mission of TLC.
- TLC is a partner
with Randy Taran NGO SpringBoard to Peace where David
Kenneth Waldman sits on the board of directors, the
Peace Wall Project and with support by the Dalai Lama Foundation and Roots
and Shoots, Jane Goodall’s Foundation.
- TLC has enough
expertise to handle all issues concerning children and developmental
education in the developing world as demonstrated by the successful
implementation of Walk for Education World Wide 2004 that involved over 22,000
children and numerous dignitaries from schools, governments and Non
Governmental Organizations in Uganda and six other nations.
David Kenneth Waldman and Presidential Representative Ahamed
Doka Kamuli, Uganda
Upon
the research around the world and TLC in action, we have come to understand
that causes of poverty and illiteracy are often national or global. Therefore,
our program with poor communities informs our understanding of poverty,
illiteracy and our advocacy work and
seeks to secure lasting change.
Whenever
we can find or foster appropriate partners, we work with and through them to
support self-reliance, not dependency, in developing nations.
We
believe that with a program spread across the world, TLC will have a greater
understanding of the many causes of poverty, illiteracy and wars, allowing
us to achieve magnificent and greater impact. We work directly now in two
African countries, Uganda
and Kenya,
where a Country Director (See Enock Ondara report below) manages.
We began 2005 with training volunteers in issues concerning
HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Healthy and Safe curriculum is now being developed and
piloted,
and we call upon all proponents of health initiatives to support us in our
endeavor to ensure that the children and women of Africa
meet their requirements of life.
We are handling this in collaboration with medical doctors, Ministry
of Heath, UNICEF and other partners around the globe to train in the awareness
campaign, prevention and control of the disease.
Nevertheless,
as the security issues become more difficult and uncertain, we may have to
carry out our Peace and Reconciliation workshops within 120 miles of the war
zones. The participants would only be required to travel from their homes to a
specified venue that is communicated to them one or two months before the workshop.
This is done for the safety of our International Staff (Trainers). The Dalai
Lama Foundation, among others, supports this peace initiative.
On a more positive note, we have organizations that are operating
with the war zone and are good implementers of our Project, such as Child
Development Organization (CDO) in Gulu District, through which tremendous achievements
have been registered.
We
have established the Universal
African Resource
Center and Library and will
soon implement projects that can support women in income generating activities
in order to cut the trend of dependence that has in one way or another promoted
domestic violence.
This
reflects our livelihoods programs to help women who are looking after orphans
caused by war and HIV/AIDS to grow crops but to do so nearer to their homes and
with less effort.
To
better focus our resources, we are prioritizing some of the projects that are
expected to be launched. Our priority projects include those dealing with
HIVAIDS, women enterprises through micro loan schemes, peace education, child rights
and advocacy, girls'
education, libraries and more to come.
Uganda
Building Global
Educational Support
for Girl Education
that embraces children in Internal Displacement Persons Camps
Here in Uganda, TLC Africa operates a great number of
educational developmental projects like the Universal
African Resource
Center and Library, micro-loan
programs to eradicate poverty in the rural Africa,
the Walk for Education Worldwide campaign, and peace and HIVAIDS education
programs and workshops.
VISION:
The Emergency Relief and Peace project
holds a vision of promoting total peace and unity amongst the people of
northern Uganda
through education. This will be done and made possible by networking with both
local and international NGOs who operate programs in this area to ensure a
definable rehabilitation strategy.
MISSION: To promote support for the internally displaced
people of northern Uganda
and rehabilitating the gang raped women and girls by providing sustainable
developmental skills and integrated education.
GOAL: To provide a
holistic health, educational, peace and unity alternative to all refugees in
northern Uganda
including the Sudanese refugees (externally displaced persons) living in camps.
PROJECT COMMITMENT
TLC, through all of our
educational developments programs, is fully committed to promoting the
Millennium Development Goals to be reached by 2015 in order to eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger by:
- achieving universal primary education
- promoting gender equality and empowering women
- reducing child mortality
- improving maternal health
- combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- ensuring environmental sustainability
- developing a global partnership for development
OBJECTIVES:
- To promote the central and unique role of the United
Nations in providing leadership and coordination of international
humanitarian action, the special role of the International Committee of
the Red Cross, and the vital role of the United Nations, the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-governmental organizations in
implementing humanitarian action.
- To call
upon donors and others in the international community to respond to the
alarming situation of the internally displaced persons living in refugee
camps through relief efforts so that the work of sustainable education
development can continue.
- To provide
opportunity and promote the voice for the children living in those camps
and ensure a clearly directed plan to have to start a basic education with
plans for continuing education programs that lead to economic stability.
- To improve
relations through dialogue and education amongst peacemakers in and out of
northern Uganda,
allowing the government of Uganda
to abandon its efforts for a military solution and to improve its
relations with its northern citizens by improving its human rights
performance.
- To provide relief
in terms of school supplies, educational and health resources, as well as
a micro-loan program to the refugees (women and children) who have been
denied a chance to live positively in northern Uganda.
- To ratify,
through education and promotion, the idea of Human Rights concerning the
abducted children from terrorist groups.
- To establish
plans of Integrated Schools—work and education programs for both Refugee
and ex-Abducted Children to receive basic education, rehabilitation and
vocational training.
- To form a
sound Family Integrated Scheme of sustainable Development for war victims
through income generating projects on a micro-loan basis.
- To ensuring that through establishing a network with humanitarian
organizations that fully adhere to good practice and commitment to our
goals we will promote accountability, efficiency and effectiveness in
implementing humanitarian action that leads to sustainable development.
- To promote
Peace and Unity amongst the people of Uganda at all levels through
Conflict Resolutions and Reconciliation Seminars.
FUNCTIONS OF TLC EMERGENCY RELIEF PROJECT
-
To provide vocational skills to all
ex-abducted young girls and women who have been sexually abused by rebel commanders;
some of these girls and women have contracted HIV/AIDS and / or have had early
and forced pregnancies that in turn leave them more desperate than boys in
their families though successfully reunified.
-
To promote advocacy
for children through networking and partnership with all child-centered
organizations working in the same area of war and disaster.
-
To act as a voice and link for
the depressed and abused children of Africa and
to plan a resourceful strategy to break the cycle of poverty.
-
To provide all people in this region,
including refugees with HIV/AIDS, education and awareness training and to
provide access to counseling and testing services free of charge.
-
To work with governmental authorities
in identifying, educating and providing satisfactory conditions, as spelled out
in the U.N. Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, of shelter, hygiene,
health, safety and nutrition for internally displaced persons.
-
To provide immediate solutions
through education for the returnees from refugee camps into their respective
homes in touch with the UNHCR.
Yours in Service,
David Lubaale
African
Director for Global Child Programs
TLC Kenya office is located at Afya center 1st
floor
P.O Box 2726-00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254 720 325879
Email: enondara@hotmail.com / drondara@yahoo.com
Enock Ondara-Country Director in
foreground at the home of David Lubaale, African Director enjoying a late
dinner after the first Uganda-Kenya To Love Children
Volunteer meeting November 2004
—Photo courtesy of David
Kenneth Waldman
Introduction
The TLC-Kenya
office and its members are all volunteers under the leadership of the country
director,
Enock Ondara. We are committed in actively assisting girl children
in achieving their highest potential by providing equal access to education
resource centers and supporting mentoring programs including curricular and
skills training relevant for the increase of local educational, economic and
health resources in relation to the central and partner office globally. We
will work through the directions of the founder/president of TLC, Africa director and other TLC members worldwide. We
embrace TLC’s mission in totality.
TLC
Welcomes our Kenya
volunteers management team:
1. Peninah Wanjiru
Gitau- (Bachelor of Arts, sociology and linguistics);
Public Relations Officer.
2. David Tei Mbuvi-
(Bachelor of Arts, anthropology);
Operations Coordinator
3. Dr Bernard Nzioka
Mua Dental surgeon, Masters of Public Health and
post graduate diploma in sexually transmitted infections
Education Research
and Community Development Officer
4. Dr Simon Mwangi
Muiruri Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor
of Surgery, Master of Public Health; Email: muirusm@yahoo.com
Children HIV/AIDS
Education and Training officer
5. Wambui Njuguna
Bachelor of Sciences, Biochemistry,
Master of Science;
Email: wambui_6@yahoo.co.uk
Program Development
Officer
6. Jane Wanyiri
Bachelor of Arts, information management);
Information Systems
Officer
7. Sylivia Atieno
Egerton University, Bachelor of Computer Sciences,
Information Technology
and Mentor Officer.
2004 Activities
- Working out on modalities in office
and management structuring, holding meetings and organizing means and ways
of fundraising for TLC.
- Conducting meetings with other NGOs
and community-based organizations (CBOs) with a view of establishing an
entry point to the affected communities.
- Being visited and granted permission
by relevant education and other social government offices-ministry of
education and the ministry of gender in view of establishing a working
relationship and support to TLC functions and mission here in Kenya.
- Holding meetings with
rural and urban administrators in a view of setting infrastructures of
community members’ mobilization in support of girl child education, HIV/AIDS
and capacity building within three most affected districts here in Kenya,
including Makweni, Maragua and Nairobi.
The TLC-Kenya
office and its member are determined to make TLC be felt everywhere in the
country in order to support the international office in resource distribution,
education support, health promotion and skill development for the sense of
sustaining girl children education.
We expect support
from the other key players of TLC globally and much more from the president who,
because of his vision for TLC, is our inspiration. We expect to be given an
opportunity to voice the requirements for the existence of TLC-Kenya because we
are the indigenous and we understand the need for girl children in Kenya, the people of Kenya
and the relevant authorities in Kenya.
We also expect that the TLC website will
promote easier communications globally and we will have official emails based
in the TLC website.
We thank the TLC president,
Africa director and the entire TLC family
members for the wonderful moments and opportunities we have had together the
past few months and we hope the best will happen in 2005 for TLC to grow
greater partnerships.
Partnering
with the World’s Youth
Progressive
Youth Alliance Report on the Walk for Education
World Wide Nigeria
Youth are the
sustainable Future of
To
Love Children Educational Foundation International
Progressive
Youth Alliance Nigeria
Building a foundation for the future of sustainable
Education for girls in the developing world by the youth of Nigeria.
WALK FOR EDUCATION WEEK (WEW) 2004 events kicked off in
the Aba ABIA
State of Nigeria, through the organization
of Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) on Monday 15 of November 2004, with the
following activities.
1. Opening of
WEW, the opening ceremony started with a sporting get-together, Monday 15th November 2004
from 7am to 10am. Our community loves sports and
it was ideal to usher in the event with something the youths will like, and we
worked to use the sports to create awareness about other programs of the week,
inviting the youths to join us to advocate for education.
2. On the second
day, the children and youth organizations were at the community museum premises
and proceeded with the event. The school children displayed cultural dance and
other events as their school organized to make the day glaring.
3. On the third
day, at the same venue, the children read their educational speeches to the invitees
emphasizing the importance of education.
Charles Loku
Technical Consultant—Uganda
My names are
Charles Loku, born in 1978 in the peasant family of Mr. Emmanuel Korsuk and
Mrs. Anna Adulu: A family of Five Children in number; three boys and two girls.
I was born in
a country village in the district of Kayunga, located to the north of Kampala, and 90km away
from city center. My parents are of the origin of Sudan.
Dear Colleagues:
I wish to express
my appreciation and thanks to Mr. David Lubaale and friends who have showed
persistence in their support for part of my requirements as a student to date.
When Mr.
Lubaale introduced me to TLC, it was like touching the purpose of my life and I
understood that TLC is also the means for educational opportunity for the
Ugandan Child as well as and the Global Child.
TLC is a
strong family through which we are empowered and our voices heard when helping
the weaker ones in society. Each of us is gifted with different talents and abilities
as it is in any family. Therefore, we recognize this blessing and accept our
responsibilities to step up our roles and services to the attainment of our
mission and goals for uplifting the Global Child with sustainable educational
opportunities.
My Work for TLC
- Wrote a report for the
implementation of Internet and video.
- Represented TLC objectives and
goals to Fred Cisco a CISCO Fellow and took him to the formerly proposed
UARCL building site at Mengo Kampala.
- Proposed and drew up the
Renovation Plan including the building structure, and all power
requirements and LAN plans.
- Represented TLC in refurbishing
WOUGNET and SMIT (a women’s organization and a Swedish NGO) computers in
July-September 2004 through which TLC was credited and recognized.
- Currently conducting research in
Science and Technology Universities in Uganda to propose how these
Universities can adapt to sustainable based education.
- Established contacts with
professor Utsumi at Tampere
University who is founder
of GUS, an educational grid conducting long distance education. Their
mission is providing broadband educational grid and broadband access for Internet
and video to sister NGOs and universities in underprivileged countries. I
plan to create steps to establish communication
and interactions for TLC.
- Established contact with International
Telecommunications Union-Development (ITU-D), an arm of ITU, a body within
UN formed for the purpose of regulating Telecommunications, capacity
building and development and reducing the digital divide. We shall be
privileged when we establish a communication with them.
I am
optimistic that in the near future, Internet and video shall be at our disposal
for the girl child in Uganda
and the rest of Africa because we have made a
strong, firm and forthcoming foundation; however, we seek for more ways and
opportunities for the same.
Edward J.O. Rodriguez
To Love Children’s new Chief
Financial Officer
Edward
J O Rodriguez (Chief Financial Officer) has considerable background in
finance management, internal control systems design and implementation, program
administrative support, quality assurance, and US Government compliance
reviews. He had a 10˝ career with PLAN
International, a leading child-sponsorship organization, culminating as
Regional Administrator for its largest region, the Caribbean and Central America.
He was principal author and project manager of PLAN’s Field Operations
Book, International Auditor, and Regional Auditor for West
Africa. Until recently he
was Internal Auditor for US Government-funded programs of the International
Rescue Committee, a leading refugee relief organization.
Before joining the non-profit
world, Edward occupied several controllership and oversight functions, including
Head of Internal Audit of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the Philippines’ leading department
store and shopping mall operator. In Malaysia, he was Area Controller for the
Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines,
then Southeast Asia’s largest contractor.
Edward, who has lived in seven
countries and has applied experience in some 35 others, is fluent in four
languages. He has a CPA certification, a
B.Sc. in Accounting, and MBA studies from the Philippines. During any spare time he goes fishing and
scuba diving, toots the saxophone, pitches softball games, and—faithful to his
roots—collects accounting memorabilia.
A Message From The CFO
As TLC enters its third full
financial year and explores several opportunities for fiscal growth, the needs
for accountability and transparency have significantly increased. The Finance Department looks forward to
providing a key supporting role in this phase of TLC’s history.
Activities in FY 2005 will
include:
·
Partnering with executive, program, and operations staff in
defining the framework of domains or areas of TLC’s intervention in program
countries.
·
Developing financial accountability and budgeting structures in
line with these areas, which will support fund-raising efforts and grants
management.
·
With the Office of the General Counsel and legal counsels at
program countries, helping ensure compliance with US Federal government, the
State of California, and program country legal requirements.
·
Also with the Office of the General Counsel and legal counsels at
program countries, assisting in reviewing potential partnerships and working
arrangements with other organizations to ensure the protection of TLC’s
interests.
·
Implementing a basic system of expenditure and revenue recording,
and in collaboration with Country Office Management and the Director of Human
Resources, identifying a cadre of volunteers to perform accounting work at
country office level. Eventually, as
such needs grow, a multi-currency accounting system will be identified and
installed worldwide.
·
Ensuring that TLC’s assets in program and donor countries are
adequately safeguarded.
·
Laying the groundwork for written charts of accounts definitions;
finance, logistics, operations, and procurement manuals; adequate segregation
of duties; and finance staff development and training.
TLC is
grateful to Mr. Ronald T Chang, the CFO from inception to 2004, for his
services to this organization.
Financial
Development Snapshot
1,000 chicks that grew into
laying hens—
TLC micro Loan program
for sustainable development of Future Victory School—Uganda
We
honor and thank our Donors 2004
We are deeply
grateful to our investors, the Board members, volunteers and non-governmental
organizations that have helped to make 2004 an exciting year of outreach,
partnership and growth. Their unreserved support, time, resources and
contributions have been instrumental in the achievement we reached in 2004:
David
Kenneth Waldman is the Founder/President/CEO of To Love Children Educational Foundation International
Inc., a two
and a half year-old non-profit organization dedicated to educating the girl
child in the developing world to reach higher education opportunities, as well
as Rebecca House Publishing International, a children’s literature company that
will allow children to have a voice through published literature. David has
over 30 years devoted to expanding children’s horizons as an educator,
curriculum specialist, consultant, TV and radio host and producer for
children’s programming as well as author and publisher of children’s books.
David always looks to create unique learning environments in order for the girl
child in the developing world to break the cycle of poverty.
Janice Carter is Vice President of To Love Children, and as
a librarian committed to furthering educational opportunities for all, she has
followed the development of the To Love Children foundation with great
excitement. Janice is currently Head of Information Services at the
University Library, Golden Gate University, San
Francisco. She was previously in the Foreign Service
and, prior to that, worked at the Library of Congress. Janice has a B.A.
in Psychology from Cornell University, a Masters in International Relations from
the University of Southern California, and a Masters in Library Science
from the University
of Minnesota. She traveled
to China
in August 2002, with others in the Evergreen Educational Foundation, to provide
workshops for Chinese teachers and librarians on Information Literacy.
Monica Oliva has
been involved with international-related issues for over 15 years..
Monica is the former Executive Director of Airline Ambassadors International,
during which the organization quadrupled in size and delivered millions of
dollars in humanitarian aid to over 44 countries. Her passion for education of girl children
is a natural step in her commitment to significant educational global
change. As a Board of Director member of To Love Children
Educational Foundation International,
Monica will be in the forefront of
sustainable educational and economic development projects to break the cycle of
poverty for developing communities all over the world.
Randy
Taran founded Spring
Communications to develop and produce various TV and film projects of interest,
including MOW (movie of the week), docudrama and weekly series. She has
co-written "65 Roses - The Kimberly Myers Story," which has
been optioned by Hallmark Entertainment. She has also produced for corporate
clients such as Wells Fargo Bank and for the non-profit sector. Current
projects reflect the international focus of To Love Children and the expression of the universal traits
we all share.
Previously, Randy was a
children's clothing designer with her creations in major department stores and
boutiques in the US and Canada.
She holds a B.A. in Communications
and an MBA in marketing and international business from NYU. Randy is married
and very involved with her three spirited children, who also care a great deal
about how we can help shape the world and raise awareness for the good of all.
Randy is currently founding Springboard to Peace, her own NGO, to facilitate
Peace Education.
Lourdes Inga earned an MA in International
Relations from Golden Gate University, San Francisco
and her B.A. in Latin American studies at California
State University,
Hayward. She is
a member of the Grant Manager's Network and Grantmakers for Effective
Organizations. Lourdes
has been serving as Summer Camp Counselor at "Nuestra Herencia"
Peruvian Camp since 1998. She was born in Peru and speaks English and
Spanish. As a proud first-time mother, she loves spending time with her
child everyday. Previously, Lourdes worked for the
Global Fund for Women, and she now works
for the Christensen Fund as Grants Administrator.
Taryeton
Russ is working as Vice Principal
at San Francisco Unified School District
and is currently
finishing his masters degree. A loving parent and devoted husband, Taryeton is
working with schools to partner with our children around the world.
Our Mission for 2005 and
beyond
As the year 2004 comes to a close the new UNICEF report is released on
the State of the World’s Children 2005. In it we learn that the goals set as
the Millennium Development Goals embraced by the nations of the world are not
being met. The funding needed for the next 10 years, between 40 and 70 billion
dollars, pales to the amount spent by the world’s military combined in one year.
In 2003 the world spent $956 billion dollars on military spending. The world’s
children, as the report states, are under threat.
Services in education,
HIV/AIDS, nutrition, clean water, pre and post natal care, sustainable educational
development and micro-loans are still lacking for 1.9 billion children living
in the developing world. 121 million of these children are not in school, and
the majority of them are girls. The end result of these statistics is that 29,578
die every day of preventable causes. It is an outrage and a catastrophe that is
world shaking, but where is the political will?
To Love Children was created with this in
mind. Our two directions for the solution are easy: educational development
that is sustainable and provides world class materials, teachers, resources and
access to technology for all children and an advocacy
for a grassroots movement to join with the NGOs and institutions like UNICEF
that work
to not only declare human rights for children but to take action
to see them implemented.
Our task for 2005 and beyond
is to focus on To Love Children’s sustainability and to raise the funds we need for programs to reach
millions of children. We will advocate loudly through educating the public
about the facts. We believe that knowledge is power and that people need to be informed
before they are empowered to demand change from our policy leaders. The only
effective way to change the world order is to educate children about peace,
security, tolerance, democracy and respect. We need to think
critically, mindful and accepting of the consequences of our actions. We believe
that culture, languages and different ways of life need to be shared and
treasured as part of our global heritage and that the United Nations should
declare all cultures a World Heritage Site so that we take better care of
preserving ourselves as one race, the human race.
Our Next Action Steps
- Raise funds for the self
sustainability of To
Love Children. Given
that our programs are cost effective and that our people are all
volunteers, we can accomplish this goal while strengthening the model program
we began in Uganda.
- Add to the resources and create technology
centers in our Universal Resource Centers
and Library in India, Nigeria and Uganda. Open additional
centers around the world.
- Explore working in partnership with
other NGOs that share our common mission in order to pool resources,
volunteers and expertise.
- Continue training and increasing our
knowledge in the field of girl education.
- Open early child educational
development centers and conduct best appropriate practices for early child
education educators.
- Strengthen our HIV/AIDS and Peace
Programs originally started in 2004.
HIV/AIDS ANNUAL REPORT Blair Palmer/Allen Kyokugira
LIFESKILLS
APPROACH—Healthy and Safe Curriculum
- Based
on understanding that information and knowledge alone is not sufficient to
change or influence behavior.
- Can
be integrated into HIV/AIDS education programs to provide skills to
adolescents and young people to cope with peer pressure and other
challenges they face while growing up.
- Emphasizes
psycho-social skills, such as self-awareness, self-esteem and confidence,
- Assertiveness,
coping with emotions and stress, gender relations, overcoming peer
pressure, values and decision-making.
- Both AIDS
education and life skills lessons can be integrated (and recommended to be
integrated by UNAIDS) into existing
school curricula.
- Cost-effective.
- Important to
build these skills through role playing, decision-making and negotiation
techniques, and techniques to overcome peer pressure.
Blair Palmer International Public Health Director
The
HIV/AIDS team is under the supervision of the international health expert Blair
Palmer. She has written our HIV/AIDS health and safe prevention curriculum
using the Life Skill Approach. In 2005 To Love
Children will pilot our curriculum.
Allen Kyokugira from Uganda
is the TLC Director of HIV/AIDS Children’s Education and Advocacy. Allen
is working with Blair to place our program as a pilot and is to be implemented in
secondary schools and at a later point in primary schools. Plans are under
way to pilot this curriculum at the end of January 2005. The HIV/AIDS team will
be traveling to the districts of Jinja, Kamili, Mbale, Mayuge and Iganga to
carry out these activities. The team also has long-term plans to integrate care,
support and treatment of the HIV/AIDS infected and affected children in
northern Uganda.
We also believe that in the future, TLC will engage in activities that support
grandparents who have the burden of caring for the HIV/AIDS orphans in most
parts of Africa. The HIV/AIDS team is now
composed of five people that are registered as volunteers. In 2005, we will
have workshops and conferences to attend, learn from and share.. We have
a major event of launching the HIV/AIDS curriculum here in Uganda. Remember that we share the
challenges of HIV/AIDS together!
Allen Kyokugira
TLC Director HIV/AIDS Children Education and Advocacy.
To Love Children Uganda office
Dr Batwaula, nurse, Allen Kyokugira, David Kenneth Waldman
Jinja Hospital November 2004
Vicki
Karki
Director
of Global Educational Outreach Travel Opportunities Program
One
of the most important goals of To Love Children Educational Foundation International
Inc. in 2005 is to be self-sustainable so that
sole dependency on funding through grants, fundraisers and contributions will
not limit the progress of its various projects.
With the creation of Global Educational Outreach Travel Opportunities
Program GEOTOP™, a new door opened for To Love Children to generate not only additional revenue
for self-sustainability, but also volunteers and resources for its global work.
As Director of GEOTOP™, it is an
honor to work with the Founder, CEO, and President of To Love Children, David Kenneth
Waldman, in developing educational service travel programs
that will assist in fulfilling the mission of the TLC organization. A
significant portion of the revenue from each program run will go directly to
TLC projects and programs.
The
first GEOTOP™ program to Uganda,
the “Pearl of Africa,” is scheduled for September 2005, with David Kenneth Waldman as the Group Leader. Specific
program information is forthcoming. However, anyone interested in being placed
on a list for more information as it becomes available may contact To Love Children at the following e-mail address: GEOTOP@tolovechildren.org.
As the programs expand in volume and
to other countries, Group Leaders will be trained and assigned to facilitate
each country’s program. The volunteer participants in GEOTOP™ programs offer
their support through sharing services, skills, talents and/or material
resources such as school supplies, books or other approved project items. In return, the participants gain personally
through enriching experiences, new friendships and a deeper awareness and
understanding as they interact with local cultures. There will be ample
opportunities to meet with leaders in the media, government, health and
education sectors. Come and participate in a travel opportunity that will
enable you to fully engage in the country you work and donate your expertise
in. Experience travel as a ‘edu-tourist’ and help make a difference in the
educational development of children in the developing world in the coming
years.
The needs are great and urgent for
so many children around the world. GEOTOP™ is a wonderful way to fully
participate in making a sustainable educational difference in the lives of
these children. It is an opportunity to show the children that their voices
have been heard.
Membership Drive—To Love Children Goals for 2005
We
invite schools, children, women, men, teens, families and retired people
from all sectors and walks of life to become members of To Love Children
Educational Foundation International Inc.
Children
& Youth through the age of 17 years Free of charge
Schools includes all staff and children $100
minimum
Families all living in the same household $75.00
Single
individual $50.00
Business
under $1,000,000 Minimum $250.00
(includes all employees)
$1,000,001— and more Minimum $500.00
(includes all employees)
Membership
is January 1 to December 31. Members enrolling after January 31 will still pay
the entire membership fee. All members have the right to have 100% of their
membership fee donated to a specific program. Unless specified,
all monies will be used to run sustainable educational programs and
administration of those programs.
Membership
includes:
·
Free
online monthly newsletter.
·
Free
access to Global Child Journal online ($100.00 or more individual memberships receive
our Journal in print for free.
·
Attend
any workshop or program at 25% discount.
·
10%
discount to participate in GEOTOP, our travel educational outreach program to India, Uganda,
Brazil, Senegal and more destinations to be
added. (Must agree to guidelines and outreach training.)
·
Children
under 18 years of age eligible for participating in Youth Advisory Board.
·
20%
discount on all Rebecca House International children’s books and all items sold.
·
Access
to Rebecca House Online Publishing (must meet guidelines and specifications).
·
Children
are eligible for free Child Ambassador Pen Pal Program.
·
Free
access to online Health and Safe HIV/AIDS and Peace curriculum and free online
copy of our Global Village Handbook—lesson plans for home and classroom
learning.
·
Free
access and free copyright to photos of places and children around the world.
Honor Roll
Donations
All
Levels will receive the following benefits
- Name
listed on website.
- Sent
Investors Report and photos.
- Opportunity and invitation to sit on TLC committees.
- Invited
to Board of Directors social gatherings and fundraising concerts as guest
of honor.
- Opportunity for personal meetings with guest
speakers and other important supporters at TLC functions.
For Donations
over $100,000—all of the above plus naming opportunities, can accompany the
Founder/President/CEO into the field to meet dignitaries for personal thanks and
will have the opportunity to sit on Fundraising committee. For donations of
$500,000 or more, educational scholarships for girls in the developing world to
go to University will be arranged in your name.
Our mission is
“To educate girls in the developing world by
creating sustainable educational environments that enable girls to break the
cycle of poverty.”
In order to become a world-class organization,
we hold our mission and Core Purpose to the following standards:
- To ensure the inherent dignity and
inalienable rights of all girl children to education, economic freedom,
justice, health and peace.
- To
provide girls with opportunities to seek information of all kinds
regardless of technology, print, form of art or through any other media of
the child’s choice in order for the child to express her own voice.
- To
encourage international cooperation in the dissemination of educational
materials, primary source information and children’s literature from a
diversity of cultural, national and international sources.
- To
encourage and advocate for the best interests of the child through
appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures
to protect the girl child from any abuse, exploitation or denial of the
child’s right to an education.
We
seek to look at the world with determination and perseverance to make the most
efficient use of our time, resources and human capital so we may help develop
the girl child that is left behind. Our integrated programs are designed to
enhance our ability to make a difference in working through the complex issues
surrounding our ideal of enabling girls to break the cycle of poverty.
To Love Children Educational Foundation
International is poised to
grow from these early days into a future that benefits the children we serve.
To
Love Children Educational Foundation International Inc. supports the principles and articles
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, where our purpose and values
derive.
(Source: Convention on the Rights of
the Child, United Nations, September, 1990)
Listen to your Children
In commemoration of the
Children that live in fear, poverty and disease in the many Internal Displacement
Persons Camps of the world.
We raise our voice for
the voiceless and faceless children that no one hears.
Internal Displacement
Persons Camp Gulu, Uganda
I am small and
defenseless,
My cries are my language,
I am your child.
Listen to my needs.
My eyes see the world
with wonder
filled with
incomprehensible miracles.
Your love softens the
way forward.
Listen to my request
for knowledge
My heart fills with
joy as I take
my first steps towards
independence.
Your love paves the
way.
Listen to my
enthusiasm to embrace life
My hands touch the
world to make
sense of my
environment.
Your love encourages
my creativity.
Listen to my wanting
to explore and learn
My mouth learns your
native tongue,
and starts to question.
Your love begins my
learning.
Listen, my words have
meaning for feelings that lie in
my heart
My mind engages the
world,
I reach out and I
start to fly. I
create art and music,
I explore the micro and
macro of the universe.
Your love opened the
door.
Listen as I have
something to contribute
I am your child, I am
also the child
of the Universe. I am
everyone’s child.
The village’s child,
the nation’s child’s
the world’s child.
Listen to me I am a
citizen of this community,
of this great nation Uganda
and of the world.
Opportunity, Tolerance and peace,
are the doors to my
mind and heart.
Love is the return on
your investment
Listen to me I love
you.
Education is the path
to my development.
Love unlocked the
doors.
Thank you for
listening to me.
Copyright © 2004 David
Kenneth Waldman
