Your One Wish is a UK based charity dedicated to raising funds and granting wishes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families around the world. Founded in 2015, Your One Wish is run by a small team of volunteers, using 100% of funds raised to help those in need. The charity raises donations by encouraging volunteers to take part in challenges such as the London Marathon, long-distance bike rides and mountain treks. Some of their recent local projects include the building of a sensory room in a newly built hospice ‘Noah’s Ark’ in Barnet; funding a 2-day camp for autistic children in Ealing; throwing a ‘celebration of life’ party for a seven-year-old girl who wasn’t expected to live for more than 48 hours; redecorating a paediatric treatment room; stocking the library of a local school with a host of new books, and providing medical equipment to community projects, to allow them to cater for children and young people with disabilities.During the pandemic crisis here in the UK, they have hand-delivered food to NHS staff; supplied iPads to hospitals so that patients could make calls to loved ones; distributed hundreds of laptops and tablets to children across the UK to allow them to continue with their learning from home throughout lockdown; provided supplies to food banks and co-ordinated the distribution of donated meals and supplies from generous businesses to Soup Kitchens and community hubs. Internationally, they have provided medical equipment to The One Heart Therapeutic Centre in Ethiopia, who care for severely disabled children, and they continue to send funds to them monthly to cover the cost of food, medication and bills. They have sent vital supplies to vulnerable children and families in Lebanon and Yemen, sourced oxygen concentrators and shipped them to those in desperate need in India to help with the third wave of Coronavirus, and have sponsored the education of a child from a family suffering hardship, in Mumbai.Grants Awarded to Your One Wish by One Kind Act   12 May 2023: A grant of £5000 was made through the funds raised from the Turkey and Syria earthquake emergency appeal to provide up to 20,000 meals to those affected by the earthquake disaster.13 February 2023: A grant of £5000 was made through the funds raised from the Turkey and Syria earthquake emergency appeal to deliver emergency aid of essential supplies.  16 June 2020: OKA have provided a grant of £1000 through the kind donation of CHRF to help families get through the COVID-19 crisis. 20 September 2021: Through our very successful fundraising at One Kind Act's annual flagship event, OKA Garden Summer Party 2021, we are proud to be able to have made a grant of £24,500 for their project of Rebuilding and refurbishment of a primary school in Adhi, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. These funds will allow the extension to the school through the construction of new classrooms and rebuilding existing classrooms. and provision of food, stationary, uniform and other necessary equipment to assist the children in achieving an education, in both the primary and the high school. A discretionary grant of £2,000  to provide garden furniture and a shelter for vulnerable young people leaving the social services care system in Hayes, Middlesex.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Every year, tens of thousands of young people become homeless. Sadly, council services are often unable to support more than half of the young people across the country that so desperately need a helping hand. Consequently, many are forced to sleep in overcrowded hostels, on people’s sofas or even on the streets. LandAid is the property industry charity working to end youth homelessness in the UK. It brings together remarkable businesses and individuals across the property and wider built environment industry to fulfill ESG goals through supporting projects delivering life-changing services for 16–24 year-olds experiencing homelessness. By awarding monetary grants and arranging free property expertise through their Pro Bono Programme, LandAid invests where lasting community impact can be achieved. LandAid receives no government funding. All monetary grants are generously provided through the property and wider built environment industry. This includes long term partnerships, individual donations and fundraising through LandAid’s flagship sponsored events throughout the year. The incredible support and continuing commitment from the industry enables homelessness charities across the UK to provide safe, secure accommodation within a supportive environment for young people, helping them reach their full potential and look towards a brighter future.Help One Kind Act to support the young and vulnerable homeless in the UK.Grants Awarded to LandAid by One Kind Act   October 2024: From raising funds by Prideview Group at their Cricket Cup Day 2024, a grant of £10,000 was made towards the support and provision of shelter to the homeless youth in the UK.15 August 2023: From raising funds by Prideview Group at their Cricket Cup Day 2023, a grant of £10,000 was made towards the support and provision of shelter to the homeless youth in the UK.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Light in Africa provides dignity, love, education and care for sick, disabled and children abandoned due to cultural stigma, as well as those who are unsupported in the Kilimanjaro and Manyara Regions of Tanzania. Impact1. Building of Roof for Children’s Learning Centre2. Completion of building of Children’s Learning Centre3. Install Furniture in Children’s Learning CentreUpdate - Grant(s) Provided by One Kind Act1. 3 August 2015 - A grant of £8000 was made to build the roof of the new Learning Centre.2. 22 February 2016 - A grant of £20000 was made to complete the building of the new Learning Centre.3. 16 July 2016 - A grant of £750 was made to provide furniture for the new Learning Centre.4. 13 December 2016 - A grant of £2500 was made to LIA to provide school fees for the children.5.    30 July 2018 - A grant of £3000 was made to pay for the school fees of 3 older students of LIA into further taining in nursing/social work. This was done as a result of a fantastic fundraising effort by Amin Karimi through his Crazy Bike Ride (see details on the Events page) and OKA's supplementary  pledge of monies to see the 3 girls of LIA into further education. 6.     8 August 2022 - A grant of £1000 was made for medical treatment for 20 disabled children in the care of LIA as a result of kind donation by Mehul & Miti Shah.6.     3 January 2023 - A grant of £2000 was made as result of kind donors as part of fundraising efforts for drought-hit Tanzania to help with malnourished and sick children in the care of LIA. DetailsLIGHT IN AFRICA(LIA) :  Albinos, Abuse & AIDS - The English grandmother saving Africa’s childrenIn the East Africa republic of Tanzania British, great-grandmother Lynn Gissing, known as Mama Lynn, oversees the Light In Africa NGO, running orphanages and food kitchens for children no one else wants to love. These are children who are HIV+, have suffered horrific abuse particularly Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the case of girls, are disabled or traumatized, or have been abandoned because they can no longer be cared for their parents. There are grim tales of sick children suffering terribly for the simple lack of painkillers, a five year old girl suffering from gonorrhea, the disabled being tied to trees in the wilderness and left to die, starving street kids living in a mining township under constant threat of being kidnapped into the mines, while others have a price on their heads for the color of their skins, namely the albinos....the list goes on. Mama Lynn began her mission in 1999 just two years after the passing of Mother Teresa, India’s angel of mercy for the poor, needy and unwell. Perhaps in some heavenly capacity she may have passed the torch of human charity to another believer, this time from the north of England with three children of her own. To that end Mama Lynn’s passion and compassion has saved countless lives, with an estimated 350,000 lives impacted for the better through her relentless efforts. Through her tireless efforts, she has had schools and accommodation built, food camps established and water tanks installed in remote areas where no such facilities have ever been available. On an individual basis, she has a comprehensive plan for the long term futures of these children. Each child gives a year back to the home as a staff member before leaving. In the process they learn cooking, administration, cleaning, organisational skills which hold them in good stead as they step back into the world as young adults.Even in her old age, weary and weather-beaten, Mama Lynn refuses to end her mission and retire peacefully, pushing herself to keep going for the deprived children all around her. Through sheer ignorance and inherent stigma towards Aids sufferers, albinos, the mentally or physically disabled and the like, some locals do not understand the good that she’s doing. So sadly, there have been attempts on Mama Lynn’s life at least three times from poison in a fanta bottle to being threatened to be cut up into pieces and scatter her dismembered remains in a pit. She puts unwavering faith in God and soldiers on fearlessly. Yet even with all her good work, sometimes even Mama Lynn has to face the harsh realities of life. Towards the end of 2014 she made the bitter decision to close her boys’ orphanage in the tanzanite mining town of Mererani, a heinous hotbed of criminality, due to conditions there turning it into more of a hovel than a home. Now she needs to find a new roof to house these hungry young mouths. Moreover, she relies heavily on volunteers to help at the orphanage. But with the recent fear of Ebola outbreak across Africa, she has seen a drastic fall in the number of these volunteers. Thankfully, Mama Lynn has faith and lots of it. In this God forsaken place she needs it too, an awful lot of it. But she desperately needs more help.What Is One Kind Act DoingOne Kind Act has committed to help Light in Africa both in the short and long term. As a first initiative, with the generosity of our supporters, we have sent suitcases full of shoes, shirts and books that have been delivered directly to the orphanage by a supporter in Tanzania. This is of vital necessity for children who travel enormous and difficult journeys to come to the orphanage for food, education and support. As a long-term project, One Kind Act has raised monies to finish build an urgently needed school for disabled children, those others schools cannot or will not accommodate.For more details go to:www.lightinafrica.org   Update - Progress and ReviewsUday Bhardwaj, Volunteer/Supporter at LIAToday I visited Light In Africa, a charity that supports the young, the disabled and the elderly in Tanzania.  I was carrying all the donations from OKA to give to Mama Lynn who founded the charity.  When I arrived I met two British medical students who were volunteering there for their summer holidays.  Last year LIA had almost no volunteers because of negative press about Ebola in Africa even though there hasn't been a single case in this region.  As they rely on volunteers it is good to see a few back here.  One of the good things about LIA is that other than Mama Lynn, the senior staff are all local Tanzanians (including her daughter in law) and they are as actively involved as she is.Mama Lynn came to meet me and when I presented her with the donations she was overwhelmed.  She said she thanked god that good people would send her these gifts for the children in her care. The staff and the volunteers immediately put on some of the OKA shirts that had been sent and posed for a photo with Mama Lynn.  I was told the shoes were very welcome because the children grew so fast and it was very hard to supply them all with decent footwear.  The shirts would be ideal for the school uniforms of the older kids.In the photo above there is one man amongst all the women and his name is Rushima.  He is one of the original children that LIA supported through primary and secondary school and then college.  He returned to give back to LIA what they gave to him and is working there.  he has made a short video about his experiences which I shall pass on to OKA.We had lunch together and she told me that she had well over 200 children at Tudor Village, the main part of LIA's property.  There is a smaller girls home in the mining town of Mirerani and also a food kitchen there to feed hundreds of poor children.  I did not visit Mirerani but took a tour of the Tudor House area.  First Mama Lynn took me to see the classroom and dormitory they were building as a facility for diasabled children that were not able to attend regular school.  OKA have offered to help with the roof and I have a copy of the quote from a local builder which is Tshs22,302,000.After this we toured the lavender fields and planned butterfly farm.  These facilities are intended to provide employment for the disabled children once they finish schooling as they have no career prospects and LIA are trying to find some means of giving them a future.As most of the kids were at school I was only able to meet those who were either too young or too handicapped to be sent to school.  At Happy House I met the youngest kids here that range from 11 months to 6 years (they start school at 7 here).  The kids were indeed happy and smiling and all sang me a welcome song.  They were so keen to be noticed and wanted a hug or to hold my hand which was very touching to see.  Able bodied and handicapped kids are mixed here as long as the handicapped kids do not require special needs assistance.In one of the Gallery photos of young girls standing at a doorway, a young albino girl can be seen hiding on the right hand side behind the doorway.  She is a sweet but nervous and shy young girl with a sad story.  Witch doctors in Tanzania decided that albino body parts would make powerful spells that would make them rich "like white people" and the younger the albino the more powerful the spells.  So Tanzania has seen a huge increase in the abduction and murder of albinos, especially children.  This young girl's mother tried to hide her but a local gang broke into the house one night.  The little girl luckily had been trained from a young age to crawl into a secret hiding space dug under the bed and she managed to get into it. She could hear her mother being tortured to reveal her whereabouts but managed to remain hidden until the men left.  Her mother smuggled her out the next day and brought her to LIA where she is given round the clock protection.  It may not be safe to send her to school.  At the time of the attack she was only 2 years old but has been traumatised by her experience and still hides behind the other children. After this we went to visit the house for the more special needs kids.  These are kids with cerebral palsy, terminal illnesses severe handicaps etc that are made as comfortable as possible. The three children on the left all have severe cerebral palsy but now are well looked after. The little girl on the right, whose mother had died giving birth to her, had been beaten and starved by her family from birth.  Her bones are so brittle that they break if you try to pick her up.  Her leg was broken in two places, arm fractured and she was severely malnourished. Tied to a tree and left to die she was lucky to be found by LIA staff and now is receiving the medical care and the attention she needs.  She lay there in silence and when Mama Lynn hugged her the little girl had tears in her eyes, not because she was in pain but because she had never experienced human contact that was not violent before.Finally Mama Lynn and I discussed future plans for LIA.  Other than the butterfly farm, lavender fields and facilities for the handicapped kids, LIA is also planning on promoting tourist visits by creating residential facilities and organising tours of Masai villages.  These tourists are also welcome to volunteer and help out.Having met the kids and seen the good work that LIA does, I am very happy to be helping them in any way I can and hope OKA will support them in the future.Update - Progress and Reviews - 14 March 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAGood evening gentlemen.  I pray everything is going well for One Kind Act and Alisha is progressing well.  Thought you would like an update on how we are progressing with the Learning Center.The children are now taking lessons in their make-shift store, and all appears well with their studies and new teacher.Kind regards Mama LynnUpdate - Progress and Reviews - 01 April 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAHi Amit, some of the desks have arrived and the children are already in class using them...Thank you so much for making there lives so much easier.   To try to raise some funds Amit to keep us going until after Xmas I am going on a 3,000 kilometer trip along the old caraven and slaving route here in Tanzania.  It is the route that Henry Morton Stanley took on his epic journey to find Dr. Livingstone. Just to make the journey that more interesting I shall be making the journey in a bajaji a three wheeled vehicle that has arrived from India into Tanzania.This week we should have all the details up on our website, we are hoping to place all the names of all the people who are willing to support this fundraiser for our children on the site.  If you have any friends Amit who would be interesting in this project, I would be deeply grateful... I do pray Aisha and her family are keeping well.  Warmest wishes, Mama LynnUpdate - Progress and Reviews -  29 November 2016Mama Lynn, Founder of LIADear committee members of One Kind Act, on behalf of the staff and children of Light in Africa I would like to express our most grateful assistance that you have given to us by donating funds to help our most 'vulnerable' of children'I have learnt today that we shall receive a 'most welcome' gift of £2.500/= over the Xmas period,  This most gracious of gifts is especially welcomed at this time of year as after our festivities of ensuring our children receive some new clothes to wear on Christmas Day when our very large family all come together to celebrate Christmas plus a bag of sweets and a gift, we are then straight into January where here in Tanzania no child can return to education unless all the fee's are paid upto Easter,  With over 120 children in the education system who all need new school uniforms etc., this is always a 'drain' on our finances and sometimes it is actually February before we have all the children back in school.Once again, we thank ONE KIND ACT for helping us to help the children no-body else wants to help, Bless you all, and we wish you all A VERY HAPPY XMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR.   Mama Lynn - Founder of Light in Africa Children's Homes - Tanzania - East Africa.  29/11/16Update - Progress and Reviews -  31 January 2017Mama Lynn, Founder of LIAThank God the start of this New Year is proving to be far better than the end of last year.   Firstly as I write this email it's raining!!!!   That is fantastic news for us here at Tudor as the water in the river that we are able to use to water our lavender plants etc has been dry now for 7 weeks, and animals are dying by the roadside, giraffes and zebra's have migrated just down the road from us searching for food, so our prayers have been answered today with this downpour.   I might have to remove the lavender and start again but this time I will know that Lavender works!!!I am planning a further trip which I hope will help us until June when guests arrive again.     Through the eyes of a maasai worrior.On the 14th March I shall attempt to travel anti-clockwise around all the surrounding countries of Tanzania.   Kenya, Uganda, Rawanda, Burindi, Congo, Zambia,  Malawi, Mozambique by all different means of transport, starting from Tudor Village on a motorbike!    Yes I do know I'm a crazy women!....  When I did the old caravan route in a tuktuk, and my driver was a man who had never been further than 80 miles from him home, it was such a delight to watch him take on this new experience of talking with different tribal people like the go-go tribe whom he had only heard of.  So through his eyes I saw his mind expand with trying different foods and experiencing different things like seeing the Indian Ocean for the very first time, and sitting by Lake Singida.  So I thought "what would happen if you took a maasai moran worrior and allow him to experience his tribal routes with different tribes?   So on the 14th March I am taking Richard whom I have known for fifteen years and who is building our maasai encampment for the tourism, with me and my trusted bodyguard Julias and we shall be going around the country.  Can you imagine how Richard will feel when he sees the small fixed wing airplane which is a short hop to Lake Victoria... or sleeping two nights on a ship as we travel all the way down Lake Tanganyika, or sitting on a train?   I shall hopefully have video clips of the journey which we shall post, the only difference on this trip is that I won't be taking Lassie the dog with me.So there you have it my dear friend,  a complete update.Bless you and your family and your team for caring about us.  Mungu Akurbiriki. Lynn   About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Sierre Leone is one of the poorest nations of the world, with thousands of people living in slums. UK based charity, Home Leone, has initiated its pilot “Destiny” village, a community-led relocation plan, enabling over 2,000 people to be relocated into a new community that provides jobs, education, low cost homes, social infrastructure, utilities, vocational training and health facilities.  Grants Awarded to Home Leone by One Kind Act   17 February 2021: A grant of £4750 was made to build a pilot prototype of a 2=storey low-cost housing. 23 February 2020: As a result of One Kind Act’s very successful fund-raising effort at the Child of Mine Ball held in December 2019, a grant of £21,735 has been made to 1) build two new classrooms for secondary pupils (£21,000) and 2) purchase 15 tablets for the children's IT learning (£765)Nov 2018-June 2019: As a result of funds raised by Shanta Foundation and OKA in September 2018 in aid of Home Leone, the following grants have been made towards building new homes and meeting various operational costs that were seen to be vital for Home Leone to continue in its success. This totals a FULL AMOUNT OF £162,500 RAISED BY SHANTA FOUNDATION AND ONE KIND ACT.  15th November 2018: £20,000 24th December 2018: £30,000 28th February 2019: £41,250 16th April 2019: £33,000 21st May 2019: £24,75025th June 2019: £13,500  24th September 2017: A grant of £35,180 was made to commence and complete the building of a block of 8 homes, enabling around 40 people to start a new life at Destiny Village. About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Healing Little Hearts (HLH) is a registered charity set up to send specialist medical teams internationally from all over the UK to perform life-saving operations on babies and children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Each team stays for one week, donating their time for free, and operates on between 10-12 children per trip. They also train junior doctors and nurses in children’s heart care with the eventual aim of helping the centres to become more self-sustaining.  ImpactA grant of £6000 will fund a medical camp to various parts of the world where there is urgent need for intervention to save the lives of children with congenital heat disease.  The funds will be used to support the travel, accommodation and organisational costs for sending a team of medical experts to deliver free medical care to paediatric patients with congenital heart disease who require corrective surgery.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  14th August 2018A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to the West Bank, Palestine from 23rd-30th September 2018.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  4th November 2017A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to Sibiu, Romania from 4th-11th November 2017. Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   23rd September 2017A grant of £6000 was made to fund the medical camp to Kelantan, Malaysia from 23rd-30th September 2017. DetailsThe Leicester based charity, Healing Little Hearts (HLH), was established in 2007 to address the unmet medical need in the treatment of congenital heart surgery in India. Each camp in India and beyond is supported volunteer medical and nursing team (every 6-8 weeks) and costs approximately £6000 per camp. The reach of the HLH team has extended beyond India having now worked in Malaysia, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania, with ongoing planning in other countries. In 2016 alone, 21 camps and 281 operations were conducted to ensure that children received deserving care and to initiate local capability to become self-sufficient. Over the last 10 years HLH has operated on 1093 children with heart defectsThe Malaysian camp in Kelantan will be the 10th camp undertaken this year. HLH is one of the most prolific children’s heart charities in the world and as time has gone on its role and function has evolved into 4 main areas1. Sending entire team of doctors and nurses to selected Hospitals who already have the basic infrastructure for and are keen on developing a heart service for children. HLH would go to such hospitals 3-4 times per year. 2. A smaller team of Children's specialists who specialise in the post-operative care or post- surgery care visit Hospitals where there are Surgeons capable of operating safely on children but there aren't the required Intensive Care Specialists. There is a huge dearth of training in the developed world for post-operative care. Good post-operative care literally makes the difference between life and death for those patients3. Guidance and advice on capacity building i.e how to build Heart Units from scratch4. Collaboration with other similar NGOs who are short staffed. Recently an HLH ICU nurse went to Muhimbili Hospital, Tanzania to work with an Australian team as they were short of an ICU nurseAs a result of many many people donating their time for free, there are virtually NO administration costs and all the donated money is spent on sending teams of doctors and nurses to perform heart surgery for children. Healing Little Hearts are pleased to announce that the forthcoming camp in Kelantan, Malaysia from 23-30th September is being wholly supported by the London based charity One Kind Act. HLH and OKA share the same vision and aspiration to ensure that as many sick children receive the care they deserve and to build sustainable models of care in areas that have been under-served or riddled with inequality.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Educate for Life (EFL) aims to help the tribal Adivasi community in Rajasthan who are often seen as backward, facing bias and suppression. Infant mortality is high; the entire community lives under the poverty line and government services are scarce. Grants Awarded to EFL by One Kind Act   12th July 2021: One Kind Act feel immense gratitude towards our very loyal and supportive Sponsors - Calcott Services for Children – who have recently risen to their call on social responsibility and made very generous donations to Causes we support. One such Cause is Education for Life. Their donation of £5,000 will provide support for their annual teacher training budget of paying for the salaries of teaching staff, providing child learning aids eg Tablets and participating in community engagement. 26th November 2018: A grant of £10,000 was made to support three important ongoing projects in 2019; their teacher training, the secondary education of some of Hunar Ghar graduates and the school's meals programme. 24th September 2017: A grant of £9376 was made to support 16 Hunar Ghar students to study further at secondary schools. A further grant of £5805 was made to support the professional development of 27 teachers to teach at Hunar Ghar.  21st December 2016: A grant of £7500 was made towards the expansion of the kitchen service infrastructure.  The school currently serves both breakfast and lunch to over 400 students, a food service that has increased nine-fold since the kitchen was first designed and built. A grant of £7,500 would help towards the expansion and upgrade of the school's kitchen infrastructure which, by 2021, will enable the school to serve up to 350,000 meals a year.24th November 2016:  A grant of £6,760 was made to ensure that a class of 25 children are able to attend school for a year. It will cover their school uniform, books, stationery, all their learning resources and a nutritious daily meal. It will enable them to take part in class trips, excursions and workshops as part of our holistic approach to education. All pupils will also receive all their vaccinations and regular health checks. Our funding will also cover their teacher’s salary and their training and professional development.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Nearly 240 million Indians in around 18,000 villages currently do not have access to any form of electricity. Headquartered in Mumbai, Project Chirag, currently implements solar lighting projects in rural areas across 7 states in India to address this very problem. Impact4th November 2018Diwali is the festival of lights.And this Diwali, One Kind Act has partnered with Project Chirag to bring in Diwali cheer to 16 villages in Palghar district, Maharashtra in a very different way.Yes, these are the "dark" villages where there is no access to power.When Project Chirag provides its solar energy solutions to these villages, villagers would be able to walk around after dusk without fearing a scorpion or snake bite.And women would be able to cook, without inhaling noxious smoke.And children will be able to study after sunset and transform their future. And play around in open spaces without fearing bites.They can do the things we take for granted.This November and December we are ensuring that Diwali -the festival of Lights never ends for these villagers.And every supporter (or donor) who has helped us can feel the warm glow of satisfaction that comes when you bring light into the lives of people.Thank you for joining us in our mission of Spreading Light, transforming lives!A grant of £9100 would provide for 2 solar streetlights for 16 villages – 32 streetlights Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   28th October 2018A grant of £9100 was made to provide 2 solar lamps to 16 villages in the Palghar district, Maharashtra16th October 2017 A grant of £5,600 would provide 2 solar lamps to each of 150 households in a rural village of Barmer (the third largest district in Rajasthan, occupying over 28,000 square kilometres and the most backward of this colourful state) who have absolutely no access to electricity and use kerosene that is detrimental to their health and gives poor quality light.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   16th October 2017A grant of £5,600 was made to provide 2 solar lamps to each of 150 households in a rural village of Barmer, Rajasthan.DetailsTo gain a deeper understanding into the challenges and problems faced by rural India due to lack of electricity, Project Chirag has carried out a detailed assessment of the same across villages. Based on the assessment carried out, it has been concluded that the lack of access to light has a 360-degree impact on the lives of rural India. The following points indicate the need for the project:HealthKerosene lamps, used by villagers for light emit high levels of carbon dioxide causing air pollution higher than WHO guidelines. The inhalation of these toxic gases is detrimental to the health of the rural population.Due to inadequate light, villagers end up consuming several small insects and flies which result in villagers suffering from illnesses. Problems due to kerosene usageVillagers buy around 5-6 litres of kerosene per month for lighting kerosene lamps. The kerosene is to be available to them at a subsidized rate of Rs. 10 – Rs.14 per litre through Government’s Public Distribution System, but due to leakages in the system, they are forced to buy it at an increased price of Rs. 40-50 per litre. Thereby, every rural household spends a significant amount of their annual income on kerosene.Kerosene lamps presently used by villagers emit poor quality of light. Hence, one kerosene lamp is not enough to light up the entire home, keeping parts of the home in darkness. There is existing danger of burning kerosene lamps overturning and drinking of stored kerosene by children. This has even been responsible for deaths in some cases.EducationThe lack of electricity and light and the high costs of kerosene enable most households to afford only one lamp. This lamp is used for cooking and other basic household chores. Thus, students are unable to study post sunset, which in turn impacts academic results.Lack of social securityDue to the lack of light, venturing out of the house becomes a challenge for villagers. There have been innumerable instances of snake bites owing to villagers encountering and stamping on snakes in the dark.Farmers are unable to prevent wild boars and stray cattle from encroaching fields during the night due the inability to survey these fields in the dark. This is results in a loss of agricultural productivity.There have been several instances of women being sexually abused when they move out in the darkness post sunset for sanitation or other reasons.LivelihoodLack of light results in the loss of productive working hours as the villagers are forced to stop work and return home at dusk.Shopkeepers find it difficult to cater to customer requirements after sunset due to lack of adequate lighting in the shop.Mobile phoneVillagers often must travel several kilometres to a nearby village that may have electricity to charge their phones. Further they pay anywhere between Rs.5-10 every 3-4 days to charge their phones. OUR SOLUTIONOur team has conducted assessments to understand what type of solutions work best in remote villages without electricity. Several leading practitioners have been consulted as a part of the process and technology solutions have been devised. After due consultation, it was decided to provide 2 solar lights to each rural household which has no access to any form of electricity by the Government. We have hereby listed several considerations in our decision to do so:UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY NEEDSEach rural household in India has an average of 5-7 family members. There are several out of-home activities like catering to sanitation requirements, collection of water early in the morning or late evening, surveying agricultural fields after dark or reaching out to medical facilities in case of health emergencies. To carry out these activities, members of the home carry a light along with them. If a single solar light is provided to each house, the house tends to return to a state of darkness the moment a member steps out for any one of these activities. A QUALITATIVE APPROACHAfter understanding the community needs, Project Chirag with its vision to provide ‘Light for all’, decided to adopt a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach. It was decided to provide two solar lights instead of just one, so that when a member of the rural home left for out of home chores the house continued to remain illuminated. In doing so, Project Chirag feels that it will be successful in lighting up not only a life but an entire household.PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONProject Chirag provides each rural household with 2 solar lights powered by solar panels - one is a larger solar light which is used for indoor household activities and the second one is a portable solar lantern which can be used by villagers both indoors and outdoors. One of the solar lights has the provision of an in-built mobile charging facility which enables villagers to charge their mobile phones. Careful technical due-diligence is carried out on all products that we use across the country to meet highest standards of quality benchmarks for our beneficiaries to ensure long term impact.PROJECT IMPACTThe solar lights provided have a 360-degree impact on the lives of the beneficiaries. We believe that it is not just a physical light that we are providing these villagers, but a spark which will put into motion an entire socio-economic revolution in the villages.ENERGY ACCESS: Sustainable source of reliable lighting throughout the yearEDUCATION: Children would be able to study post sunset and achieve better grades and resultsENVIRONMENT: Impact on environment due to lack of emission of CO2 which is emitted by Kerosene LanternsLIVELIHOOD: Farmers can survey their fields at night and prevent economic damage to their crops by cattle intrusion. Shopkeepers can keep their shops open for longer into the night and earn additional income.HOUSEHOLD CHORES: Women can cook fresh food post sunset which otherwise was not possibleHEALTH: Villagers do not need to consume the smoke from kerosene lanterns thus impacting their healthcare.KEROSENE USAGE: Complete reduction in usage of kerosene which is not only expensive, but also has poor light qualityOUTDOOR MOBILITY: Villagers can now move out of their houses post sunset for various purposesSOCIAL SECURITY: Women would have a sense of social security when they move out with lights post eveningMOBILE CHARGING: Villagers do not need to travel to far-away places to charge their mobile phones and do the same at home.ADDITIONAL WORK HOURS: Productive working hours created at night which can be used for income generating activities.THE AREABarmer is the third largest district in Rajasthan, occupying over 28,000 square kilometres, and the most backward of this colourful state. Located in the western part of Rajasthan, the majority of the district has vast sand covered tract that stretches for miles on end and forms part of the Thar Desert sharing a border with Pakistan to the west. The region is known for its dryness, extreme temperatures, and erratic rainfall. Most of the population at a striking 93%, are rural inhabitants, majority of which live below the poverty line with only 53.6% of these families have electricity access. Life for these families is a struggle; agriculture which is the main source of livelihood in rural India is an unattractive proposition due to the frequent droughts that plague the area, the inhospitable terrain, and the lack of irrigation facilities. With no industry around, the only sources of livelihood are animal husbandry, the traditional craft of patchwork and mirror embroidery practiced by the women of the area. OUR PARTNERS & BENEFICIARIESOur partner organization aims at working towards the empowerment of women artisans, the beneficiaries of our solar lights, through the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Traditional techniques of Applique’s & patchwork are used to develop the products, as per the demands of the urban market. They set up a network of artisans through the formation of SHGs. These artisans are trained and equipped in developing high quality products. The organization also has an in-house workshop for training and skill development of artisans and new design development. The profits earned are used in community development work.PROJECT BUDGETCompletely off-Grid VillagesVillages that have absolutely no connection to the electricity grid and use kerosene as their main source of lighting. Cost of providing a Solar home lighting system (2 solar lights per household with mobile charger) is just over £30 per home.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Millions of children across India do not have access to shelter, education or healthcare, so, how can they have dreams? The Big Hug Foundation are working to change this by ensuring every child understands their rights and is given the opportunity to dream. They work with organisations across India to empower underprivileged children through education, giving them a head-start in life and the opportunity to achieve their dreams.ImpactA grant of £12,300 for The Early Intervention Clinic will provide early screening and intervention for infants (ages 0 -2) affected by Cerebral Palsy and other motor-neurone difficulties (expected to benefit 269 users) in Kolkata, India.Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   22 December 2018A grant of £12,300 was made as funding to help The Early Intervention Clinic as above.       Details PurposeDespite a steady improvement in the quality of prenatal care over the last two decades, instances of severe disabilities remain high in newborns throughout India. We work with our local partner, the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy to care for the needs of infants at high risk of cerebral palsy and other motor-neurone diseases. Through the Early Intervention Clinic an early diagnosis is given and offers affected children the best possible care, support and therapy. The clinic offers relief to local hospitals and health centres, providing diagnosis for many at-risk infants, where early intervention is key. Many of the families referred to the clinic live in slums, below the poverty line, and without access to basic medical care and treatment. The free support and therapy provided by the Early Intervention Clinic truly is a lifeline to these vulnerable children.Expected outcomeThe service the Early Intervention Clinic provides includes medical assistance, physical and occupational therapy and assistive technology devices. The clinic also provides advice and guidance on home management offering a trans-disciplinary team of therapists, special educators and social workers to affected families.

The Early Intervention Clinic is split into three key areas – all vital in providing the best possible infant care:• Paediatric Clinic: Two paediatricians conduct weekly clinics, performing thorough check-ups through to diagnosis.• Neurology Clinic: Conducted by a neurologist twice a month, more than 100 children are referred for treatment of epilepsy. Anti-convulsion medication is provided free of charge to the children from low income families.• Speech Clinic: A Consultant Speech Therapist and Audiologist conduct this clinic every week. Children are screened for possible hearing difficulties and rehabilitation programmes are advised. All infants below the age of three who attend the Early Intervention Clinic are routinely checked for any hearing abnormalities.About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here

Via Ninos, in Quito, Equador target certain areas of the city whose children are most vulnerable to abuse and squalor by raising awareness amongst the children’s parents of the importance of education and health, and strengthen skills and aptitudes through participation in UBECI’s playgroups.  ImpactA grant will fund one of their out-reach workers to help provide educational activities to vulnerable street children to build them a brighter future.  Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act    30 November 2019A grant of £1240 was made from funds raised at the Latino Party to help support the salaries of social workers working with the street children of Equador.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act   9 July 2018A grant of £6590 was made to employ one outreach worker for the third year.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  13 May 2017A grant of £5900 was made to employ one outreach worker for the second year of our two year pledge.   Update - Grant Provided by One Kind Act  14 April 2016A grant of £5148 was made to employ one outreach worker for the first year  of our two year pledge.DetailsIn Quito, Ecuador, poverty struck parents working in open air markets are forced to take their children with them.  The children as young as two accompany their market vendor parents from 4am for 12-hour days.  The days are hard and monotonous and can be a harsh and dangerous environment for the young children.  They face aggression, abuse, boredom, neglect, poor health, malnutrition, lack of education and discrimination that impedes their chances of a healthy productive life.Via Ninos aims to improve the lives of these street children by supporting educational and training programmes, offering social and psychological care, health care and where necessary accommodation. Outreach workers are employed to go into the market places and work closely with the children as well as their families to address prevalent issues like poor mental and physical health, behavioural difficulties, social problems and low self esteem.The aim is to break the cycle of poverty, exploitation and abuse to create better futures for the children and their families. This means less time, if any, working and more time either in school, studying or undertaking other activities beneficial to their wellbeing and development.Update - Progress and ReviewsNelly (name has been changed) is 12 years old and currently attending secondary school. Her dream is to become a singer when she finishes school. She lives with her grandmother and younger sister. Her parents both have problems with drug addiction and have therefore never taken care of their daughters. Nelly’s grandmother sells vegetables in the market from 3 in the morning until 8 at night. She is an elderly woman but she is very motivated and loves her granddaughters so she struggles day in day out to bring money home to cover their basic living costs.How has UBECI (United to Benefit Ecuadorian Children, International (project funded by Via Ninos) 9VIA) helped Nelly?  Nelly first got involved with UBECI 10 years ago. She had very low self-esteem due to the situation with her parents. Initially she was very timid and cried all the time. Part of what UBECI did for her was to offer her the care and affection which she never got from her parents. Little by little she started letting go of her pain and gaining confidence until she was able to smile and play with other children. Now she is an adolescent, she has ups and downs with regard to her self-esteem, because she still finds it difficult to accept the sad reality of her parents’ drug addiction. On one occasion, as a cry for help to her grandmother, she threatened to kill herself. Nelly currently sees a professional psychologist who is helping her deal with the trauma. It has been a long process but with positive results. UBECI’s work with Nelly has been to mentor and support her in her education as well as her social development.Over the years that UBECI has been working with Nelly, they can identify a number of achievements: she is attending secondary school, she wants to progress and develop and she is in a much better state of emotional health. UBECI continues to work with Nelly. About One Kind ActOne Kind Act Change Communities and lives of others globally who suffer as a result of Poverty of Health, Nutrition and Education and may have Fallen Through The Net of the larger charities. Learn More here