Cecily's Fund Christmas Newsletter 2016

Christmas Newsletter

2016

The Gift of Education Secure a child's future - help us reach our £20,000 Christmas Challenge target!

2 | Cecily’s Fund

Welcome to Our Christmas Newsletter About and Contact | Cecily’s Fund is registered charity 1071660.

Our

work

makes

education possible for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia.

Email admin@cecilysfund.org Phone 01993 358 089 / 186 Post Ground Floor, 6 Church Green, Witney, Oxon, OX28 4AW 2016 has once again been an extremely busy year for Cecily’s Fund, with highlights including a special supporters’ trip to Zambia, plenty of wonderful fundraising efforts, and a successful Cecily’s Day in early September.

Our final newsletter of the year is equally packed. Not only does it represent the

Giving Tuesday 2016 |

launch of our 2016 Christmas Challenge, but it also contains a host of interesting features including two interviews, an extensive update on our programmes in Zambia and more details on our 20th anniversary celebrations to come in 2017.

As ever, we thank you for your ongoing support and hope you have an excellent Christmas and that you will be able to help with our latest fundraising efforts.

Giving Tuesday is a special day of giving, an antidote to the chaos of Christmas shopping! We hope that this year, you’ll think of Cecily’s

SAVE THE DATES

Fund and donate to our Christmas

2016 Christmas Challenge

Cecily’s Day 2017

December 1 - 14 2016

September 2 2017

Challenge on this year’s Giving Tuesday - November 29.

Find out more about the day at www.givingtuesday.org.uk

In this issue 2016 Cecily’s Fund Christmas Challenge

3

Programmes Update

4

Supporter Focus #6: Tonie Quantrell

6

Partner Interview: Linda

7

Facebook

Towards 20: Preparing to Celebrate 20 Years of Cecily’s Fund

8

cecilys.fund

Social | Keep up with us on Twitter, and

YouTube

at

/

cecilysfund and on Instagram at

Christmas Newsletter 2016 | 3

Christmas Challenge 2016!

How to Donate | There are a number of ways you can donate to the 2016Christmas

It’s almost time for our 2016 Christmas Challenge! There are many reasons why our end-of-year appeal is important, and many easy and

Challenge, help us reach our target

fun ways to support it.

of £20,000:

With your support, Cecily’s Fund has continued to have a tremendous impact

1) Donate Online

on orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia this year. But there is always

Visit bit.ly/donatetocf to make a single or monthly donation using our secure online facility.

2) By Cheque Cheques should be made payable to Cecily’s Fund and posted to us

more for us to do.

Children in the communities we work with continue to face huge challenges along the road to education and independence. Once again, this year we’re aiming to raise £20,000 to drive our work into next year and to continue making a difference. 

poorest families. A donation of £5 is enough to support our vital

using the address on page 2.

3) By Phone

feeding programme at BISO Community School. 

talk you through a card donation.

4) Use Our Donation Form You’ll find enclosed a donation

For just £50, we can help pay the school fees for one child for one year - far beyond the reach of many families.

Just give us a call using one of the numbers on page 2 and we can

Zambia’s economy is growing, but food security is a real issue for the



HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse all threaten the potential of young people in Zambia; but for just £75 we can train a Peer Educator who can provide the guidance and skills children need to stay healthy and reach their true potential.

form which you can use to make a

This Christmas, please support our Challenge so that we can raise the funds

one-off or regular gift.

we need to continue breaking the cycle of poverty - into 2017 and beyond.

5) Visit Our Online Shop Purchases of Christmas cards (see back page) or of our Gifts of Hope count towards our target.

“If it wasn't for Cecily’s Fund, I wouldn’t be educated,” says John, 18. Now an intern for our partner Afya Mzuri, his plan for the future is to study medicine.

4 | Cecily’s Fund

2016: A Year of Changing Lives 2015 Annual Review In 2016, together with our partner organisations and with support from our

Available Now |

donors, Cecily’s Fund has continued working to change young lives in Zambia.

Our 2015 annual review is

Together, we’re enabling children to access education, supporting them to

now available to download

succeed at school, and preparing them for life beyond school: and crucially,

from our website. It contains

we’re also strengthening communities so that they can sustainably provide

a

support for children in the future.

messages from our Chair and

In this newsletter, we take a look at some of our programmes - both new and

Director, and inspiring stories

continuing - and examine how they fit into the wider context of our work to change lives in Zambia.

The need for our work remains very real - but so is our impact. By donating to

financial

summary,

of what we achieved in 2015.

Visit www.cecilysfund.org to download your copy today!

our Christmas Challenge or, in 2017, our 20th Anniversary appeal, you can help us to give the poorest and most vulnerable children we support a better future.

Preparing Children for Life Beyond School | Fresh Start Through Fresh Start, we’ve given young people the skills and support they need to create their own businesses and build a life for themselves.

Fresh Start training provided by Cecily’s Fund gave talented artist Isaac the skills he needed to turn his art into a business and a chance to make a living for himself and help support him into university. Now, he sells his impressive pictures each week. "People do buy them as I have learned a lot in Fresh Start”, Isaac says.

“Fresh Start taught me how to have a brand and run a business."

We urgently need your support to continue this programme: a donation of just £50 is enough to provide a Fresh Start grant.

Isaac with one of his artworks

Preparing Children for Life Beyond School | Alumni Association The Cecily’s Fund alumni association is a very significant development in our work over the pat year. Named “Twibukishe Cecily”, or “Remembering Cecily”, it is a way of bringing young people who have been supported by Cecily’s Fund together.

The group helps provide peer education, psycho-social support, training, internship opportunities and vital networking. It is also beginning to fundraise on its own terms: during their trip to Zambia in July of this year, a group of supporters helped alumni run a special car wash which generated not just funds, but important local and national fundraising, too.

Alumni association car wash, July 2016

Christmas Newsletter 2016 | 5

Strengthening Community Support for Children’s Education | GROW

Groups Christine Chomba has benefited from one of our new initiatives in 2016: a series of community savings schemes called GROW groups.

By enabling community members to save and borrow small amounts of money with the support of their peers, GROW groups are having a transformative effect on the ability to create small income generating activities and support orphaned and vulnerable children into school by saving for school fees. “I would be embarrassed to walk into a bank with 10 kwacha”, says one member, “but this scheme allows me to save small amounts each week.” Together with five others, GROW member Christine

Christine saved and borrowed enough money to buy 60 chicks: now, they have

pictured in July 2016

over 220 chicks and the beginnings of a successful business.

Supporting Children to Succeed at School | Sunshine Clubs Sunshine Clubs are based in the heart of communities and provide a wide variety of activities to help orphans and vulnerable children make new connections and learn new skills. To date, 7 Clubs have been established, each supported by two Sunshine Leaders - former Peer Educators given additional training for this new role.

Sunshine Clubs are also creating new opportunities for communities to generate income and create sustainable livelihoods - these include onion farming, chicken rearing and selling jewellery. Young people who are both in school and out of Children on a new onion

school are welcomed, with the former receiving help with their homework from

farm, September 2016

Cecily’s Fund alumni as part of our commitment to helping children perform well at school.

Thank You to Our 2016 Fundraisers!

In 2016, we’ve once again been lucky enough to have a number of our supporters take on sponsored events for Cecily’s Fund. In addition to those people who have completed events as part of our 20th Anniversary celebrations (see back page), we’ve also had another wonderful team take on the British 10K London Run (pictured); Anstice Oakeshott running the Hackney Half Marathon; Peter Clifton completing the Minchinhampton 10K; and of course Sarah Richards facing the London Marathon for the second time. In total, sponsored event events have raised over £12,100 for Cecily’s Fund this year - thank you!

6 | Cecily’s

Supporter Focus #6: Tonie Quantrell A long-time supporter of Cecily’s Fund, Tonie Quantrell visited Zambia as part of our

“The help provided by

supporters’ trip in July 2016. For our latest

Cecily’s Fund is truly

supporter interview, we learn how Tonie first

needed, appreciated and

became involved with Cecily’s Fund, how she has raised money and what visiting Zambia

so worthwhile. “

to see our work meant to her.

CF: How did you first become involved with Cecily’s Fund?

When I heard that Basil and Alison had founded Cecily’s Fund in her memory to continue the work Cecily had been involved with helping AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia, I was determined to support the Fund. I wanted to keep the memory of Cecily alive and having lived in Africa and seen for myself the hopelessness of the many disadvantaged children there, I was determined to give these children a chance to access education and with education, the hope of a better future.

Initially I donated regularly and bought Cecily’s Fund gift cards. However in

Tonie with her family and friends at the conclusion of their walk in 2005 - one of her earliest fundraising efforts

2005, to celebrate my 60th birthday, I decided to walk the Camino from Roncevalles on the edge of the Spanish Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostella.

12 of us, my 3 sons, daughter in law, sisters and brother in law, and friends walked the Camino for two weeks, and apart from some blisters and black toe nails, it was a most wonderful, exhilarating and spiritual journey and I was delighted we raised over £5,000 for Cecily’s Fund. Since then I have supported opera events, concerts, a Carol Service and other functions organised by Cecily’s Fund.

CF: How would you describe your trip to Zambia?

I was blown away by what I saw there. The input by the Fund’s Zambian partners is very impressive. They work closely with the schools where Cecily’s Fund supports orphans and vulnerable children, as well as supervising peer health educators who are recruited from school leavers, organising courses in entrepreneurship for school leavers and facilitating community projects for the orphans’ carers. We visited schools, homes of orphans supported by the Fund and everywhere I felt a real sense of pride that the Fund was making such a difference to so many; the young orphan going to school, correctly dressed in uniform with clean black shoes, to the school leavers taking on the role of peer health educators and the Cecily’s Fund supported Alumni, forming their first Alumni Association and organising their own fund raising event in order that they too could raise funds for other orphans, mindful of how they had been helped all those years ago by Cecily’s Fund. The help provided by Cecily’s Fund is truly needed, appreciated and so worthwhile.

Tonie’s 20th Anniversary Fundraising | Since returning from her trip to Zambia, Tonie has redoubled her fundraising efforts for Cecily’s Fund.

A keen golfer, she’s asking her friends to think of our work when they buy new golf shoes. Just as their right footwear is essential for the course, school

shoes

are

mandatory

for

children in Zambia. Asking her friends to donate the cost of a pair of shoes to Cecily’s Fund is just one of Tonie’s fundraising ideas - she’s also running a collection jar and is asking friends to add £1 each week.

“I am hopeful”, Tonie says, “in a year’s time I will have hit my target of £2000.”

Christmas Newsletter 2016 | 7

Partner Interview: Linda What’s New in the Cecily’s Fund Online Shop | If you’ve visited our online shop recently, you may have noticed some exciting changes - not only is our 2016 Christmas card now available to order, we’ve also relaunched our Gifts of Hope!

Our latest Christmas card was kindly

designed

by

Jonathan

Quarterman and is available in packs of six for just £3.

Christmas card

In this instalment of our series of interviews with staff of our partner organisations, we speak to Linda Malukutu. Linda works as Community Mobilization Officer for our partner Afya Mzuri, having stepped into this role after the very sad loss of Gift Shanyinde earlier this year. Here, Linda explains her role and hopes for the future.

CF: Can you describe your role and responsibilities?

I lead the implementation of all Cecily’s Fund-supported educational, care and support programmes for orphaned and vulnerable children on the Copperbelt - including Connecting Communities. I help to build the relationships and trust between children, their guardians, ward committees,

Gifts of Hope

schools and other stakeholders. I also help manage the database of supported children, undertake household visits, and identify children in need of support.

Our new Gifts of Hope have been

CF: What is your favourite part of the role?

extensively

come

My favourite part is visiting the children support, because this is the heart of

with orange envelopes, and start

the project where the real issues affecting the children are unveiled. It’s a

from just £5. Every one helps us

situation that that cannot be told but rather must be witnessed. Then, I enjoy

make a tremendous impact in

seeing the children we’ve identified enrolled into school - marking the

Zambia.

beginning of their great journey.

Remember: all purchases of cards

CF: What are your hopes for the future of children in Zambia?

re-designed,

and Gifts of Hope will contribute towards our Christmas Challenge 2016!

Find out more and place an order today at:

http://bit.ly/cecilysfundshop

My hope for the future of the children we support is that they can attain their education - not just the basic education, but higher education. I hope that they attain the degrees that will enable them to really excel and be able to affect their communities positively.

I hope also that we may have a young generation that is self-reliant and birthing new entrepreneurial ideas and businesses. In hope that they may live healthy lifestyles that result in a realization of their many dreams.

8 | Cecily’s Fund

Towards 20!

Keep

up

to

date

with

everything to do with our 20th Anniversary

campaign,

including our fundraising total, on our website at http://bit.ly/ cftowards20

1998

2016

We're building up towards something very special - the year-long celebration of our 20th anniversary in 2017.

Over two decades, Cecily's Fund has changed thousands of young lives in Zambia. We've paid school fees for children, provided crucial health information, and helped young people secure a better future for themselves and their families. It's an incredible legacy - and in recent years, we've taken things to the next level, winning support from the UK government, Comic Relief, and even USAID.

It’s Already Begun! |

We’ve achieved a great deal together, but there’s still work to be done. In

Thanks to some fantastic fundraisers

Zambia, children continue to face huge obstacles that keep them from acquiring an education and living a good, self-sufficient life. With our two decades of experience and strong links in Zambia, we’re uniquely placed to help children overcome these challenges: but we need your continued support. In 2017, help us raise £20,000 for our 20th Anniversary campaign – enough to help send 400 children to school!

we’ve already begun working towards our £20,000 target for 2017. Here’s what some of you have been doing - if you’re as inspired by them as we are, please

consider

doing

something

brilliant to fundraise for us!

Cecily’s sister Verity and Tim CookeHurle both completed the first ever Swim Serpentine in September. A one -mile swim in London’s iconic Hyde Park, it was organised by the minds behind the London Marathon. Together

What Could You Do? There’s a whole host of ways to help us reach our target, from a simple donation to running your own special event. Whatever you do, any funds you raise will contribute towards our £20,000 target and help make a real impact in Zambia. What’s more, we’re here to help. We’ll be sharing fundraising tips and support your fundraising every step of the way with stories on our website and posts on social media. All you need to do is get in touch to let us know what you’re doing – and we can hit our £20,000 target together!

they’ve raised over £2,000.

Kate Williams (pictured) took on the world in the ITU World Triathlon Championships

in Mexico, also in

September. While she was disappointed with her time, she should be delighted with her fundraising almost £1,000!

- she’s raised