giving comes from the heart, not the pocket
Current Projects
Kibera Slums project
We are currently involved with a school project run by The Brothers of St Charles Lwanga in Kibera, Nairobi. Due to the recent political turmoil and unrest in the area, we were unable to visit and work at the project in Dec/Jan 2008. However, we acknowledge that they need us now, more than ever, and we are dedicated to bringing them the funds and supplies that were promised. Our current activities include raising much needed funds for rebuilding certain areas of the school, to implement change in Jan 2009.
In addition, you can sponsor one of the following:
- textbooks
- stationary
- a teacher
- water
- food for a month
- sanitary pads for the young women
- we are also looking for sponsors of specific classrooms for desks, chairs and blackboards.
If you would like to volunteer at this project, please send us an email requesting more information.
Brydges Young Mothers
please see "Economic Empowerment"
Timely Resources Youth Education on HIV/Aids
please see "HIV/Aids and Healthcare"
Donate now
If you wish to donate to our organisation, or to any of our specific projects on the ground, please contact us on our email adresses under "contact us".
Thank you so much for your interest!
Events
Cocktails for Humanity
To raise money for an HIV/Aids education centre in Machakos District, Kenya. Two volunteers from Handprints will be joining the Kenyan youth group in travelling the rural district educating young and old people about HIV/Aids, sexual health and peace and conflict in their society. In the wake of political violence that Kenya has recently experienced, we will also be setting up workshops in internally-displaced people's camps, where sexual violence is rife, and HIV/Aids on the rise. Funds raised will go into resources including educational equipment and fuel to reach the projects.
Please see the letter below from the project manager to see his views and appreciation.
Date: 21 June 2008
Address: Knoll house, 23 Weinholt Street, Sherwood
Come along to celebrate the end of exams in style
Cost: $20 gets you free cocktail + 2 drinks and yummy food all night
RSVP: sarah@handprintsforhumanity.org or join the facebook group "Cocktails for Humanity"
Letter from Peter Mutundu, on the ground project co-ordinator for Timely Resources, the education group.
Dear Sarah,
Many Thanks indeed for writing back and updating with the latest
developments Handprints for humanity is doing and hoping to do soon. To be
sincere I was exited to find you email. Thank you for having the time to
write back.
I really encourage you take the course on HIV/AIDS since its one of the
most focused and relevant issue at hand not only in Kenya but in Africa in
general. That's very nice of you.
Since the sign of the grand coalition government after the disputed last
years election we have been really active in secondary schools giving talks
beside our program peace and reconciliation and counseling the Internally
Displaced People (IDPs) who need our services. There are so many cases of
sexual harassment in the camps and behaviors that can lead to HIV infection.
To our relieve the government is now planning to start settling them.
It's really encouraging to know you are doing something for us to help us
carry out our program activities without much financial strain. At the
moment things are really hard every thing has gone up after the violence
especially fuel which has made our traveling to schools 'a bad night mare'
given that we have no sponsor. Your support shall play a big role in taking
our services to the people and will be highly appreciated. The schools are
opening this 6th May 2008 after a months holiday break Please let me know
what you think about this and your suggestion.
Have a fabulous time pass my regards to your friends and supporters we will be happy to have you
and travel around once you come (Karibuni Sana) 'welcome so much' hoping to
meet you in dec.
Regards,
Peter M. Mutundu
Timely Resources.
Contact us
sarah@handprintsforhumanity.org
or
courtney@handprintsforhumanity.org
mailbox:
PO BOX 5383
West End
Queensland
Australia
4101
Healthcare
Approximately 25 million people in Africa have HIV/Aids and 2.5 million more contract it each year in Africa alone. This has resulted in more than 12 million children being orphaned. We believe that something should be done, and that something can be done.
In line with our aim of realistic goals, we aim to focus on the people on the grassroots levels, those directly affected by the Aids epidemic in Africa.
We have 2 different areas under this heading of HIV/Aids and healthcare:
1. Awareness and education: sending out groups of volunteers and youth to educate people about Aids and healthy living, aimed at the prevention of STI's and HIV. Many people contract the disease for reasons that can be avoided, if only they had the knowedge to do so.
2. Healthcare: providing resources to people to keep them fit and healthy whilst living with the disease and other diseases (medical treatment). This includes education about healthy lifestyle factors in terms of behaviours and attitudes. These are seen to have the capacity to prevent onset of symptoms (in the case of Aids) or prolong lifetime expectancy.
From an ecological perspective, we aim to address the interdependence between people and their environments when addressing health issues. We acknowledge there is a strong interaction between people and the socio-environmental context in which they live. Herein lies the idea of reciprocal causation, and through work in the other initiatives of our organisation, we have the ability to address the problem through a multidimensional approach. For example, economic empowerment can make a person more likely to engage in protective health behaviours suh as wearing condoms and drinking clean water, because they value their life and have the necessary resources to do so. In terms of education, having the knowledge to engage in these behaviours provides an opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty, and in turn influencing those around them (such as family and friends) to do the same.
Economic Empowerment
Handprints for Humanity aims to provide people with the opportunity to be self-sufficient and sustainable. We believe they deserve a right to make their ideas and dreams a reality. We do this through the idea of micro-finance, an idea discovered by Muhammad Gameen, a Bangladeshi economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
Gameen's idea was to get a group of people together (for example, four) and unite them with a common business idea. A loan would then be supplied to them which they would use to start up their business, and then, once they have begun to make profits, would begin to pay back the loan, an agreed percentage each. All members are accountable to each other, and so if one member doesn't Publish Postpay back their loan, the other three are responsible for it. In this way the idea is sustainable and provides motivation for donors to sponsor groups, because they know their money is being used effectively. The money paid back by the group will then be used in another area of the donor's choice.
We have many different areas in which we can economically empower people, and the micro finance facility on this site is currently being developed.
Brydges Young Mothers
This is a project outside of Ngong Slums in the Rift Valley Province. Young abandoned women who have been marginalised by society for various reasons, including rape, forced prositution and HIV/Aids come to this shelter in receive food for themselves and their child. Our aim is to provide funding to teachers who can teach them skills training in various trades, so that they may attain self efficacy. Such training include:
- soap making
- jewelery making
- cooking
- reading and writing
- psychological counselling
- any ideas they might com up with
In addition, we aim to provide day care for their children whilst their mothers receive an education. In the future we hope to provide pre-schooling for these children, until they are old enough to attend primary school.
By donating $30, you can feed a mother and her baby for a month.
Educational Support
“Elimu haina mwisho.” - Learning never ends.
(Swahili Proverb)
Handprints for Humanity believes that education and knowledge is a human right and is ultimately necessary to end poverty. In developed nations, we have the option to go to school. Handprints simply wants to offer this choice to those who don’t currently have this luxury of choice. Please see the Sponsor page to see our children sponsorship opportunities.
What we do
Handprints for Humanity is a fundraising organisation dedicated to establishing relationships and contacts between organisations in Australia and projects in developing countries.
We focus on supporting projects that are legitimate, accountable, realistic, sustainable and eco-friendly. concentrates on four of we deem to be the most important areas of concern in the developing world:
- Educational support
- HIV/Aids awareness and protection
- Economical empowerment
- Rural and Slum development
We currently support projects in
Who we are
Sarah Louise Knoll
Sarah was born in South Africa, and grew up in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Before moving to Australia, she discovered a great passion for working in underpriviledged communities. Since then she has worked in various places, including an Aids orphanage in Johannesburg, and a refugee school in Brisbane, Australia. In December 2005 she took a volunteer trip to Kenya, East Africa. There she fell in love with the people, the culture and the children, and decided that she would devote her life to creating change where it was truly needed, and where there was a desire to make life better. She is currently undertaking her honours in Psychology at the University of Queensland. Her plans for the future are to do further post grad study in Peace and conflict resolution and community development as well as continue to grow and expand Handprints and travel the world finding new places for projects.
“Africa is in my blood, it will always be a part of me. I love the people, the land and the many cultures, I know I will continue to visit and work there for the rest of my life”.
sarah@handprintsforhumanity.org
Courtney Goes
After graduating from high school, Courtney worked for six months to fund an 18-month journey around the world. During this year and a half, Courtney explored 17 countries in 5 different continents, with one of them being
"I loved
courtney@handprintsforhumanity.org
Mission statement
Handprints is dedicated to the human rights of people living in poverty.
We aim to fulfil the goals of
Sustainability
Every project which is supported by Handprints for Humanity will fulfil the criteria of being sustainable. There should be foreseeable advantages for the future by actions taken now, and these advantages should be seen to benefit both the sponsor and the recipient.
Accountability & Transparency
Handprints for Humanity takes responsibility for funds raised, and the appropriate allocation of those funds, with the best interests of sponsors and recipients in mind.
Realistic Goals
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