Zambia Orphans of Aids UK

Reception

Town Hall Oxford

28 November 2008

Chairman’s Speech

The following is an edited version of the speech given by Lord Turnbull, chairman of ZOA UK, at a pre-Christmas reception held at Oxford Town Hall at the invitation of the Lord Mayor, Susanna Pressel. Councillor Pressel has adopted ZOA as one of her charities.

“Zambia is a country which exerts a special pull on all those who have visited it or worked there. It has extraordinary natural beauty, and its people are exceptionally warm hearted and good humoured. In contrast to the brutality to the north in the Congo and the cruel oppression to the south in Zimbabwe, Zambia has remained peaceful and has maintained its commitment to democracy. It has just elected a new President in well ordered elections.

Zambia is a country which is worthy of help and one where it is possible to make a difference.

And yet at its heart is the dreadful scourge of HIV/AIDS. There is the loss of so many people in their most productive years. HIV/AIDS is no respecter of class, affecting people in villages and townships as well as the most skilled and educated.

But it is on its children that the greatest pain is inflicted, not only through the loss of parents and family, but by forfeiting the chance to gain education and life skills in a society where jobs are scarce. It is estimated that there are one million orphans in Zambia of whom 750,000 are the result of HIV/AIDS. Were that replicated in the UK, that would mean five million orphans - an unimaginable catastrophe.

But while hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in Zambia in response to HIV/AIDS, a surprisingly small proportion has been spent on children, its principal victims.

The danger we face is that this tragedy will be perpetuated in subsequent generations, leaving an underclass where many already live in poverty. That is where charities like ZOA come in. ZOA can deliver help to children in their local communities, in villages and townships, through projects which are often too small to feature on the radar of the large multinational programmes.

Through our sister organisation ZOA Zambia, a charity like us, we are able to identify a variety of opportunities to help:

  • Much of our effort is directed towards enabling children to complete their schooling in a country where uniforms, books and fees are a burden for many families. Keeping young people in school also provides a protective environment.
  • Providing a roof on a community school.
  • Giving training and skills to those about to enter the world of work. We will soon need to extend this to helping young people set up businesses.
  • Supporting income generating activities such as chicken rearing, a maize hammer mill and a press to produce cooking oil.
  • Providing social support and counselling to help young people cope with grief and also to protect young girls from exploitation and abuse.

What we can do is limited only by the resources we can raise. All these programmes can be scaled up, from helping hundreds of children to helping thousands. Our running costs are small and have, so far, been met either by donations from trustees or from sponsorship. So the money we raise is delivered to people in need.

In the 16 months to December 2007, our first reporting period, we raised £50,000. So far this year we have already exceeded that, and after this event I hope comfortably so.

In the first year most of the money was raised from generous donations by trustees and their network of friends. and from those who have signed up as members paying an annual subscription of £50 or £100.

This year we have achieved a number of firsts:

  • Our first grant from a grant making charity, Kitchen Table, which was set up by the broadcaster John Humphrys.
  • Our first sponsorship from SABMiller who have paid for the costs of printing our Annual Review. As well as being in the forefront oftackling HIV/AIDS in the workplace SABMiller also have an extensive community programme which we were able to tap into.
  • A major donation from a sponsored adventure, by Harvey Linehan who cycled 2,500km around France in 30 days and raised over £6,000.
  • A very generous donation from Mrs Potter, mother of our treasurer. She was born 90 years ago in Kasenga, near Namwala when her parents were serving as missionaries.
  • Two donations from schools, Wykeham House and Hill House, which nominated ZOA for charity events.
  • Ascholarshipfund from old girls of Chipembi School in memory of Audrey Temple.

We have also improved our website and built in a provision for making donations on line. In Zambia we have appointed a full time programme coordinator and set up an office at Mulene Mwana which is a learning and skills centre funded by ZOA US.

So how can you help us? In lots of ways:

  • By becoming a member. The regular subscriptions and the gift aid they attract give us a secure income every year.
  • Donations of whatever size you can afford.
  • Putting us in touch with people or trusts with money to donate.
  • Organising or undertaking sponsored events, however crazy.
  • Getting us onto school charity lists.
  • Collections at anniversaries or memorial services.
  • Helping to circulate our brochure to friends and colleagues.

... and many more

In Zambia a little money goes a long way. For people living on the edge of destitution we can make the difference between hunger, poverty, exploitation and a life on the streets - byhelping children complete their schooling, stay in a secure community, get a skill and a job, as well as coping with grief and loss.

So your continuing support is invaluable.”

Andrew Turnbull