STARS Foundation - Supporting health, education and protection services

12 April 2012 – International Street Child Day

Bryony — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:13:12 +0000

In recognition of 12 April as the International Day for Street Children STARS showcased some of its Impact Award recipients who are advocating for and supporting street children in their regions.

Meet Raju to find out how Child Welfare Scheme Nepal (CWSN) helped him get off the streets and reunite with his mother and meet Rajesh CWSN’s little entrepreneur.

Find out how Stepping Stones Nigeria Child Empowerment Foundation (SSNCEF), an exceptional organisation working in Nigeria, has rescued abused street children following accusations of witchcraft. Meet Favour and Udo.

Read about the projects SSNCEF’s are running in an attempt to challenge deeply entrenched beliefs. The Hope Alive Street Outreach Project and School Essay Competition Project.

Meet Monsura and find out how Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID), an outstanding organisation working in Bangladesh, are helping her to leave street begging behind.

Meet Janet and find out how the Wema Centre have helped her turn her life around.

Click to read the UNHCHR’s January 2012 report on street children.

7 April 2012 – World Health Day

Bryony — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:24:12 +0000

7 April 2012 marked this years World Health Day. To celebrate all the amazing work being done, and to highlight the constant need for affordable, accessable and readily available health care, STARS will be showcasing some of its Health Impact Award Recipients.

Read Ashok’s story and find out how Child Welfare Scheme Nepal helped to make a difference to his life.

Bwindi’s Waiting Mother’s Hostel – The Story of Turyakira

Meet Meshack and read about the work of Action in the Community Environment (ACE) and their work to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural communities.

Meet Chandra and read her story in her own words.

22 March 2012 – World Water Day

Bryony — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:01:42 +0000

While many of us take safe water for granted, there are still over 700 million people worldwide without access to clean drinking water. According to the United Nations, each person needs 20-50 litres of safe freshwater a day to ensure their basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning. More than one in six people worldwide don’t have access to this amount of safe freshwater. Globally, diarrhoea is a leading cause of illness and death, and 88 per cent of diarrhoeal deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and unsafe drinking water. UNICEF further reports that a child born in Europe or the United States is 520 times less likely to die from diarrhoeal disease than an infant in sub-Saharan Africa, where only 36 per cent of the population can access clean, safe water and hygienic sanitary conditions.

To celebrate World Water Day 2012 STARS showcased some of its previous Impact Award recipients who have a particular focus on water, sanitation and hygiene. Read about S.A.F.E., Bwindi Community Hospital and Restless Develoment Nepal and how they are helping to improve access to clean water in their communities.

8 March 2012 – International Women’s Day

Bryony — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:00:42 +0000

Thursday 8th March was International Women’s Day and to mark the occasion STARS showcased some of its previous Impact Award recipients who have a particular focus on women and girls.

Sense International India, our 2009 Asia/Pacific Education recipient work with deafblind children and young people to ensure that their needs are understood and are being met. Read more about their work and learn the truly inspiring story of Hansa, a young woman who has overcome many challenges thanks to the support of Sense International India.

Manav Seva Sansthan, our 2010 Asia/Pacific Protection recipient our working to prevent the trafficking of women and girls across the India-Nepal border.

Mums for Mums, our 2009 Africa/Middle East Protection recipient who are tackling the root causes of poverty within their communtiy by training young women so that they have the skills they need to break the cycle of poverty for both themselves and their families.

Meet Sumi and Mahmuda

Bryony — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:48:44 +0000

Sumi and Mahmuda both live in Bangladesh and both suffer from debilitating disabilities. Read their stories and find out how an amazing local organisation has helped to support them.

Click here to read Sumi’s story.

Click here to read Mahmuda’s story.

Meet Sumi

Bryony — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:48:30 +0000

Sumi is 12 years old. At the age of just 3 Sumi lost both her legs in a train accident due to living in such close proximity to the railway tracks in Tejgaon. When she was a child her mother walked out on her and her family to marry another man. Today, thanks to CSID’s on-going support, Sumi has the chance to go to school. Sumi now lives with her father and her grandmother and helps them with housework and takes care of her little brother. She recently participated in a wheelchair race and won, which she feels very proud of.

Meet Mahmuda

Bryony — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:48:19 +0000

Mahmuda is just nine years old. She lives next to the railway tracks of Tejgaon with her mother. From a very young age Mahmuda has suffered from a hearing impairment. She has also been involved in a tragic train accident and has lost a limb as a result. On the day of her accident, Mahmuda was playing with other children on the train tracks and did not hear the train coming. Alarmed by the severity of Mahmuda’s accident and feeling powerless, her mother called one of CSID’s field staff for help. Mahmuda was then immediately taken to hospital. CSID has since provided her with a wheelchair and has enrolled her in an inclusive pre-school so she has the opportunity to learn and play with other children her age, in a friendly and supportive environment.

Sense International (India) – Film Update

Bryony — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:58:57 +0000

Catch up with our 2009 Asia Education Impact Award recipient, Sense International (India), and find out how the STARS Impact Award helped them to continue to provide excellent services to children.

STARS’ 2011 Impact Award Films

Bryony — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:27:52 +0000

Click the links below to watch the films of our 2011 Impact Award Recipients.

Bwindi Community Hospital Africa-Middle East, Health Award Amazing footage of health care provision in one of the most inaccessible regions of Uganda. Click here to watch the Bwindi Community Hospital film.

Wema Centre Africa-Middle East, Protection Award Providing street children of Mombasa, Kenya with a second chance at life. Click here to watch the Wema Centre film.

arepp:Theatre for Life Africa-Middle East, Education Award See how innovative theatre productions are educating South African children and young people on issues such as HIV, self-image and domestic abuse. Click here to watch the arepp:Theatre for Life film.

Restless Development Nepal Asia-Pacific, Health Award Working alongside the most marginalised communities in Nepal to improve access to clean water and provide health education in schools. Click here to watch the Restless Developmet Nepal film.

Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) Asia-Pacfic, Education Award Inspirational clips of how Bangladesh’s poorest communities triumph over disability. Click here to watch the CSID film.

Nepal GoodWeave Foundation Asia-Pacific, Protection Award See its holistic approach to tackling child labour in Nepal’s carpet industry, focusing on the prevention of child labourers and their rehabilitation. Click here to watch the Nepal GoodWeave Foundation film.

Bwindi Community Hospital Film

Bryony — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:27:28 +0000