Recipients of the 2008 STARS Impact Awards Announced

The STARS Foundation is pleased to announce the three recipients of the 2008 STARS Impact Awards. The organisations from Kenya, Somaliland and Tanzania were selected for making a demonstrable difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and each will receive US$100,000 of unrestricted funding as well as consultancy support.

The prestigious awards, of which Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan is patron, are given by the STARS Foundation, a London-based charitable foundation which works to improve the lives of disadvantaged children around the world. 

The Awards recognise one recipient in each category of health, education and protection and the recipients are selected against a range of criteria which reflect the hallmarks of effective practice and demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of the children supported.

Muna Wehbe, Chief Executive of the STARS Foundation said, “The STARS Foundation is delighted to announce the 2008 recipients. This year’s recipients share a commitment to good practice in their approach to working with children and show a strong focus on innovation and flexibility in addressing children’s needs with some truly inspiring results.” 

This year’s recipients are:

HEALTH AWARD: Hargeisa-based Disability Action Network (DAN), selected for its innovative approach to ensuring that disabled children have access to medical and therapeutic rehabilitation services and are fully integrated into Somaliland society, in order to reduce the economic and social impact of their impairment as well as their vulnerability to poverty.

EDUCATION AWARD: Nairobi-based Slums Information Development & Resource Centres (SIDAREC), selected for its innovative approach to improving the welfare of children and youth in slum communities through its provision of early childhood education, recreation centres and health services, with a goal to enable them to raise their standards of living and improve their community.

PROTECTION AWARD: Moshi-based Mkombozi, selected for its holistic approach to stemming the tide of Tanzania’s street children by providing housing, education, research, advocacy, and outreach for vulnerable children and youth, aimed at ending their abuse and neglect and ensuring their dignity and rights.

There was a very large response to the invitation to apply for the Awards, with a total of 150 applications received from 25 countries across Africa, of which just six organisations were selected as finalists. 

NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information about the STARS Foundation and Impact Awards please visit: www.starsfoundation.org.uk

STARS is governed by an international Board of Trustees chaired by its Founder, His Excellency Amr A. Al Dabbagh. STARS is grateful for the continued guidance of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Patron of the STARS Impact Awards, and of Former President Bill Clinton.

In 2007, organisations from Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa became the first ever recipients of the STARS Impact Awards.

The 2007 STARS Impact Award Recipients were:

• The Health Award recipient, Harare-based Island Hospice Zimbabwe, was selected for its work with child carers who are increasingly being relied upon to care for dying parents and who may themselves be infected with HIV/AIDS.

• The Education Award recipient, Iringa-based Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW) Tanzania, was selected for its work with young people to provide peer to peer sexual reproductive health education in remote rural communities.

• The Protection Award recipient, CapeTown-based RAPCAN (Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) was selected for its provision of support and care for children required to give evidence in court of sexual abuse.