AS4AK Australian Sponsorship 4 African Kids
All donations over $2 are tax deductible
Welcome to AS4AK
Australian Sponsorship 4 African Kids (AS4AK)
Greetings – From the Chair
Welcome to the AS4AK website. You will find interesting information about the organisation, its governance and its activities here. Since its formation in March 2007, I am pleased that the charity continues to fulfill its goal of raising money for underprivileged African children.
Our primary purpose is providing financial support to Nana’s House, a day centre in Chorkor, Ghana that is administered and staffed by NGO BASICS International. Without Nana’s House, children would be on the streets and the beaches unable to escape the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, child labour, and teenage pregnancy. Also, for many of the 100 children that visit daily, this is the only opportunity to have a hot nutritional meal.
With the education, health training and skills training they receive at Nana’s House, before and after school, they are able to turn their lives around. They receive assistance with their homework and private tutoring. They also participate in extracurricular activities including computer training, sewing, music and dance, cooking, art, poetry, sports, drama and filmmaking.
AS4AK does not have any overheads or operational costs, apart from the unavoidable bank fees and insurance premiums. The Board members all volunteer our time and services. So, it is most gratifying that every dollar raised is applied directly for the benefit of the children at Nana’s House.
Our fundraising activities include an annual film night, but we are fortunate to receive generous donations from corporate sponsors. If you are interested in being a sponsor or donating, please contact us.
I look forward to your continued support in 2023 and beyond.
Maria Panagiotidis
Chair
MOVIE FUNDRAISER SUCCESS IN 2020!
In March 2020 AS4AK was very fortunate to hold a fabulous movie fundraiser just one week before the Covid restrictions
were enforced.
About 320 guests joined the members of the Board at The Piccadilly Cinema to watch a special screening of the drama “Military Wives”.
The patrons then enjoyed a sumptuous supper and raffle draw and we are pleased to announce we raised $9,834 from this event together with related generous donations.
AS4AK would like to thank all guests for their patronage and all donors for their wonderful support.
LATEST NEWS
We were very fortunate to have Pat Wilkins, the founder of Basics International in Ghana, and Scott O’Halloran, the Australian Ambassador of Basics, join us in Adelaide in March 2019 to share with the board news of their wonderful work in Accra, Ghana.
Update from Nana's House
On 26 June 2017 BASICS board member, Jess O'Farrell, attended the AS4AK Board meeting. She gave a presentation to the Board and detailed the recent work being done at Nana's House, as well as showing some interesting footage of the facility and the many students who use it.
Jess, who is based in Melbourne is also the PR & Marketing Manager for BASICS, so she was able to offer some practical advice to the Board on marketing strategies. To assist us, she is going to make some videos that can be shown to potential corporate sponsors and others to help continue with raising much needed funds.
The Board is grateful to Jess for the time and effort she has put in to helping AS4AK.
"About AS4AK" Download
Please see our About AS4AK page to view an updated PDF on our details.
Generosity
Rostrevor College
AS4AK Board member Dorinda Hafner attended the Rostrevor College Junior Campus in late 2016 to receive a donation of $551.20 from school captain Cameron Tunno. The presentation was made at a special assembly held under the watchful eye of the Director of the Junior Campus, Geoff Aufderheide.
To raise the money Cameron had visited every classroom and spoken about AS4AK and the work of Nana’s program. He encouraged the young boys to donate by talking about the very poor and exploited children in Ghana who as a result of the safe house now have a chance of a better life through education.
The funds raised were a record for the Junior Campus and are intended to be used to purchase a mobile computer for use at Nana’s House.
Cameron had recently come into a bit of luck and had won a small hand-held computer. He generously donated that to the children of Nana’s House too.
On 11 January 2017 in Chokor, the SA President of the Ghana Association, Emmanuel Ashong, presented the children at Nana’s house with the funds raised, the computer and some biros donated by Leader Computers Pty Ltd.
Giving at Christmas
Instead of buying Christmas presents for each other, the members of the Martens family of North Adelaide put that money together and donated $400 to the Ghana Relief Fund.
We are very grateful to the Martens family and others who donate in this way. Why not follow their example this Christmas? Your kind donations make such a difference to the poor children at Nana’s House.
Australian Sponsorship 4 African Kids (AS4AK)
This sponsorship Fund was initiated in 2006 by the irrepressible Television Chef, noted Food Anthropologist, Author and Public Speaker, Dorinda Hafner, in memory of her mother, Awula Elizabeth Naa Lamiley Bannerman-Addy, a life-long champion of children, especially the underprivileged.
Australian Sponsorship 4 African Kids is a sponsorship fund which will continue to raise money for the advancement of kids in need in not only Ghana, West Africa, but eventually, projects all over Africa, and those that Elizabeth Bannerman-Addy's vision and passion would be proud to support.
As a humble beginning, in 2006 AS4AK first raised money for the children at VisionPort International School founded by the proprietor, Joy Addy and situated at the family home at Mamprobi, Accra in Ghana, West Africa.
In 2007 AS4AK's work in Ghana continued with support for another local and equally worthwhile children's centre - BASICS, headed by Ms. Pat Wilkins. Announcements of further AS4AK activities will be made soon. Please return often to find out more about what we are doing and soon we will be able to let you know what you can do if you would like to participate.
It takes one to help
"AKWAABA"
Video courtesy of Scott O'Halloran, BASICS Ambassador
On a very warm November day we recently held our annual AKWAABA (meaning ‘welcome’ in the Ashanti language from Ghana) fundraising garden party in the grounds of Dulwich House.
The owners, Viv and Florence Padman, very generously made their beautiful garden available to us from the hours of 10am to 4pm and our patrons were able to enjoy garden tours conducted throughout the day by historians Wendy Joyner and Cas Middlemis.
Highlights of the day included sumptuous cooking demonstrations by the vivacious founder of the charity Dorinda Hafner, a superb performance by the African Children’s Choir, Devonshire teas and bustling local market produce and craft stalls. We raised $10,920 for the disadvantaged children of Ghana.
Once again we thank our generous sponsors and volunteers who made the day such an outstanding success.
Click on image to enlarge