Starfish Greathearts Foundation
http://www.starfishcharity.org
Starfish Greathearts Foundation is an international development charity, aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in South Africa, who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.
Starfish is the response of a global community of people on a passionate quest to change perspectives, beliefs and ultimately outcomes for the growing number of orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa.
Starfish seeks to inspire individuals around the world to take positive action against the tragedy of children orphaned or made vulnerable by this crisis. In the last five years, thousands of people across the globe have embraced the Starfish vision, contributing to the community-based care that we're now providing for over 34,000 children in South Africa.
Starfish mission
AIDS is South Africa's single biggest killer and by 2010 it may prove fatal for as many as 7 million people. This will leave an estimated 1.7 million children orphaned by AIDS and thousands of others vulnerable as their family units disintegrate.
More than 90% of these children will not have HIV. They will have the potential to grow up and contribute to South African society. If these orphaned and vulnerable children are not cared for, nurtured and educated, they will become a lost generation.
Our goal is to build a global community of individuals and their institutions who, through their time, talents and resources, aim to secure the future of these children. We hope to achieve this by building the capacity of community-based organisations across South Africa to meet the basic needs of children in their own communities.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we believe that everyone can make a very real difference to the lives of these children, helping them - one child at a time.
Starfish History
In 2001, an estimated 4.7 million South Africans were living with HIV. The number of children under the age of 15, who had been orphaned by AIDS, had increased tenfold within five years to 662,000 (UNAIDS).
Sitting in a London coffee shop in May of that year, a group of young South Africans began to harness the power of a single idea: each one of us can make a difference in the lives of the orphaned and vulnerable children of South Africa. The concept is one simply expressed in Loren Eisely's story 'The Star Thrower' and has become the inspiration behind the growing Starfish movement.
A succession of events followed culminating in the UK launch of Starfish at the South African High Commission in London in December 2001. The charity was officially launched in its home country on Freedom Day 2002.
Gcinasapho Rural Outreach Programme was the first beneficiary, receiving £2,500 to feed 500 children.
We've now got growing teams in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as volunteer chapters in both the United States and Canada. Starfish has made a significant impact in 98 communities across eight out of South Africa's nine provinces, working through 61 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs). Over 28,000 children are now being supported by Starfish.
The intention is to ultimately extend our support throughout sub-Saharan Africa in years to come. However, the first priority is to scale up our response to reach many more children in South Africa...
Anyone, anywhere can make a difference - join us today!
Starfish projects
One of the long-term legacies of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is the many children, who are left orphaned and vulnerable when their parents have gone. In fact, according to a recent ASSA* report, more than 450 children are orphaned each day in South Africa. As their family units disintegrate, these children have little hope for the future.
Starfish works with partners at grassroots level to bring life, hope and opportunity to these children ensuring that they are not members of a lost generation, but are given the opportunity to grow up to become contributing members of South Africa's society.
The African continent is the only place in the world where the HIV prevalence rate continues to rise. By 2010, it is estimated that approximately 3 million children will be orphaned in South Africa alone** and Starfish recognises the need to scale up its response to this ongoing crisis.
Starfish is making a significant impact in 109 communities across eight of South Africa's nine provinces, working through 81 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We are working in partnership to provide various services including home visits, counselling, access to education and social grants. We are currently providing care and support for more than 34,000 children.
However with the growing pandemic, this is simply not enough and we need your help to reach many, many more.