RFFA's third annual meeting was held on 13 June 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Rotary International Convention and provided an update on progress and a call for action going forward.
Founder Marion Bunch reported on the organization's signature projects: ANCHOR (Africa Network for Children Orphaned and at Risk) and ORPHAN RESCUE (a way for Rotarians and non-Rotarians to securely help an orphaned child in Africa get emergency relief and get back into school). .....
The ANCHOR partnership is operational with HOPE worldwide providing its Best Practice AIDS Program, RFFA providing volunteer Rotarian support at ANCHOR sites, Coca Cola/Africa assisting with seed funding and marketing, Emory University School of Public Health providing monitoring and evaluation and the US Government providing funding. RFFA helped obtain a $8.1 million grant from the US Government for the care and support of 146,000 orphans and children at risk in six African countries.
RFFA has developed and trained a Rotarian organization structure in the six countries: Alex Govender, D9320 - South Africa & Lesotho, Tony Jordan, D9120 - Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eric Krystall, D9200 - Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, Reg Loo, D9250 - Botswana, part of Mozambique, part of South Africa, Swaziland, Hans Ludolph, D9300 - South Africa, Olu Olowu, D9110 - Nigeria, and Abroulaye Fofana, Cote d'lvoire.
Additional work is underway to attract more partners and funding sources - specifically, we are exploring work with the Canadian government, matching grants, Soul of Africa and the Gates Foundation.
RFFA's second signature project is ORPHAN RESCUE. For a $450 donation, Rotarians and non-Rotarians can support an orphan child in Africa for one year. Donations to date total $30,000 (US), enough to support over 60 orphans. Of each $450 donated, fully 90% ($405) goes directly to the children with the remaining 10% defraying RFFA and Hope worldwide expenses.
In closing the meeting, Marion focused on what needs to be accomplished during the coming year: a need for more RFFA members, a need for Country Chairs to mobilize Rotarians into action in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a need for Zone/District Representatives to drive RFFA Membership and the need for an experience Grant Writer who will help in the search for funding.
