Executive Director Greg Matthei:  South Africa has an unemployment rate of at least 40%.  In some rural areas the unemployment rate can be up to 70%.  Unemployment leads to idle time which can lead to crime and many other social ills including major health problems such as HIV/Aids.  Four out of every ten pregnant women have contracted the disease and will most likely infect their unborn baby.  Many children are orphaned— abandoned by parents dying of this dreaded disease.

     In my opinion, education and job creation is a priority.  People are empowered through knowledge which opens the door to future educational advancement, job opportunities and a creative environment by which productive businesses are born.  Our Government is trying its best, but present need is far too great for them to make a sizable dent in the unemployment crisis alone.  However, through donations of concerned individuals, foundations, and non-government organizations (such as AFRICA, Inc.), educational programs and scholarships can and are being funded and job opportunities created. 

     Lack of adequate education and income also inevitably lead to inadequate sanitation and housing.  Approximately half of South Africa’s population reside in found-item shacks in shanty towns without infrastructure for general sanitation, under bridges and overpasses, or in open fields along busy highways.

     I believe education is foundational toward eradicating rampant unemployment, crime, many diseases, and housing needs in South Africa.   With the help of AFRICA, Inc., we are working to provide Community Centers that will offer classes designed to provide additional education and career training needed to insure a greater degree of success for those seeking higher levels of education, job opportunities, and skills necessary for building strong—healthy communities.

Greg Matthei

     Many Kenyan communities—rural or on the edge of towns and cities—are frustrated by lack of opportunities to provide basic necessities for their families.  In desperation, many once respectable people resort to drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, criminality, and loose moral obligations.  Those most affected are the children and youth who are often left unable to attend school or job training classes from lack of financial support.  Adolescent and teenage pregnancies, the spread of HIV/Aids, and imprisonment are major by-products of their resultant idle time and despair. 

     To counteract the apparent hopelessness of these situations, Lucky Summer Youth At Risk Community Center was established in the heart of one such shanty town (Korogocho slum).  Here disadvantaged children, youth, and young adults are provided one meal a day, encouragement, recreation, an education, and job skills. 

     We invite you to take part in our efforts to make a difference in the lives of many African people.  You can help by donating to AFRICA, Inc., a non-government organization that has come along-side helping us provide needed food, building upgrades, additional funds to sponsor the most needy children to attend school, supplemental funds for teachers salaries, educational and recreational materials.  Together we are providing hope for a better future by offering a variety of opportunities previously unavailable to many here in Kenya.

Euticauls Wambua

 

Executive Director Musau Mutia: In rural communities such as Makakoi and Kitengela, Kenya or Naminya, Uganda there are many peoples with great needs.  Of first importance is something often taken for granted: water.   Most rural villages of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, depend upon small farms for food and income.  Vegetables, fruit, and animal products are staples of life in these communities.

Unfortunately, production from these farms has diminished greatly of late due to long periods of drought. However, even in the best rainy seasons, water is not easily obtained in these communities.  Women and children often walk great distances to fill water containers from springs to provide their families with water for  cooking and bathing.  There are no water lines to homes in most communities outside city limits.

Without adequate water, farms are being left fallow.  Families are suffering from lack of food and income from their negligible crops. 

     Of second importance is education and job training.  Africans in general are industrious, hard-working people.  When opportunity is offered, people respond passionately.  There is a great need for educational facilities and materials in all of the areas I have mentioned above.  In coordination with AFRICA, Inc., we have been working to set up Community Centers that will provide business classes, computer training, and other career training classes.   These centers will also serve as sites for the distribution of clean water.  Medical Clinics and orphan homes are also being planned as an integral part of each Community Center.  It is our hope that these centralized services will form a foundation and model for future productivity and innovation throughout Africa.  You can join with us in our vision of hope for Africa by supporting AFRICA, Inc. through your donations. 

Musau Mutia