Exodus Offers Responsible Tourism Trips to Tijhza, Morocco

A small amount of intrepid tourists find their way to Tijhza, but there is still the sense of a bygone era when passing through the village, especially considering electricity arrived only a few years ago. Although our intentions started with helping the Tijhza School, our project has now evolved to help the village and the wider community thanks to continuous donations from visiting Exodus clients. This project offers support to the Berber children and villagers of Tijhza Village by focusing on essentials that many take for granted, such as health care, education and a sustainable income.

The above quote is from an excellent write up about volunteer travel opportunities in Morocco with Exodus – the UK's leading exponent of responsible travel. Exodus is fully supportive of our projects offering both logistical and financial support. In fact, Baraka Community Partnerships designs itineraries for special volunteer trips, and Exodus Travels Ltd administers them. This way, responsible travellers can confidently book trips with an ABTA registered travel operator with over 35 years' experience in running adventure group tours worldwide.

So, if you're looking some fun the the Moroccan sun with a healthy dose of volunteering to a worthwhile cause, consider visiting the Atlas Mountains village of Tijhza, Morocco with Exodus in 2010. Their next trip will be in April.

Visit www.exodus.co.uk for more details.

Click here for the link to their Morocco Tijhza Village Project article.

Baraka's Rowathon Success in Shepperton!

Ten teams of 57 competitors rowing non-stop for six hours (with most participants rowing ten minutes every hour) for a total rowed distance of more than 764,000 metres! Last month's Rowathon fundraiser surpassed our initial goal of raising £3000. So far £4,000 has been collected from the event – all of it going to our projects in Zambia!

A special thank you must go to the following businesses for their generous support: Dan Morgan of Blue Leisure; Dave Morgan of Transpeed, Tesco, The Village Bakery, Cafe Vanille, and Carolyn Matthews of the Shepperton Chiropractic Clinic.

Here's the video:

ROWATHON Fundraiser: Saturday 14 November

Saturday the 14th of November from 10am to 4pm, BCP will team up again with our official charity partner, Thamesmead School Sports Centre, for a Rowathon fundraising event. So far eight teams have signed up. Interested? Here are some details:

- 6 people to a team
- Each team member rows 10 minutes every hour for 6 hours
- Target minimum is £50 sponsorship per person or £300 per team
- Live entertainment and an evening meal will be provided.

100% of the money raised on the day will go to the Chawama Sports Academy in Zambia which provides sporting opportunities and education through sport for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in a deprived suburb of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.

For more information or to enter a team please contact Thamesmead on 0193 226 0050 or Andy McKee on 0750 498 7367. You can also visit the Thamesmead Centre online at www.blueleisure.com/thamesmead.

To donate to this event please visit http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/andymckee2.

Thanks and good luck rowing!

Our Summer Charity BBQ was a Brilliant Success!

Last Saturday's Thamesmead School Sports Centre Summer Charity BBQ to support Baraka Community Partnerships was a huge success - and a lot of fun! Held at the Bell Public House in Shepperton, this now annual event generated almost £600 for our projects! We would like to say a sincere thank you all who attended as well as to the local businesses that donated prizes to the raffle and especially to Thamesmead School Sports Centre for organizing this festive, family-oriented BBQ!

For more about Baraka Community Partnerships visit www.barakacommunity.com. Cheers!

Big Thanks to Bea's of Bloomsbury!

This is just a quick and friendly post to thank Bea and all the lovely folks at her Bea's of Bloomsbury bakeshop. Through their 6 Cupcakes = 1 Mosquito Net promotion, we were able to raise even more money and awareness for our mosquito net project in Zambia. We especially would like to thank all of Bea's customers who kindly participated in this worthwhile (and yummy!) endeavor.

As things stand now, Baraka Community Partnerships has raised enough funds to provide more than 400 households with mosquito nets. However, there are millions of people in Zambia without these inexpensive yet effective safeguards against malaria. We still have our work cut out for us!

Find out more about our Against Malaria campaign:

http://www.againstmalaria.com/baraka

Buy delicious baked goods and more at Bea's:

http://www.beasofbloomsbury.com

Baraka Community Partnerships Update: August 2009

PE Lessons in Kasalu, Zambia

Here’s a brief update to fill you in on all the good things happening with Baraka Community Partnerships. Please visit our website for more information and feel free to contact us at info@barakacommunity.com.

ZAMBIA

There's plenty of good news to share with you about our work in Zambia this month! Our Against Malaria campaign to provide mosquito net to the residents of Kasalu, Zambia was a massive success! In less than a week, we were able to raise the funds for each home in Kasalu to have a net! Thanks so much to everyone who donated. Of course, why should we stop there? We have now moved on to the greater goal of making sure every family in the whole of Zambia has access to a mosquito net. Helping out on this front is London boutique bakeshop Bea's of Bloomsbury. All this week, Bea's is offering to pay for one mosquito net for every set of six cupcakes sold. What a delicious way of donating to a good cause.

More about our Against Malaria campaign:

http://barakacommunity.blogspot.com/2009/08/beas-of-bloomsbury-fights-malaria-with.html

http://www.againstmalaria.com/baraka

In other Zambia related news, Kasalu has seen school attendence shoot up to more than 100 students. This is a fantastic achievement for a non-state supported school in a remote village. Kasalu's women's scone making group (32 members strong!) has diversified and are now selling recently harvested ground nuts at nearby markets. The village vegetable garden that was created with the help of our friends from Exodus Travel is thriving! There are more than 15 villagers involved in the cooperative. Some of the food is sold and some of it goes to feed the children at school.

More about Exodus Travel:

http://www.exodus.co.uk/

MOROCCO

Things are progressing well in the community of Tijhza. Tourists are starting to find out about the village and our involvement there from Lonely Planet's Morocco guidebook! Here's what one recent Tijhza visitor (who decided to volunteer her time after reading about us in Lonely Planet) had to say:

Just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic time in Tijhza. What a beautiful place! Thanks for your help and the information you provided in advance. At the end of a week ... we really didn't want to leave.

There's plenty more volunteer activity lined up for the next few months! Find out how you can volunteer your time and have a bit of adventure with us:

http://barakacommunity.com/volunteer_trips.htm

LAOS

Our relationship with Community Learning International is coming along nicely. CLI’s commitment to providing opportunities to children in need fits incredibly well with our ethos. With CLI, Baraka will build a school in the village of Kokneu. Being within reach of the town of Luang Prabang, working here will increase the possibility of organising volunteers. Already, we have raised more than fifty percent of the money required to build the school!

More about Community Learning International:

http://www.communitylearninginternational.org/

FUNDRAISING

Thanks all those generous people helping us achieve our goals! We couldn't do it without you!

- Our Sunday Brunch Fundraiser in July raised £300 and introduced the ideas and ethos behind BCP to a number of interested people.

Here are some video highlights:

http://barakacommunity.blogspot.com/2009/07/video-highlights-from-our-sunday-brunch.html

- Our friends at Blue Leisure are organizing a series of rowathons over the six months to help us create awareness and raise money for our projects. As things progress, we'll be sure to keep you posted!

More about Blue Leisure:

http://www.blueleisure.com/vebo/

- Speaking of Blue Leisure, our summer BBQ with Blue Leisure managed Thamesmead School Sports Centre is coming up on Saturday the 5th of September.

Learn more about this fun event and how you can get your tickets:

http://barakacommunity.blogspot.com/2009/08/thamesmead-school-summer-charity-bbq-in.html

Make sure to visit this blog again soon! We're posting more and more about our projects and activities all the time.

For more information about Baraka Community Partnerships, please visit our website:

http://www.BarakaCommunity.com

Bea's of Bloomsbury Fights Malaria with Cupcakes!

From Monday the 24th of August until Sunday the 30th, London's favourite bakeshop, Bea's of Bloomsbury will offer a yummy way help stamp out malaria in Africa! For every box of six cupcakes purchased next week, Bea's will donate the money to Baraka Community Partnerships to buy one mosquito net for a household in Zambia. Donating to a good cause never tasted so delicious!

It is estimated that in Africa a child dies every second from malaria. With a good mosquito net only costing a few quid, there's simply no reason why so many must worry about this deadly disease.

So head over to Bea's next week, eat some cupcakes and help make Zambia a safer, healthier place!

Bea's of Bloomsbury

44 Theobald's Road

London WC1X 8NW

0207 242 8330
contact@beasofbloomsbury.com

www.beasofbloomsbury.com

Hours :

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.

For more information about Baraka Community Partnerships and Against Malaria visit these sites:

www.againstmalaria.com/baraka

www.barakacommunity.com

IN THE NET! We Met Our Goal (Thanks to You)!

In less than a week, Baraka Community Partnerships was able to raise the money for each household in the Zambian village of Kasalu to have a mosquito net. That's 230 nets! Actually as of the 19th of August, we had enough funds for almost 300 nets. Of course, we couldn't have succeeded so quickly without the help of the thoughtful people that took a brief moment to contribute a donation (whether £5 or £150, it all added up and helped put us over the edge!).

To those who donated: THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are alleviating hardship and suffering for those in need and making Kasalu a safer and healthier community.

But why stop there? Please keep the donations coming! It is estimated that in Africa a child dies every second from Malaria. With a good mosquito net only costing a few quid, there's simply no reason why so many must worry about this deadly disease.

Please help us with our Against Malaria campaign in Zambia:

http://www.againstmalaria.com/baraka

Net Positive!

In only one day, Baraka Community Partnerships has raised more than a third of the money required to ensure that each household in Kasalu, Zambia receives a mosquito net. Thanks to everyone who has donated. Your generosity will go a long way!

Nets are the first line of defense against malaria. They are inexpensive but effective. Nets are only $4.00/£2.60 each - so however small your donation, it will make a difference. Please help us to provide every home in Kasalu with a net!

Donate here and feel free to pass on this information to your friends and family:

http://www.againstmalaria.com/Fundraiser.aspx?FundRaiserID=5457

Help Baraka Combat Malaria in Zambia with Inexpensive Mosquito Nets

Children at the Kasalu Village School

Baraka Community Partnerships is supporting the villagers of Kasalu, in the Chikumbi region of Zambia, in helping them combat malaria. Currently, no other organization is involved in directly helping the people of Kasalu combat this life threatening disease. However, there are plenty of initiatives run by community volunteers in the village to educate the local population about the dangers of Malaria. There are about 230 household in the village - our goal is to provide one net for each.

Mosquito nets are the first line of defense against the disease. They are an inexpensive but effective tool. Nets are only $4.00/£2.60 each - so however small your donation, it will make a difference.

Malaria season starts in October - please act soon. Your generosity may save a life.

Donate here and feel free to pass on this information to your friends and family:

http://www.againstmalaria.com/Fundraiser.aspx?FundRaiserID=5457

Thamesmead School Summer Charity BBQ in Shepperton

This September, Thamesmead School Sports Centre and Baraka Community Partnerships are teaming up for a Summer Charity BBQ! Please join us from 4pm to late on Saturday the 5th of September at the Bell Public House on Old Charlton Road in Shepperton, for a fun filled day of games, competitions, food and drink - with 100% of all proceeds raised on the day going straight to the projects supported by Baraka Community Partnerships.



Thamesmead School Summer Charity BBQ
Saturday 5 September
4pm til late!
The Bell Public House
Old Charlton Road
Shepperton TW17 8BT

Please note that tickets must be purchased in advance! To get yours, please contact Andy (0750 498 7367) or Angie (0787 834 0211). Tickets cost £12.50 for adults, £8.00 for 12-16 year olds and £2.00 for children under 12. Ticket price includes BBQ, bouncy castels and more!

For more about Baraka Community Partnerships visit www.barakacommunity.com. Cheers!

Baraka Community Partnerships Update: July 2009

One of Baraka's sponsored Football teams in Lusaka, Zambia. This team is called - believe it or not - Manchester United.

Here’s a brief update to fill you in on all the good things happening with Baraka Community Partnerships. Please visit our website for more information and feel free to contact us at info@barakacommunity.com.

Morocco

Funding for a new water tower in the Atlas Mountain village of Tijhza has been secured! Just in time too as we have been informed about residents recently having to go more than a week without running water in their homes.

Find out more about how we help the people of Tijhza:
http://www.barakacommunity.com/morocco_projects.htm

Laos

Our relationship with Community Learning International is coming along nicely. CLI’s commitment to providing opportunities to children in need fits incredibly well with our ethos. With CLI, Baraka will build a school in the village of Kokneu. Being within reach of the town of Luang Prabang, working here will increase the possibility of organising volunteers. Already, we have raised more than fifty percent of the money required to build the school!

Find out more about Community Learning International:
http://www.communitylearninginternational.org/

Zambia

Our work in Zambia is coming along swimmingly with developments at both our projects improving!

In Chawama, we have developed a good relationship with a member of the board for Chawamaa Sports Academy. As the programme manager for this academy, he’s been most helpful providing us with a list of references that may prove fruitful in assisting us to inspire and entertain the community’s at-risk children through sport whilst raising awareness of the dangers of AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, and promoting general health awareness, education and social integration.

Similarly, things are moving forward for the Chikumbi Community Centre where recent initiatives to educate the villagers on the dangers of AIDS, malaria and drug abuse have proven successful and popular.

Find out more about how we help people in Zambia:
http://www.barakacommunity.com/zambia_projects.htm

For more information about Baraka Community Partnerships, please visit BarakaCommunity.com.

Video Highlights from our Sunday Brunch Fundraiser

Here's a brief video from our recent Sunday brunch fundraiser in London.



Please visit http://www.barakacommunity.com/ to find out how you can be a part of Baraka Community Partnerships.

Baraka Community Partnerships

A Baraka sponsored school in Morocco

So, what is Baraka Community Partnerships and what are we all about?

Well, Baraka Community Parternships is a small (very small!) charity involved with three projects: tow in Zambia and one in Morocco. We concentrate our focus in the fields of education, medication and the environment and aim to work with and alongside communities in determining what their needs and goals are and how we can help acheive them.

We have done quite a few things so far such as helping renovate schools, providing cleaner water and medical care, initiating energy saving schemes, tree planting, providing educational, sporting and clothes supplies, building toilet blocks and more. We have many more aspirations but want to make sure everything we do is done at the right time and the right pace and, thus, not to upset the status quo in the communities where we work.

So there’s a little info on what we are all about. Watch this space for some updates here and there, or check out our website at http://www.barakacommunity.com/

Andy Mckee

Baraka Community Partnerships Project Coordinator