Bread and Water for Africa

Health - general and rehabilitative:since mid-2020, the pandemic has further exposed weaknesses in Africa's management of emergency health hazards and has exponentially drawn-out various healthcare deficiencies from the lack of life-saving equipment, medical supplies, medicines, and healthcare facilities to inequalities in delivering quality medical services. To address these shortcoming, in fy24, bwa continued providing cash grants for the operating costs of remote village clinics and in-kind support, including medicines, medical supplies and equipment and prenatal vitamins. (see schedule o for continuation)overall, the program served over 98,900 individuals at 58 health facilities where bwa focused on improving healthcare challenges. Notably, in fy24, bwa focused on reducing high maternal and child mortality rates by providing prenatal vitamins to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Due to limited access to nutrient-rich foods, many women in sub-saharan Africa suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folic acid, and calcium. Prenatal supplements help address these deficiencies, reducing the risk of complications like anemia, neural tube defects, and preeclampsia. By addressing micronutrient deficiencies, reducing the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, and supporting long-term health, these supplements are essential to public health strategies to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the region.in total, bwa provided $62,789 in cash grants and $27,001,588 gift -in-kind value of medicines, medical supplies and equipment, wheelchairs, prenatal vitamins and personal protection equipment (ppe), and uniforms for healthcare workers to healthcare-focused program support in Africa. Bwa in-kind support is aligned with our long-term mission to improve health conditions in underserved parts of Africa and to ensure that the clinics we built and hospitals we support can continue to operate effectively and efficiently in sierra leone, cameroon, kenya, ethiopia, and malawi. Sierra leone is home to four non-governmental organizations (ngos) with healthcare projects, clinics, and hospitals supported by bwa: united methodist church of sierra leone ("umcsl"), faith healing development organization ("fhdo"), sierra leone mission and development ("smd"), and rural youth development organization-sierra leone ("rydo-sl"). Combined, these ngos provide care to more than 65,000 people every year, with a focus on general healthcare for pregnant, lactating women and children under five. (sierra leone has among some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world).fhdo operates three clinics in kenema, freetown and bunumbu. This year, the clinics received donated medicines, prenatal vitamins and medical supplies. In addition to basic healthcare services, fhdo operates a food program for pregnant women and lactating mothers to increase their nutrition levels and overall general health. In fy24, more than 3,500 individuals received medical treatment at three fhdo's and four clinics within the surrounding communities.umcsl has three member hospitals and four health centers across sierra leone with the mission of providing quality medical care to all patients and ministering to their physical and spiritual needs. In addition to providing inpatient care, surgery, obstetric delivery and newborn care, the hospitals provide laboratory, ultrasound and x-ray services. Full-service outpatient clinics are operated six days per week along with a full malnutrition program in the area.bwa has been partnering with rydo-sl since 2020 with the goal of transforming communities by building capacities and promoting socio-economic development. Bwa provided medicines, medical supplies, prenatals vitamins , equipment, and cash grants to support rydo-sl and its partner hospitals and clinics. In fy24, more than 32,000 individuals received medical treatment at 9 health centers and two hospitals across sierra leone.bwa has been partnering with smd since fy23 to support their work in northern sierra leone. In fy24, bwa provided 12,798 lbs of medical supplies to smd, which served more than 3,500 individuals who received medical treatments at 20 police healthcare facilities through this project. Furthermore, the project also provided wheelchairs, accessories, and hygiene supplies to those in need.in cameroon, bwa has been partnering with hope services ministry international ("hsmi") based in yaound and douala since 2011. Its objective is to provide holistic care primarily in areas of medicine, psychology, social needs and education. The hospitals in yaound and douala meet the needs of more than 65,000 people each year at little or no cost to the patients. Additionally, hsmi provides medical outreach to villages in the northwest region twice yearly. In fy24, more than 27,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers received prenatal supplements from nine health centers and hospitals across cameroon.in kericho, kenya bwa has been partnering with the kebeneti dispensary. The clinic provides services for more than 1,300 individuals annually. In ethiopia, bwa partnered with haramaya university ("hu") and debre tabor university ("dtu"). Hu, located in eastern region of the federal republic of ethiopia, is a learning institution comprised of ten or more colleges of various disciplines, including a college of medicine and college of health education. Hu also has a campus clinic, community clinics, and hospitals that provide educational and health services to a population of more than 50,000 residents. Through this partnership, bwa donated prenatal vitamins this year, benefiting more than 27,000 individuals. for the first time in fy23, bwa partnered with dtu, a public university in ethiopia located in the south gondar administrative zone, established to contribute to the overall development of the country through producing competent graduates in all programs and excelling in agriculture and environmental science, health sciences and technology, and solving societal problems by combining scientific research with indigenous knowledge. Through community outreach programs, dtu provides medicines, medical equipment, and supplies to hospitals and clinics where dtu students are given internships, externship services, and community health centers.in malawi, bwa has partnered with our aim foundation ("oaf") to improve the quality of life in communities by providing sustained support. Oaf operates a health center in tongozola, mchinji district, where it serves approximately 100 individuals daily. Bwa strengthens the health center's capacities by providing medicines, medical supplies, and equipment.in fy24, bwa and oaf collaborated on a cost-effective and efficient healthcare program. This project involved expanding healthcare through mobile medical clinics, which reach residents in over 125 villages (an estimated 25,000 individuals) across the traditional authority in mkanda. The program's primary objective is to provide valuable medical services that inspire hope and dignity, enabling rural residents, including families in remote villages, to access primary healthcare. Many individuals who receive treatments at mobile clinics have never visited a health facility or been examined by a trained healthcare provider. In fy 2024, bwa provided cash grants to support the operation of the mobile medical services, benefiting 2,600 individuals. Additionally, bwa and oaf collaborated on constructing a clinic in the mchinji district. Bwa sponsored the funding required for antenatal, pharmacy emergency, and patient consultation rooms.

Educational institutions:a key tenet of bwa's mission is that education is the future of Africa. Since our founding, educating Africa's younger generation has been a priority for bwa. Bwa granted a total of $42,600 in cash grants to support educational programs in kenya, zambia, tanzania, chad, and zimbabwe while bolstering partnerships that have been helping children and youth to attend school in these countries for more than a decade. In total, 421 students benefited through our school fees support and other educational programs in these countries this year. (see schedule o for continuation)in many parts of Africa, where educational resources can be limited, providing school desks is a practical and impactful way to improve the quality of education. It contributes to better health, attendance, and academic outcomes for students. These are the main reasons bwa provides school desks to african schools that do not have proper classroom desks. In fy 24, bwa provided five 40-foot containers containing 1,425 combined desks (i.e., chairs, and tables) to rural schools in ethiopia and sierra leone. The total in-kind value for these donations was $306,756.in ethiopia, bwa worked with the amhara development association ("ada") to provide combined school desks for 419 students in the south gondar region. In sierra leone, bwa provided combined desks to fhdo schools and rydo partner schools to serve 1,006 students.

Orphan care:many children in Africa have become orphans due to various factors such as hiv/aids, preventable and treatable diseases, civil unrest, and social conditions that have led to the untimely death of their parents. These children face bleak prospects for economic and social advancement, and sometimes even for their survival, without any support. We are proud to contribute to our partners' efforts in providing a brighter future for these children. This year, we have allocated a grants totaling $218,622 to support orphanages and children's homes in four countries.see schedule o for continuation)one notable organization we support is the lewa children's home ("lch") in kenya. It serves as a model for the other orphan care programs we are involved in. The lch was established by phyllis keino, a volunteer spokesperson for our organization, after she took in four children whose parents, close friends of the keino family, tragically died in a car accident in the early 1970s. Presently, the lch not only provides food, shelter, and other essential needs for 33 children on-site but also extends its support to 18 more children from neighboring communities by helping fund their school fees and providing necessities like food and clothing. Over time, phyllis has expanded her efforts by founding the kipkeino primary school and the baraka (blessed) farm within the 500-acre complex, all working together to strengthen the community. In 2024, bwa continued to wholeheartedly support the lch by providing grant funding specifically for education support.in zambia, the kabwata orphanage and transit centre ("kotc"), located in the capital city of lusaka, was founded by angela miyanda to provide a loving, caring, secure and healthy environment for orphans in the country. The majority of the children taken in by kotc have lost their parents to the terrible aids epidemic in the country. The kotc provides quality nutrition, shelter, education, and skills training for 131 orphans and 73 impoverished children from the surrounding communities benefited from these services, which bwa is proud to fund. As it continues toward self-sufficiency, the center has developed income-generating projects, including fish farming (aquaculture), a plant nursery, and landscaping services. In zimbabwe, shinga development trust (and its lerato children's home) in mutare reaches out to nearly 90 children per year through its school fees support program. Given the desperate economic situation in zimbabwe (with an unemployment rate of 95 percent and per capita gdp of under $100), shinga's mission is to care for the children most in need in its service area. Shinga also pays the school fees, operates a food program and provides foster care sponsorships to many children in the area. Currently, the home shelters and cares for 22 children on-site and more to come as the zimbabwe social welfare department places more orphaned and abandoned children with shinga.in tanzania, bwa began supporting the watoto wa Africa ("children of Africa") orphanage ("wwa") in fy23. Our support focused on meeting the basic needs of 129 children and youth, such as food, daily living necessities, and education. Additionally, bwa played a crucial role in preventing the permanent closure of the wwa orphanage when the government's child welfare agency had threatened to shut it down due to unsafe infrastructure, substandard living conditions, and an overall unhealthy environment for the children, which the orphanage lacked resources to address. Without our intervention, these vulnerable children would have been forced back onto the streets, left to fend for themselves, as the government had not provided any reliable solutions. We are proud of our new partnership with wwa, as it allows us to improve the living conditions for these children who consider the orphanage their home.bwa also continued to develop the wwa orphanage's food self-sufficiency project strategy, which was initiated in fy23. This year's projects include the purchase of cows, plow accessories, seeds, fertilizer, the construction of a drainage system, a cow shed, and storage sheds. Even today, plowing using cows (or oxen) remains a traditional agricultural practice in many parts of Africa. This method is particularly prevalent in rural areas where mechanized farming may not be feasible due to economic constraints. Nevertheless, it is crucial in ensuring food security for local communities where modern agricultural machinery is scarce. Using cows in these rural communities offers affordability, accessibility, and sustainability.in uganda, bwa partnered with kyasira home of hope orphanage ("khoo"), located near entebbe, in central uganda, on the shores of lake victoria. Managed by the good samaritan sisters, the home faced significant challenges in the summer of 2020 when heavy rains and rising lake waters flooded the premises, leaving 62 children and their caregivers stranded. The floodwaters submerged and destroyed various essential facilities, including the boys and girls' dormitories, the kitchen, the toilets, the garden, the farm, the banana plantation (uganda's main staple food), and the sisters' residences. Unfortunately, almost four years later, the situation at the children's home continues to be dire. However, in fy 24, bwa provided funding for the redevelopment of the banana farm, which involved planting 600 plantlets (banana trees), installing an electricity power system and a solar-powered Water pump, and completing the construction of a new home.

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