4Dirhams A Day Appeal to Help the World’s Least Developed Country
All As One Charity Urges UAE Residents to Help the Children of Sierra Leone
Dubai, UAE / January 16, 2008 -- All As One charity has set 2008 targets to urge UAE residents to support the All As One orphanage, school and medical clinic helping orphaned, abandoned, and destitute children in Sierra Leone.
In the wake of the latest United Nations Human Development Index, which has ranked Sierra Leone as the world’s least developed county, All As One UAE Country Director Matthew Morgan-Jones said support was needed now more than ever to ensure that the orphaned children in All As One’s care continue to receive shelter, food, water, medical care. Education and the chance for a better future.
In 2008, the international charity which operates an orphanage, school and medical clinic in Freetown, Sierra Leone, hopes a further 300 Dubai residents and businesses will join the 4Dirhams A Day campaign to allow All As One to continue its operations in Sierra Leone. All As One’s care has saved countless children’s lives since the orphanage was founded in 2000.
Mr Morgan-Jones said: “Sierra Leone faces dire needs with limited futures for the children of the next generation. Further support and funding toward the Sierra Leone appeal will allow these vital children’s programs to be continued. For a mere 4Dirhams a Day (AED120 per month), people can sponsor All As One’s ongoing work and be assigned a special child who they can significantly help to give a better future.
As a valuable sponsor, you will receive a photo and information on a child whose life you have helped to save. Sponsors can choose to contribute monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or make a one-time yearly donation. In addition, one-time donations could cover:
As a valuable sponsor, you will receive a photo and information on a child whose life you have helped to save. Sponsors can choose to contribute monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or make a one-time yearly donation. In addition, one-time donations could cover:
Ten school books – 200 dhs
Three school benches – 555 dhs
Monthly medical costs for 70 children – 1440 dhs
Purchase of dining room furniture – 1850 dhs
Monthly food bill for 70 children – 9250 dhs
Three school benches – 555 dhs
Monthly medical costs for 70 children – 1440 dhs
Purchase of dining room furniture – 1850 dhs
Monthly food bill for 70 children – 9250 dhs
“UAE residents have generously donated funds, clothing and essentials to help keep the orphanage open,” Mr Morgan-Jones said.”Further support can make a huge difference to continue to keep our doors open and allow us to develop the longer-term prosperity of children to give them hope, care and skills to better their lives.”
Jebel Ali International Hotels is one of a number of UAE supporters of All As One and kindly sponsors orphaned children from the Sierra Leone orphanage as gifts to corporate clients.
Jebel Ali International Hotels is one of a number of UAE supporters of All As One and kindly sponsors orphaned children from the Sierra Leone orphanage as gifts to corporate clients.
The hotel group’s GM Corporate Affairs, David Thompson, said: “Jebel Ali International Hotels felt it had a corporate social responsibility to give back to those in need, and this charity has proved to be a very valuable gift to our clients that lends long-term support for children living in impoverished nations.”
Individual and corporate sponsors receive regular updates and photos of the children they are helping so that they can clearly see how their donations are making a huge difference in the lives of destitute children in Sierra Leone.
Notes to editors:
Sierra Leone Facts --
- Sierra Leone is ranked 177 out of 177 countries evaluated to compare poverty, life expectancy, literacy, education, and other factors. [The UN Human Development Index, 2008]
- Sierra Leone has the highest childbirth mortality rate in the world. The most recent figures show that about 1 in 6 women are at risk of dying during childbirth, compared to approximately 1 in 29,800 in Sweden. [WHO MMR report 2000]
- The average life span of a Sierra Leonean adult is 37 years for men and 40 years for women [WHO website]
- Sierra Leone has one of the world’s lowest adult literacy rates at 30% (UNICEF, 2006 )
- Sierra Leone is roughly 60% Muslim, 30% indigenous religions, and 10% Christian.
- Sierra Leoneans have one of the lowest average incomes in the world. It is estimated that over 50% of the population lives on less than the WHO standard of $1 a day. (Human Development Reports 1990-2003)
- Only approximately 36% of people have access to medical care.
- Although the official rate of HIV/AIDS sufferers is 3% of the population, real figures may be much higher, and lack of education could mean that these statistics rise in the coming years.
- Young girls are under great pressure to confirm to social ‘norms’. Female genital mutilation is still as high as 90%. Many young girls become pregnant before their skeletons have fully formed.
- Today there are an estimated 8,000 commercial sex workers in Freetown alone (who may be as young as 10 years old). These women and children are among the most marginalised in Sierra Leonean society and among the most vulnerable. (VOA, 2005)
- Sierra Leone has the world's worst infant mortality rate - 28% of all children (or roughly 1 in 4) die before they turn 5 years old. Many die from preventable causes such as dehydration or malnutrition. [UNICEF website]
- United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 29% of all under-five deaths in Sierra Leone are caused by diarrhea.
- The RUF used an estimated 10,000 – 15,000 child soldiers in their army.
- The UN has estimated that there are over 500,000 children in Sierra Leone that do not have access to basic education.
Media contact, Dubai, UAE:
Matthew Morgan-Jones
All As One Country Director, Dubai, UAE
t: +9714 311 6578 f: +9714 332 8810
e: matthew@allasone.org
All As One Country Director, Dubai, UAE
t: +9714 311 6578 f: +9714 332 8810
e: matthew@allasone.org
