2011 Africa & Middle East STARS Impact Awards Announced
The STARS Foundation Press Release
African Organisations Receive Award

London 24.11.11: The STARS Foundation has selected three African organisations working with children for this year’s 2011 Africa & Middle East STARS Impact Awards and one organisation for the Rising Star Award. The STARS Foundation supports frontline, impactful initiatives improving children’s health, education and protection needs across the continent. Through the Impact Awards, the STARS Foundation helps already effective organisations become even stronger by enhancing their capacity to deliver vital services on the ground. The annual award - now in its 5th year - carries $100,000 of unrestrictive funding and consultancy support, giving recipient organisations the flexibility to respond more effectively to the challenges they face and to the needs of the children they serve. The organisations will receive the respected accolade at a ceremony in London on 24 November 2011.

EDUCATION AWARD:
South African organisation arepp:Theatre for Life was selected for this year’s Education award for its unique life skills education through theatre method. The organisation stood out for harnessing the ability of drama to act as a powerful medium when used to engage young people to confront complex subjects, whilst challenging mindsets through peer facilitated debate. Its’ theatre shows travel the country targeting the most vulnerable children in the most economically deprived schools (townships), with the highest rates of drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, bullying and suicide cases.

Launched in 1987 in South Africa, arepp:Theatre for Life now directly engages approximately 120,000 five to eighteen year-olds in approximately 350 schools annually. As a result, the schools that arepp:Theatre for Life worked in, reported a drop of 50% in physical and sexual abuse cases from the previous year, and pregnancies in those schools dropped from nine to just below four per cent.

PROTECTION AWARD:
Mombassa-based Wema Centre Trust was selected as this year’s recipient of the Protection award. Wema (Well Being Centre in Kiswahili) was selected for its holistic approach to removing children from vulnerable and risky conditions -such as street life– and integrating them into mainstream society by ensuring a smooth transition into adulthood through its tailored treatment plans. The organisation’s psycho social approach to reintegration and family re-unification, coupled with its engagement of the local population in giving a haven of hope to underprivileged children, puts Wema at the forefront of child protection in Kenya.

Through sports and music, WEMA has developed a program, which deals specifically with behavioural issues in relation to HIV/ AIDS prevention, drug abuse, commercial sex, rape and reproductive health. With a long term vision which encourages children to become economically independent, the organisation runs income generating training programmes with access to livestock, poultry and computer training facilities.

HEALTH AWARD:
Forest-based Bwindi Community Hospital is this year’s recipient of the Health award. The organisation was selected for its pioneering work in reducing the prevalence of illnesses within communities residing in this inaccessible region. The hospital provides preventative health care to some of the most marginalised communities in East Africa, including Batwa pygmies.

Set at the edge of Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park in South Western Uganda bordering DR Congo, it is the only hospital in a radius of 40 km situated in an area covered by hills and forests. As the only hospital in the region, it provides care principally to women and children and is entirely run by Ugandans. Members of staff are encouraged to collaborate with registered village chiefs and Bataka Burial Leaders to build trust within the community and to identify the most excluded and vulnerable families.

RISING STAR AWARD:
In addition to the Impact Awards, a smaller Award may be made at the discretion of the STARS Board of Trustees to recognise the work of an organisation whose application demonstrates potential as a ‘rising star.’ The STARS Foundation has selected Eket-based Stepping Stone Nigeria Child Empowerment Foundation as this year’s Rising Star. The organisation was selected for its work in defending child rights in the Delta Niger, a region where trafficking, child abuse and belief in child ‘witches’ is rife. The organisation provides drop-in and outreach psycho-social and welfare services and support to vulnerable children who have fallen foul to a form of extreme violence which is symptomatic of a more serious problem at the community level, deeply linked to a phenomenon of generalised violence against children

An increasing number of children in the Niger Delta – as in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa - are being accused of being child ‘witches.’ The consequence of the peddling of these beliefs is devastating for the children affected, as the fate of suspected child witches results in being abandoned and ostracised from the community, taken to the forest and slaughtered, disgraced publicly and murdered, bathed in acid, poisoned to death, buried alive and/or chained and tortured in churches in order to extract a confession.

ENDS
Notes to Editors:
· The STARS Foundation was founded by Amr Dabbagh and the Dabbagh Group in 2001, in the belief that local organisations are best-placed to respond to the needs of their communities and the children in their care. All too often these organisations are constrained by a rigid approach to funding, which can limit their effectiveness. For more information visit http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/

· Case studies and photography are available.

· The STARS Impact Awards programme, launched in Africa in 2007, and now open to organisations in 80 countries, is committed to helping already effective charities become even stronger by enhancing their capacity to deliver vital services on the ground. By supporting these outstanding organisations, and recognising the deep and lasting impact they are having on entire communities, the Impact Awards also inspire others to reach similar standards of excellence.

· The STARS Foundation’s partnership approach is reflected in the nature of the innovative package offered. The package combines US$100,000 of unrestricted funding with tailored consultancy support – offering organisations the flexibility they need to respond to local challenges and plan for the future.

· The awards approach is underpinned by a rigorous selection process, which has been developed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Awards recipients are selected using eight criteria that reflect the hallmarks of effective practice and all applicants receive feedback on their application. In addition, a smaller Award may be made at the discretion of the STARS Board of Trustees to recognise the work of an organisation whose application demonstrates potential as a ‘rising star.’

· Thanks to a partnership with the Ashmore Foundation, STARS is able to increase the number of Awards it intends to offer in 2012 to 14. Of these, 6 Awards are made up of US$100,000 of unrestricted funding and additional consultancy support and the other 8 Awards will range in value from US$15,000 to US$60,000.
Applicants must enter by 7 November 2011 http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/apply/

· The STARS Foundation is governed by an international board of trustees chaired by its founder, His Excellency Amr A. Al Dabbagh