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DARFUR – A YEAR IN CRISIS

This year, 2020, the children, families and villages in Darfur have been hit by one crisis after another. They have suffered drought in the heat of summer, fires blazing through their homes and villages causing several fatalities and loss of livestock, and recently floods washing away their crops. Inflation is out of control.   This is before we even consider the catastrophe that has been caused by COVID-19. How are families supposed to survive? They desperately need our help! Please do take a few minutes to engage with our most recent news, hearing straight from Patricia Parker MBE, Founder of Kids for Kids, how we are currently doing everything we can to help fight COVID-19 in ‘News from Darfur’ and learning exactly what Kids for Kids have planned for the future. With Christmas coming up, we invite you to Give a Tree – the perfect gift! – and suggest other wonderful ways for you to get involved and Help this Christmas. The people of Darfur really do need us more than ever now. Please do consider becoming a Regular Giver or Read more

By Charlotte Allum, ago

Interview with Our New Patron – Miriam Margolyes OBE!

We are thrilled to welcome our newest Patron, Miriam Margolyes OBE! Many of you will know Miriam from her magical Readings at our annual Candlelit Concerts. Behind the scenes she has been doing all she can to provide support for our sustainable work helping children in Darfur, Sudan, especially now with our desperate and urgent appeal for soap as the only hope families have against COVID-19.   Miriam attended our Candlelit Christmas Concert in both 2017 and 2019 as a Guest Reader and has supported our Ambassadors’ Ball Auction for three years straight. Both events are major fundraising initiatives held annually by Kids for Kids, each raising over £20,000 a year.  “I was really touched at Miriam’s response when I invited her formally to become our Patron” said Patricia Parker, our Founder.  “She said she was honoured – and when you think that we are helping children living out of sight, of sadly no interest to the world in general – simple families struggling to bring up their little ones – it is us who are honoured to have someone Read more

By Claire, ago

News from Darfur about COVID-19 – Updated

Updates: “Almost a quarter of the population of Sudan are going hungry as conflict, rising food prices and the coronavirus take their toll. About 9.6 million people now face severe food shortages, the highest number recorded in the country’s recent history.” The Guardian, 28th July 2020. “Over 12,500 people had contracted COVID-19 in the country, including 781 who died from the disease, as of 17 August.” A state of emergency was declared in North Darfur on 13th July. “The situation is likely to compound already significant humanitarian needs in North Darfur, where nearly 330,000 people are severely food insecure.”  Read the OCHA Sudan Situation Report. “1.1 million children in Sudan are going hungry as the country faces its worst food crisis in recent years.” – Relief Web, July 8th. Patricia says “We must provide goats urgently to families, as their milk provides children with essential nutrients at a terribly difficult time. With inflation 100% as of May, the need is growing. Along with our Appeal for Soap so people can be protected from the virus, goats are needed desperately.  Please Read more

By Claire, ago

Joanna Lumley Announces Goat Drawing Competition Winners!

“Thank you all so much for your fantastic goat drawings,” says Patricia Parker, the Founder of Kids for Kids. “We hope you had a lot of fun drawing your goats – I have LOVED looking at them! I am sure you all know just how precious goats are to children in Darfur, their milk providing hungry and malnourished children in Darfur with essential protein and nutrients. Mums can also sell extra goats milk and yoghurt at market – earning their first ever income. To find out more about goats and how they save the lives of children in Darfur do visit our Why Goats page. And if you can donate a goat today you will be making a real sustainable difference to a family in great need. Thank you!” A Message from Joanna Lumley OBE, our Competition Judge: “This has been an amazingly difficult competition to judge, partly because I am not sure that one picture or painting is ever ‘better’ than another, and partly because the standard in each group was sky-high. I want all the contestants to know Read more

By Claire Atkins, ago
Covid 19 soap appeal

URGENT COVID-19 NEWS FROM DARFUR SOAP APPEAL

Updates: On Sunday May 10th, 53 new cases of COVID-19 were announced bringing the known total to 1,164. The death toll is currently at 64.  More details here. “Sudan is in a precarious position as the transitional government deals with soaring inflation, high unemployment and a food shortage, but battling infectious Covid-19 could push it over its tipping point, according to Michele Bachelet, UN high commissioner for human rights.” Full article here. May 1st. We have had news from our Programme Manager that El Fasher is in lock down as the first two cases of COVID-19 have been identified. Prevention and social distancing are the only known ways to stop COVID-19 from spreading.   There is no health care in villages in Darfur, Sudan, but I believe we can help.  Please will you enable us to provide five bars of soap to each family?  We need it right now, if there is to be a chance of making a difference. We have already delivered soap for the first 19 Kids for Kids’ villages – there are another 81 – and then all the Read more

By Claire, ago

Drawn to Darfur Children’s Picture Gallery

Thank you all for your submissions to Joanna Lumley’s Children’s Challenge – Draw a Goat for Darfur.  Winners will be announced soon so do check back on our event page here.  In the meantime please scroll down to view the gallery of pictures drawn by you! And don’t forget to give a goat to a child in Darfur if you can! Back in 2012 an unique one-off auction of works of art by celebrities from all over the world – DRAWN … TO DARFUR – raised over £72,000 to help families in Darfur.  The celebrity pictures enabled Kids for Kids to adopt an entire community in Darfur AND build a Kindergarten.   Check out the gallery of fantastic work and see the Goat pictures done by the celebrities – including Joanna Lumley and Head of the Armed Forces no less!  There are pictures by HRH The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister David Cameron, and even The Pope! Please enjoy these drawings by famous celebrities and explore the complete collection here, then scroll down for the new gallery of pictures drawn by children for Read more

By Claire, ago

Joanna Lumley’s Children’s Challenge – Picture Gallery

‘Joanna Lumley’s Children’s Challenge – Draw a Goat for Darfur!’ Scroll down to see the gallery of pictures drawn by you! Back in 2012 an unique one-off auction of works of art by celebrities from all over the world – DRAWN … TO DARFUR – raised over £72,000 to help families in Darfur.  The celebrity pictures enabled Kids for Kids to adopt an entire community in Darfur AND build a Kindergarten.   Check out the gallery of fantastic work and see the Goat pictures done by the celebrities – including Joanna Lumley and Head of the Armed Forces no less!  There are pictures by HRH The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister David Cameron, and even The Pope! Please enjoy these drawings by famous celebrities and explore the complete collection here, then scroll down for the new gallery of pictures drawn by children for Joanna Lumley’s Children’s Challenge – your chance to join in and DRAW…FOR DARFUR!  Want to support Kids for Kids and make a difference to a child’s life?  Learn all about our Goat Loan and then donate a goat today to improve a Read more

By Claire, ago

Fishing for Goats! Executive Fly Fishing Day 2020

Executive Fly Fishing Day – Saturday 10th October 2020. Park Lake, Surrey GU5 9JA At last – we can meet again!   Come and enjoy this wonderful day as a treat after being in isolation for so long! This year’s annual Kids for Kids’ Executive Fly Fishing Day will take place at Park Lake, Albury on 10th October. Book now as I am sure it will sell out quickly!  Who wouldn’t want to go fishing this year! We really are fishing for goats (well, not literally!)  – goats that will give their valuable milk for children who are hungry in Darfur!  We need as many as we can get.  The need is huge.  Do join us, it’s a real treat.  Park Lake is utterly beautiful, and ours for the day.   The secluded lake will be stocked with rainbow trout and if you have never tasted trout straight from the water to your plate than you have no idea how delicious it is.   Of course, you will have to catch it first!   Places for the Full Day and Half-day (AM or PM) sessions are Read more

By Claire, ago

DARFUR VISIT – AFTER 9 LONG YEARS ABSENCE

In February of this year Patricia Parker MBE, the Founder and CEO of Kids for Kids, visited Darfur for the first time in nine years. Due to the past Government we have been unable to get visas to enter Sudan since 2011, but because of the change in administration last year and ousting of President Bashir, we are now allowed back into the country. Our small team in Darfur are the reason we have been able to continue our projects in our existing villages, and adopt more every year. Today we are proud to have 100 Kids for Kids villages in Darfur where sustainable projects are helping people to transform their lives. I would like to invite you to engage with our most recent news, hearing straight from Patricia about her trip to Darfur in ‘News from Darfur’ and learning exactly what Kids for Kids did with your donations in 2019, and our plans for 2020 here.  We have improved our Gift List for 2020, which includes details of all our sustainable projects. As Easter is coming up, we invite you to join Read more

By Claire, ago

Live from Sudan – February 2020

Patricia Parker MBE, Kids for Kids Founder and CEO, visited Sudan for the first time in nine year this February. Here we shared live updates from Patricia during her trip. To read about everything Kids for Kids Accomplished in 2019 and our plans for 2020, please click here. Patricia’s First Impressions of Darfur After Nine Years Meeting Ibrahim Again – Wednesday 12th February “There is so much to tell you – but I have to tell you some most exciting news first …. I met Ibrahim yesterday! He is the little 9 year old whose 7 hour walk across the desert inspired Kids for Kids and has improved the lives of over half a million people. He is tall, good looking – and shy. I met his wife and two of his three little children, his brother and sister – and his lovely mother Asma. It was her extraordinary generosity in offering me their only food – a bowl of goat’s milk – that made me realise we had to try to help. Ibrahim’s eldest is now at our first Kindergarten!  I Read more

By Claire, ago