English Summmary
A World of Friends, Sweden, is a small Swedish based NGO. Our purpose is to run aid projects aimed at improving the health, education and economic standard of poor children and women in Ghana and in Southern India. The Swedish Board consists of six regular members and two deputy members, most of whom have been, or are currently employed in medical and educational professions. Ms Britt-Louise Theglander, Chairman of the Board, founded the organisation. Ms Theglander has been engaged in questions concerning education and sponsorship of deprived children in Ghana and India since 1987. All members of the Swedish Board work on a non-profit basis.
GHANA
In 1994, a Children’s Home was founded in the village of Biadan, close to the city of Berekum in the Brong Ahafu region, with funds provided by SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency). The village association of Biadan put their Club House at our disposal. Initially, we admitted 25 orphaned or abandoned children, who were cared for by locally recruited staff. These children have now grown up and live their own lives, and we have subsequently admitted new young children in need of help.
In 2004 we applied for funds to Radiohjälpen/Världens Barn to build a new Children’s Home on premises outside Biadan, put at our disposal by the chiefs of the district. On these premises A World of Friends had previously built an International School, for children from nursery school level up to ninth grade, which has been in operation since 1998. Children from the Biadan/Berekum region, who paid a school fee, were admitted and our orphaned children have all attended this school.
In 2004 we applied for funds to Radiohjälpen/Världens Barn to build a new Children’s Home on premises outside Biadan, put at our disposal by the chiefs of the district. On these premises A World of Friends had previously built an International School, for children from nursery school level up to ninth grade, which has been in operation since 1998. Children from the Biadan/Berekum region, who paid a school fee, were admitted and our orphaned children have all attended this school.
Our African coordinator, Dr Nana Ababio, has been involved in our projects since the start. He is a highly qualified person, with a background in the worldwide organisation Education International. Dr Ababio is very dedicated to the task of caring for the welfare of our children and works entirely on a non-profit basis.
INDIA
In Southern India, Tamil Nadu state, A World of Friends supports children from low cast families, mainly in the villages of Orikkai and Illupapattu, in the vicinity of Kancheepuram. With the help of Swedish sponsors we pay the children’s tuition fees and provide them with clothes, school uniforms and materials and their families with food rations once a month. Our children attend the local government schools. Additional education and help is provided by A World of Friends’ Evening schools, which are popular among all the village children. Thanks to this educational support many children from low cast families have managed to reach even university levels. We are especially proud of some of our girls, who are now working in banking, as engineers, nurses etc.
Many years ago village women in Orikkai started their own Banking System. They save a small amount of money each month. Subsequently, a woman can apply for a micro-loan from the Bank to purchase a for instance a cow, a sewing machine, or start a small enterprise. These banks are run entirely by the women themselves, together they decide on general terms, the size of loans, interests etc. A World of Friends has helped by providing additional funds.
We are also running a Sewing School for the women. After acquiring sewing skills, many of them have been recruited by the textile companies in the surrounding cities, and have thus improved their economic standard considerably.
Our local coordinator in India is A V Raghu. He is very dedicated to his task and well liked both among the children and their parents in Orikkai and Illupapattu. Mrs Walarmathy, who lives in Orikkai, is his assistant, and works closely with the women’s projects.
SWEDEN
At present A World of Friends has around 250 paying members in Sweden, many of whom are also sponsors of our African and Indian children. A large part of our proceeds, however, come from private donors and from Swedish school children. Since 1994 we have financed the management of the Children’s Home in Ghana with means collected by Swedish school children.
The effectiveness of the means we acquire is high, compared to that of many large organisations. Our administration costs are very low, around 4-7% of the total income.
Another advantage of being a small organisation is that we are in full control of the funds, and the way they are used in the care of the children and in our various projects. Corruption is a major problem in countries like Ghana and India, therefore we do not cooperate with local NGO’s. To be in full control of our local partners we have established our own subsidiaries, A World of Friends, Ghana, and A World of Friends, India.
A disadvantage of being a small organisation, however, is that our financial situation is very vulnerable, which also sets limits for growth and development. Increasingly we feel the need for a solid economic base. Large investments, e.g. purchasing a new school bus, constructing or repairing a school building or fixing showers and toilets for the orphaned children, pose problems. When we apply for funds for such purposes from companies or official aid organisations we are mostly denied help with the motivation that our organisation is too small. Thus we find ourselves in a vicious circle.
During the pandemic we have not been able to visit Ghana and India. Nevertheless, we have been in close contact with our local coordinators. We have managed to keep up our aid programmes both in Ghana and India and none of the children or staff members have contracted covid-19 or died. Schools, however, have been closed for long periods.
We are proud of our accomplishments to date and are eager to continue our work both in Ghana and India. The support of our Swedish sponsors and school children has been invaluable and we hope to reach out to international sponsors as well.
