BToday, I continue writing about partners of organizations that I have written about previously. This time, I want to tell you about a partner of the well known and well respected organization African Medical & Research Foundation Canada (AMREF). AMREF's partner that I want to tell you about is Athletes for Africa
Athletes for Africa is a charitable organization that uses the power of sport to educate and engage Canadians in Africa's fight against poverty, famine and disease. It is also the brainchild of Adrian Bradbury, the sports information coordinator at the University of Toronto, who founded the organization in 2004. The organization says on its web site that Bradbury founded Athletes for Africa to bring "the plight of many Africans to the attention of the Toronto community."
Athletes for Africa is described as an athlete-driven organization dedicated to making a difference in Africa's most under-developed regions.
Here, I will quote liberally from Athletes for Africa's web site, because - to be honest, I cannot state it any more concisely than they have.
"Athletes for Africa focuses its infrastructure and development support on building sustainable communities.
"We recognize that there is no single solution for Africa, but the more resources and voices there are for its most under-developed regions, the better the chance its people have for a future that they control.
"The greatest gifts come from the organizations who are helping people help themselves. That's our aim.
"Our current efforts in Africa centre on battling the HIV/AIDS pandemic, providing water and sanitation solutions and delivering food security solutions in Africa's most underdeveloped regions. Those programs are being executed on the the ground through the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) Canada, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada. Along with these innovative groups, Athletes for Africa is providing support for long term solutions that empower.
"The infrastructure and development knowledge for Africa's future already exists and that's why we are focused on delivering programs on the ground through partnerships. Athletes for Africa aims to lead the movement in Canada towards these partnerships. More non-governmental organizations delivering projects in Africa is not the answer; cooperation is."
It is clear that Athletes for Africa gets plenty of respect because, not only does it have AMREF as a partner, but it also has some additional "heavy hitting" partners as well.
Stating that "Canada is already an international leader in development and infrastructure solutions;" this is what they say about their partners:
African Medical & Research Foundation Canada (AMREF)
AMREF's mission is to improve the health of disadvantaged people in Africa as a means for them to escape poverty and improve the quality of their lives.
Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR)
CPAR is inspired by the vision of a healthy planet and is dedicated to supporting vulnerable, low-income people in the developing world in their efforts to achieve good health.
Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB)
Engineers Without Borders promotes human development through access to technology. Its members are passionate about helping people gain access to the technology they need to improve their lives.
Because they believe that "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem," Athletes for Africa offers many different ways in which individuals or organizations can participate in their efforts. They call on people to:
Volunteer
Fundraise
Donate and/or Partner
Get Educated & Spread the Word
Just as athletes often provide good role models for youth, Athletes for Africa provides a good role model on many levels, and individuals (whether athletes or not) as well as organizations would do well to follow their example.
Check Them Out, Drop Them An Email, See If You Can Work Together Or A Project Of Common Concern. - Athletes For Africa
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