International Care & Relief
Encyclopedia
Build Africa is a British registered International development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...

 charity, based in Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

It focuses on working with children and young people in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 parts of Kenya and Uganda, East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

.

History

Founded as a branch of International Christian Relief, the charity broke off from the American parent body and became independent under the name International Care & Relief, which enabled it to continue to use its recognised acronym, ICR.

Its scope was then theoretically universal, dealing with all age groups and in all parts of the developing world. For operational reasons, the charity increasingly began to focus its work on young people in rural Africa in the early years of the 21st century, eventually leading to a rebrand to its current name.

Scope of work

Build Africa works with rural communities in Kenya and Uganda to help young people escape poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

 through education and income generation.

The organisation works on two programmes:

- Build A School has worked in 115 schools benefitting over 150,000 children since 2004. Classrooms, staff rooms, toilet blocks, water supplies and teachers' accommodation are built. Build Africa provides desks and books and teacher training. But most importantly the local community leads each project. School management committees are trained and supported while Build Africa works with parents to ensure that the children receive the best education possible now and in the future.

- Build An Income sets out to create sustainable models for increasing the incomes of the poor, giving young people the chance to save, to work their way out of poverty and to increase the prosperity of their community. In addition, the programme provides them with adequate nutrition and better access to education and healthcare.
As of the end of June 2011, 1183 'Village Savings and Loans Association' groups have been funded. 33,772 members have been involved with the VSLA project.

Trustees and Patrons

Its Patrons are Dame Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....

, Danny Wallace, Sir Simon Hornby, James Wilby
James Wilby
James Jonathon Wilby is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father...

, Henry Olonga
Henry Olonga
Henry Khaaba Olonga is a former Zambian-born cricketer for Zimbabwe.- Cricket career :He made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, at age 18 years, 212 days, becoming the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe. He helped Zimbabwe to its first ever Test victory...

, and Shiulie Ghosh
Shiulie Ghosh
Shiulie Ghosh is a television journalist for Al Jazeera English, a leading international news network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. She attended The Avenue Primary School, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, and then Teesside High....

.

Its trustees are Keith Leslie (Chairman of the Board), Phil Vernon, Mark Florman
Mark Florman
Mark Florman is a British businessman. He is a co-founder and former CEO of Maizels, Westerberg & Co.-Professional background:Florman graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1981....

, Claire Gillingwater, James Shaw-Hamilton, Julie Pörksen and Karen Westley.
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