Care for Africa

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Care for Africa is an Australian charity that encourages young Australians to include philanthropic endeavour in their lives and think of others less fortunate living in deplorable third-world conditions in Africa. The full name of the group is the Peter Hewitt Care for Africa Foundation Inc. It was formed in 2007 by Diana Morrison and Dr. Peter Hewitt after their visit to Tanzania and Kenya in June 2006.

The Foundation has already participated in several projects in some of the poorest parts of Africa - Tarime in the Mara Region of Tanzania and in Southern Kenya. Many more projects have been identified in these areas, including sending orphans to school, stocking libraries in schools, and providing running water to local health care facilities.

The Foundation's key partner in Tanzania is the Tarime Goodwill Foundation, run by Dr. Hudson Winani. TGF runs one of only two hospitals that serve a population of over 500,000 people. With almost identical populations, Tasmania (pop. 490,000), where the Foundation is based, and the Tarime District (pop. 515,000), where the Foundation is focusing its initial efforts, epitomize the astounding differences in demographics and living conditions between developed countries and the third-world.

Population density

  1. Tarime:    37.2 people per square km
  2. Tasmania:   2.5 people per square km

Population per physician

  1. Tarime:     44,132
  2. Tasmania:      384

Hospitals & Health Centres

  1. Tarime:        5 (2 hospitals and 3 health centres)
  2. Tasmania:     56 (3 acute hospitals, 20 rural health facilities, 21 community health centres, and 5 rural nursing centres)

Government spending on health

  1. Tanzania:       $4/person (less in rural areas)
  2. Australia:  $3,785/person (2003-04)

Infant mortality rates

  1. Tarime:     71.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  2. Tasmania:    7.0 deaths/1,000 live births
  3. Australia:   4.8 deaths/1,000 live births

< 5 years old mortality rates

  1. Tarime:     165 deaths/1,000 live births
  2. Tasmania:     6 deaths/1,000 live births

% of population infected with HIV/AIDS

  1. Tarime:   7.8% (1.5 million people in Tanzania)
  2. Tasmania: 0.1% (12,000 people total for Australia)

Average life expectancy

  1. Tarime:     52 years for females ... 50 years for males
  2. Tasmania: 81.8 years for females ... 76.7 years for males

% of population living below poverty line

  1. Tarime:    46%
  2. Tasmania:  13%

Average household income in rural areas

  1. Tarime:      $34/month (36,304 shillings)
  2. Tasmania: $2,875/month

Access to safe drinking water

  1. Tarime:    57% (rural) .... 90% (urban)
  2. Tasmania: 100%

Children in primary school

  1. Tarime:    48%
  2. Tasmania  100%

Children in secondary school

  1. Tarime:    4% (boys) ...  3% (girls)
  2. Tasmania  96%

Tertiary (university/TAFE etc.) attendance

  1. Tarime:    1%
  2. Tasmania  80%

The Foundation’s mission is to “cultivate an ethos of philanthropic endeavour in young Australians through participation in projects that advance the well-being of orphans and other groups in need in Africa”. A key goal of the Foundation is also to enrich society by encouraging philanthropic endeavour in Australian youth, and increasing their awareness of the current issues unique to Africa.

The Foundation encourages schools across Australia to start their own “Care for Africa” projects. The Foundation also sends young Australians to Africa on work experience or on travel scholarships.

SOURCES: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania Census 2002, EarthTrends Country Profiles, World Health Organization, District Health Service, Australian Health and Ageing System Concise Factbook

The foundation's website can be found at [1].