Kids for Kids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kids for Kids is a British charity that was created to help children struggling to survive in remote villages in Darfur, Sudan. It is one of the three nominees for International Development Charity of the Year at the UK Charity Awards[1].
The charity was founded by Patricia Parker MBE in 2001, with the original goal of providing kid goats that children in the villages could look after. In addition it has provided water-pumps which supply about 50,000 villagers; tomatoes and okra now flourish where once there was nothing but sand. In 2005 the charity supplied goats that gave an estimated 11,000 children access to milk packed with vitamins and minerals that are literally life-savers in a land where food is scarce[2].
They have been mentioned with approval in debates in the House of Lords[3] and notable supporters include Ruth Rendell and Javier Solana who donated half his Carnegie-Wateler peace prize money to them in 2007[4]
Kids for Kids provides long term self sustainable projects, identified by the communities themselves - and run by them. They we were told by various communities that their simple integrated projects - the loan of goats and donkeys, training of midwives and para-vets and much more - are enabling them to stay in their homes[5]
In February 2005 Patricia Parker and her son were abducted by rebels in Darfur but subsequently released unharmed[6]. At one point during the abduction the leader of the rebels shouted: ‘Don’t you understand that I could have you killed at any moment?’ but Parker kept smiling and I said: ‘Of course I do — but I also know about Sudanese hospitality and I know that I am perfectly safe’. They were released the following morning. [7]
