Build Africa formerly International Care & Relief (ICR),http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/showcharity/(S(0tazjw45qhkakd555iyljfjd))/registerofcharities/CharityFramework.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=298316&SubsidiaryNumber=0&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 and International Christian Relief, is a British

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

based in London, England, involved in

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic development, economic or human development (economics), human development on an international sca ...

and

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

. The

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

works to improve access to quality

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

Africa, with projects focussed in Kenya and Uganda,

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

. Build Africa state that they "believe in the power of education to help end

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

", and work to ensure vulnerable children in Africa get the right infrastructure, teaching and family support so they can get the most from their time at school and go on to lead productive, healthy and happy lives.

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 recognized

acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...

, ICR. At the same time as becoming an independent organisation, ICR moved away from aid relief, choosing instead to focus on long-term development operating specifically East Africa. :2004 - ICR launched its first sustainable education program, called Build a School, aiming to promote access to education in rural areas of Kenya and Uganda. Build a School worked with 11 schools in its first year. :2007 - ICR re-branded to become Build Africa to reflect the organization's interest in sustainable development. :2009 - Build Africa was awarded 'Best International Charity' by the Charity Times, and continued to expand its programs. :2013 - Build Africa supported 65,962 children in 148 school communities, trained 3,063 people in hygiene and sanitation, and worked with 5,378 farmers towards better agricultural practices. :2017 - Build Africa secured support from the Department For International Development UK Aid Match, for its Mums Read, Kids Succeed campaign. The campaign helps young mothers in rural Uganda to learn literacy skills and access healthcare and nutrition services.

Approaches

Build Africa partners with remote and rural communities where children are leaving school without vital basic skills. Their approach then aims to help parents and teachers to create sustainable, effective schools and to nurture their children's learning. Build Africa's work has two overall aims: Improve access to education for children and improve the quality of education that they receive.

Ambassadors

Michelle Essomé Michelle Kathryn Essomé (née Taylor) is a former investment banker and the ex-CEO of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). She is also an ambassador of Build Africa, an international development and education charit ...

is an ambassador of the charity.

Patrons

Build Africa has a number of patrons who support the charity's work, including:

Clive Myrie Clive Augustus Myrie (born 25 August 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter for the BBC. He is one of the channel's chief news presenters and correspondents, as well as its election results presenter. Since August 2021, he has b ...

Tamzin Merchant Tamzin Claire Merchant (born 4 March 1987) is a British actress, best known for her roles as Georgiana Darcy in the film '' Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), as Catherine Howard in the Showtime series ''The Tudors'' (2009–2010) and as Anne Hale in ...

, Shiulie Ghosh and

Mark Florman Carl Alan Mark Florman (born 2 November 1958) is a British businessman. He is a co-founder and former CEO of the merchant banking group, Maizels, Westerberg & Co. and Time Partners Limited. Florman led the review of governance for UK public bodi ...

References

External links

Build-africa.org - official homepage
*
''This is Africa (Financial Times)'' 01/06/2009
{{Authority control Charities based in Kent Development charities based in the United Kingdom Rural development in Africa