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Hey everyone, Amy here. Welcome to our annual giving edition, where we check in with all of our charity partners around the world. Over the past few months, we've been reaching out to ask how things are going and there's definitely been more of an edge, and a lot more need. But every conversation, each email, has also reminded us that there are so many people out there doing the hard yards, digging the trenches, and keeping the lights on.
Increasingly, we're starting to see some of our partners show up in the news we report. To take one example, Glia, who we first donated to back in 2019, collaborated with the World Health Organisation in Gaza to bring in healthcare workers and medical supplies during last year's extraordinary vaccination drives. Hearing those kinds of stories makes us want to double down on what we're doing: to not just report on progress, but to make it happen.
So, before we get to our roundup, we want to tell you a little more about two organisations on the front lines of healthcare in Palestine and Pakistan.
The first is Glia, which we've already mentioned. Their medical team is on the ground in Gaza right now, where they've set up clean water initiatives, supported vaccination drives, and established a field clinic with 13 local healthcare workers and nine support staff who provide free health services to any Palestinian seeking care. The clinic offers emergency support, primary health care, medicine, and vaccinations to over 600 patients a week We want to give them US$10,000 to help them keep doing this incredible work and responding to the most urgent needs.
The other organisation is MiracleFeet, who are working in Pakistan to close the gap on clubfoot, one of the world's leading causes of disability. Every year, 8,200 babies are born with clubfoot in Pakistan, but MiracleFeet's simple treatment can set them on a path to lifelong mobility and opportunity. The cost to fix clubfoot for one child is US$317, which covers all treatment costs, braces, provider training and awareness-raising initiatives. We want to give them US$10,000, which will cover full treatment for more than 30 kids.
Here's where you might be able to help. We've got the first $10,000 ready to go, but we need an extra $10,000 to make both of these projects happen. We know things aren't easy out there, but this is not your standard charity donation - 100% of your money goes straight to the source and will be used directly to purchase life-saving and life-changing equipment. You can donate here through our new funding platform, Myriad. Every little bit helps, even $10.
In our roundup last year, you helped us give 45 Afghan and Mexican girls access to technology and continued education. Thanks to this community of readers, 35 Kindles are now in the hands of students at SOLA and 15 laptops were delivered to students and staff at Fondo Guadalupe Musalem.
Let's see if we can do it again for these kids in Gaza and Pakistan.
Good news from Uganda, Timor Leste and Nigeria
After last month's donation of 100 bunk beds to the Te-Kworo Foundation school for girls in Uganda, they received 17 more donations in six different currencies from you, our subscribers, totalling AU$11,130. That means you almost doubled our original pledge! Likewise, the Alma Nuns in Timor Leste were delighted to receive additional donations and emails from many of our readers offering support. And remember back in March when we helped Mercy Corps fill the gap left by USAID for a sanitation project in Nigeria? Well, we're thrilled to report that other funders topped up the donation and the project will now be completed.
"Your gift of $10,000 will help Mercy Corps complete critical WASH programming in Nigeria to provide approximately 20,000 people with access to lifesaving clean water infrastructure. Thank you for making this work possible."
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO Mercy Corps
New caravan creates access to mental healthcare in South Africa
Phola is a community-based organisation making mental health services more accessible. Their mobile clinic travels around Johannesburg’s most deprived and violent townships, offering free therapy to help break the cycle of trauma. When we found out last year that their caravan had reached the end of its run, we donated US$5,000 to buy and fit out a new one. The clinic is now back on wheels, complete with a snazzy Fix The News logo.
Speaking of snazzy logos, our river barrier has collected 504.6 kilograms of trash in Bali. At the start of this year we partnered with Sungai Watch to sponsor a river barrier at Lembah Sanggulan, and we've been blown away by its impact in just 133 days. We've been tracking this organisation since 2020, and are thrilled to be playing a small part. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring one of these barriers, reach out to dika@sungaiwatch.com.
One of the things we love most about Sungai's work is that this is not just about plastic; they're creating livelihoods for local communities. One of the team who helps take care of our barrier is Pak Made, the Patrol Captain in Beraba, who was among the organisation’s first employees.
"I want my environment to be clean. If I clean up, hopefully others will follow. It’s about raising awareness so people stop throwing trash everywhere. I don’t work because someone’s watching. I work for myself, and for Bali. Without Sungai Watch, our rivers would still be buried in trash. My hope is that one day, Sungai Watch will be all over Indonesia."
Here's some more information about the barrier, the team looking after it, and a transcript of the interview with Pak Made.
Fortified flour for 30,000 people a day in Kenya
In March 2023, we partnered with Sanku to purchase two dosifiers (small machines that add vitamin B12, zinc, folic acid, and iron to local flour) for two mills in Kenya - today these machines are producing over 150 metric tonnes of fortified flour a month, reaching over 30,000 people daily. Sanku are on track to reach 30 million people in 2026, which is a huge step forward to ending hidden hunger. They're looking for people with expertise in communications, policy, or technology. If you'd like to volunteer, email info@sanku.com
Empowering kids in Syria, one frame at a time
Back in 2020, we supported a young Syrian photographer, Serbest Salih who runs free analog photography workshops for underprivileged kids in Mardin, a few kilometres from the Syrian border. Photography helps these kids make sense of their lives, in circumstances most of us could never imagine. Today, Fotohane DARKROOM has big plans to extend their reach into remote villages and refugee camps and are trying to secure a new mobile darkroom. You can help them out here.
Tracking technology is protecting elephants and desert lions
Smart Parks uses technology to track and protect wildlife around the world. In 2022, we helped fund the development of a new sensor called ElephantEdge, which uses high-end satellite connectivity to track orphaned elephants after they’re reintroduced into the wild. These guys keep going from strength to strength - not only is their technology open-source, their sensors are now protecting elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, desert lions and more.
Tacugama needs help urgently
Tacugama in Sierra Leone is one of the leading chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world. They care for 120 rescued chimps, and last year we sent them US$5,000 to support the rehabilitation of two young orphans, Esther and Koba. We’re happy to report they're doing really well. Esther has graduated from forest school and Koba has successfully integrated into one of the adult enclosures. However, despite Tacugama's tireless efforts to protect the forests around the sanctuary, they have been forced to close their doors to visitors as illegal encroachment threatens the buffer between the chimpanzee enclosures and human settlement. This means they're losing their revenue from tourism at a time when the rainy season brings increased threats to the 40 orphaned babies and toddlers in their care. For $30, you can help provide one month of essential medication, immune-boosting vitamins, and warm ginger tea for a chimp. Click here to donate.
Wildfire damage in the Peruvian Andes decreased last summer
Grassroots initiative Acción Andina works with local communities across seven countries in South America to restore high-altitude Andean forests. Last year we sent them US$6,000 to kit out two local forest fire brigades in Peru ahead of the fire season. Here’s what they told us:
"The equipment donated by your subscribers helped our communities mitigate the annual fires along all the highlands at Vilcanota mountains. We had less problems because the communities reacted on time, every time. All the reports show that the area was less damaged by the fires compared with previous years."
Founder, Constantino Aucca Chutas
Sea turtle conservation powers ahead in Costa Rica
In 2023, we helped the Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation and Science purchase a drone and satellite transmitters so they could step up their research on sea turtles. Thanks to this technology, the team has launched a proof-of-concept study on the systematic tracking and monitoring of sea turtles and started mapping potential hotspots along Costa Rica’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts. We've got a feeling this project is going to be one to watch! They're in urgent need of help with content creation and revamping their website to help spread the word. If you have the skills, get in touch at coasts.cr@gmail.com
"Thanks to your support, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation of sea turtle conservation and research."
Christine Figgener, Founder, Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation & Science
82 babies were safely delivered in the jungles of Myanmar
Sustain Myanmar runs maternal care clinics in war-torn regions of Myanmar. In 2023 we helped them build a new birthing unit in the mountainous jungles of Karen State. As one of the only facilities offering high-level care for women, over the past 12 months they have assisted in 82 births, 39 of which were C-sections; 44 OBGYN surgeries; and treated women and newborns with Hepatitis B along with women suffering from molar pregnancy.
Technology empowers 1,400 community rangers
Thin Green Line equips community wildlife ranger with essential technology, tools and training to help them protect their forests. In 2021, we kitted out 30 rangers in Cameroon with GPS technology, camera traps and camping equipment to help them safeguard a biodiversity hotspot. Since then, TGL is continuing to do incredible work. In the past 12 months alone, they've provided radios for rangers in Zimbabwe, fire-fighting supplies in Indonesia, warm jackets for night patrols in India, and over 800 uniforms. You can support their work here.
Menstrual hygiene for girls in rural Uganda
In 2023 we partnered with School For Life to distribute 2,500 reusable menstrual hygiene kits through their Menstrual Hygiene Management program. Since last year, the program has contributed to reduced absenteeism at school and provided employment for local women who make the kits. We loved this story of Doreen, a 13-year-old student at Mbazzi Riverside Primary School, and the difference these kits made to her.
"My Name is Kyendigamba Doreen. I used to fear going to school during my period. I used makeshift materials that often leaked, and I was afraid my classmates would laugh at me. I even missed school and suffered infections due to poor hygiene. Things changed when we received reusable sanitary pads and training on how to use them. Now, I feel confident and clean. I no longer miss school, I play sports freely, and I interact with others without fear. Menstruation no longer holds me back."
Disability from clubfoot is declining in the Philippines
In 2021, we teamed up with Miracle Feet to cover the cost of 250 braces for kids suffering from clubfoot in the Philippines. The local program has now enrolled 5,926 children and thanks to the organisation's ongoing work, the Department of Health has prioritised a national surveillance and intervention mechanism for clubfoot and a National Birth Defects Surveillance Project will be led by the University of the Philippines Manila. Talk about small steps adding up to big change!
Empowering young women in rural Mexico to stay in school
Fondo Guadalupe Musalem is a small charity in Oaxaca that provides scholarships, counselling and tutoring for young women from rural communities so they can finish high school and pursue higher education. Thanks to your help, we sent them 15 laptops last year; 10 for the scholarship recipients and five for admin staff to run workshops on cybersecurity skills, document formatting and navigating Google Classroom. We love what this organisation is doing, and a lot of their past students have gone on to become advocates and leaders in their communities. They're currently granting a new round of scholarships, but need help funding some more laptops. You can support them here.
A new home for the education of Afghan girls
SOLA, Afghanistan's first and only boarding school for girls, is one of the most powerful stories we've ever come across. During the Taliban takeover in August 2021, they evacuated 250 students and staff out of Kabul and relocated the school to Rwanda. Despite have to rebuild their resources from scratch, they continue educating new cohorts of girls and thanks to your support, we were able to give a Kindle to 35 new students last year.
Over the past four years, we've watched this organisation continue to rise up against the odds - launching SOLAx, a free online learning platform, and in February breaking ground on a permanent campus in Rwanda, which is scheduled to open in September, 2026. Recently, they welcomed their latest cohort to Rwanda. If you're able to help them out and donate a Kindle, click on their Amazon wish list.
"From enabling personalised learning to enhancing vocabulary and study habits, Kindles empower SOLA students to explore, grow, and learn— academically and beyond. We’re incredibly grateful to the Fix The News Community for helping us provide Kindles to our new students last year—your support has made such a difference!"
3D-printed medical supplies are saving lives in crisis zones
Glia started as an open-source medical hardware company providing high-quality, low-cost, 3D-printed medical devices for people in crisis zones. In 2019 we crowdsourced AU$8,000 to distribute 3D-printed stethoscopes to medical students in Gaza. Today, Glia has broadened its scope as a "medical solidarity" organisation, addressing systemic gaps and working toward a future where locally manufactured medical devices are once again the norm.
Also...
Thanks to the support of our paid subscribers, we've delivered: 100 solar-powered powerbanks to refugees in Bosnia, solar panels to a rehabilitation centre for kids with special needs in Tanzania, two handheld ultrasound devices for medical teams in Yemen, two portable anaesthesia machines in Mongolia, a solar energy system for a community health centre in Sierra Leone, five laptops to the Rural Communities Empowerment Centre in Ghana and 12 computers for two local libraries in Papua New Guinea. You've given a drone to the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe in Brazil to aid their surveillance of deforestation, provided a machine to help refugees in Algeria turn plastic trash into buttons and jewellery to sell, and helped install a professional audio-visual setup in the headquarters of Gorongosa National Park, one of the most amazing conservation success stories in Africa. You've supported a centre in Delhi's red light district for children of sex workers, a Vitamin A supplementation program in sub-Saharan Africa and helped a teacher in Chad set up a mobile school for nomad children. You also sent vital equipment like computers, phones, and drones to The Akashinga, an all-female team of anti-poaching rangers in Zimbabwe, as well as ten water pump bikes to farmers in Mozambique to give them access to irrigation for their fields.
None of this is easy, there are no fairy tales here.
Whether our partners have been doing this work for three years or three decades, the stakes keep getting higher, the global headwinds keep changing course and yet, they continue to show up, to fight the odds and sometimes, pull off the impossible.
One thing we noticed as we reached out for updates this year was how many of our partners responded with exactly the same words: "Thank you for continuing to shine a spotlight on our work." It's a reminder that the most valuable thing we can do as a media organisation is to keep that beam shining bright and pointing in the right direction.
Thanks to all of our paid subscribers for making this all possible, we are so grateful. Back to normal programming next week.
Much love,
Amy