With a sunset reminiscent of Africa, and sundowner cocktails in hand, guests mingled in a marketplace alive with African music, food and vendors selling their crafts.

Over a dinner donated by some of Toronto’s top caterers, supporters heard a welcome address from AMREF’s global campaign patron Graça Machel Mandela from South Africa, encouraging Canadians to help put an end to the suffering that needlessly accompanies pregnancy and birth on the African continent.

Dr. Karlee Silver from Grand Challenges Canada also declared her support of AMREF and urged Canadians to think of innovative solutions to help further the cause.

Esther Madudu,  the AMREF-trained Ugandan midwife, moved everyone by inviting us to experience “a day in the life” of a midwife. For many communities where AMREF works, a trained midwife like Esther can mean the difference between life and death.

After fine performances by Jazz singer Denise Pelley and lively Zimbabwean music played by The Resolutionaries, the evening ended with a reminder that AMREF’s MAMATOTO campaign has only just begun. With an ambitious target to train 15,000 midwives by 2015, AMREF will need to raise $37MM worldwide.

If you could not make the event but still wish to contribute to our goal, please support AMREF’s Maternal and Child Health Campaign.

We would like to extend a big Asante Sana to all who attended, sponsored, and volunteered at MAMATOTO. It is only with your continued support that we are able to execute award-winning programs that will achieve better health for Africa.

Re-live the gala by browsing photos below.

To fill a pressing need in West Africa, AMREF recently opened an office in Senegal. This office will serve as a hub for several West African countries. Our aim in this region is to replicate our effective interventions that have proven successful in East and Southern Africa. Initially, the program will strengthen the quality and sustainability of health services for underserved rural and disadvantaged communities by focusing on the following four major areas.

• Through an AMREF E-Learning Training Project, we are upgrading the skills and training of midwives and nurses in remote regions of Senegal. The primary aim is to improve women’s health in isolated regions. The project will
  • enhance the capacity of nurse and midwife schools to continually upgrade curricula;
  • track students and implement effective E-Learning; and,
  • increase the number of highly skilled nurses and midwives, leading to better maternal and infant care.

• AMREF’s TeleMedicine Project is providing medical consultations, diagnostic services as well as specialist medical and surgical services to health personnel working in remote hospitals. To avoid the risk of professional isolation and outdated practices, the project will improve knowledge transfer to rural doctors through the increased use of information and communication technology, such as mobile phones and internet.

• The AMREF Outreach Program is improving the long-term ability of 12 remote hospitals to provide high quality general medical services, including
  • reconstructive surgery of cleft and lip palate;
  • treatment of fistula; and,
  • treatment of cataracts.
  The Program is training local surgeons, medical doctors, clinical officers, nurses, and laboratory workers as well as strengthening links between hospital-based and community-based health services.

In addition, our Senegal hub is working with two rural school districts, on a pilot basis, to establish and expand programs that enable families and communities to resolve their own health concerns -- that is, to prevent disease, and to better their health and quality of life.

AMREF is very enthusiastic about its new Senegal office. Through this expansion into West Africa, we are pleased to bring our proven and sustainable community-based health strategies and training initiatives to more families across the continent.

Coming Thursday May 10th, AMREF Canada's 15th Annual Gala, MAMATOTO!

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR MOTHERS AND BABIES IN AFRICA

Back by popular demand, this lively celebration will recreate an African Marketplace and come alive with music and vendors selling their arts and crafts.

Live and Silent Auctions will feature one-of-a-kind African safaris, experiential vacations, African artifacts, jewelry and much more!

MAMATOTO is part of AMREF’s first-ever global campaign endorsed by Graça Machel Mandela. Through this initiative we’ve pledged to train 15,000 midwives by 2015 and help save the lives of African women and their babies across the continent.

Thursday, May 10th
Polson Pier, 11 Polson Street, Toronto
7:00-11:00pm
Dress: casual
Tickets: $250
50% of the cost of the ticket receives a charitable tax receipt.

Reserve your tickets today.
Contact Liz Doyle, Donor Relations Manager:
416-961-6981
1-888-318-4442
liz@amrefcanada.org

If you cannot attend, please consider supporting maternal and child health initiatives in Africa.

Interested in volunteering or becoming a sponsor for MAMATOTO?

Uganda

Uganda’s health services are weak, but joint efforts by the Ministry of Health and organizations like AMREF have improved overall access to better health for its people.

Today, 72% of the population live within 5km of a health facility – up from 49% five years ago.

Working with district health councils and health care institutions, AMREF is improving the knowledge and skills of local communities and health professionals through training and partnering – targeting community health workers, water committees and technicians, women’s groups and community leaders.

Uganda's Major Health Challenges

Communicable diseases such as malaria are the leading cause of death and illness in Uganda. Women and children are most affected. AIDS continues to cause most adult deaths and is the main reason for Uganda’s falling life expectancy rate.

Today, an estimated 1 million adults (57% of them women) and 187,000 children are HIV positive. HIV also fuels the TB epidemic. Half of all HIV positive people have TB, and 30% of them will eventually die as a result.

Rural areas have least access to basic health care, safe water and sanitation. This, alongside poor hygiene, creates high rates of diarrhoeal disease and death in children. Distance and cost also play their part in Uganda’s health crisis – 13% of people do not seek medical attention because they can’t afford it, or can’t reach clinics. Trained health workers are scarce in rural areas – some districts have as little as 26% of the professional medical staff they need.

Districts in the north and east of Uganda are consistently worse off than those in other regions, largely as result of two decades of conflict and insecurity.

AMREF is:

Empowering girls towards better health in Atanga and Kitgum, northern Uganda. 

Implementing the Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education (PHASE) program – a simple but life saving initiative – in schools across Uganda. 

Tanzania

The escalating HIV epidemic, high maternal mortality rates and severe health worker shortages have all contributed to Tanzania’s current health crisis. But infant mortality has fallen by a quarter in the last five years due to improved access to health care and better environmental sanitation. AMREF works across Tanzania, empowering communities and supporting the government at all levels to identify and address major health needs. We have tested half a million people for HIV in a programme that has been adopted by the government and scaled up nation wide.

Tanzania’s Major Health Challenges

More than 2.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania and an estimated 2 million children have been orphaned as a result of the disease. Despite this, awareness is low and half of all new infections occur among 15-24 year-olds.

Malaria is one of the biggest killers in Tanzania and accounts for the deaths of 80,000 children under-five every year. Health conditions are particularly poor in rural areas because of the lack of front-line community health workers and access to clean water.

Gender stereotypes are strong, with girls and women being passive participants in decision-making at all levels. As a result, Tanzania has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world. In extreme cases gender-based violence, sexual abuse and female genital mutilation becomes the norm.

AMREF is:

Encouraging people to get themselves tested for HIV through the Angaza project and reducing the stigma attached to the disease.

Improving the capacity of counselors to address the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in discordant relationships.

Southern Sudan

Southern Sudan is emerging from a 21-year civil war.

It has great potential, natural resources and support from the international community - but, the health situation is dire. Most health care facilities were destroyed during the war and there are few qualified health workers, leaving 11 million people with little or no medical care. AMREF works with Southern Sudan’s Ministry of Health, producing a national health care plan, training health workers, and providing a primary health care project serving 150,000 people.

Southern Sudan's Major Health Challenges

Southern Sudan has the highest maternal death rate in the world. This is caused by a severe lack of trained midwives, inadequate health facilities and the high rate of teenage pregnancy. There are very few government funds for health. The few hospitals and clinics that do exist are unevenly distributed – with rural areas more poorly served than urban ones.

Preventable and treatable diseases are claming lives. Malaria, meningitis, measles, yellow fever and whooping cough are epidemic in some areas. Leprosy, river blindness, sleeping sickness, cholera, polio and guinea worm are also re-emerging.

HIV rates are low in Southern Sudan (2.6%), but a sharp rise is feared. Post-conflict conditions could fuel the spread of HIV – a mobile population, demobilised soldiers, a lack of HIV/AIDS awareness and a scarcity of condoms.

AMREF is:

Working with the Ministry of Health to train doctors, clinical officers, midwives, laboratory technicians and pharmacists.

Providing safe water and sanitation to reduce waterborne diseases in Terekeka county by: constructing latrines to improve environmental health and sanitation sinking new wells and monitoring the quality of water promoting health and hygiene through community hygiene educators Rebuilding primary health care centres and training community health workers in Terekeka county.

Providing up-to-date research on South Sudan’s health care needs, and working with the government on a health care plan to meet these needs.

Click here to hear audio files on AMREF's work training midwives and clinical officers

South Africa 

Though one of Africa’s strongest economies, the HIV epidemic has taken a severe toll on South Africa’s workforce. It has also left 1.2 million children orphaned.

AMREF is working in four of the most-affected provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

South African’s Major Health Challenges

South Africa has the second highest HIV rate in the world, with an estimated 5.5 million people (18.8% of the population) HIV-positive. In KwaZulu Natal, the infection rate is a high as 39.1%.

Hospitals are now struggling to cope with the number of HIV-related patients. A recent study estimates that HIV-positive patients will soon account for 60-70% of medical expenditure in South African hospitals.

South Africa is also the fifth-worst TB-affected country in the world, and this crisis is worsening as some strains of TB are now resistant to standard treatments. The outbreak of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal detected in early September 2006 underscored the lethal combination of HIV and TB in South Africa, where as many as 60% of adult TB patients overall are also infected with HIV.

There is a critical shortage of health workers, especially in rural areas, where 72% of the population lives. While there have been some improvements in health care services, many clinics still lack basic equipment, drugs, tests for HIV and TB and essentials like piped water and electricity. 70% of the population in rural areas first consults with traditional healers when falling ill yet the health care system does not fully collaborate with them in health care delivery.

AMREF is: 

Improving cure rates for TB and promoting the integration of HIV/AIDS and TB services in Eastern Cape.

Providing care and support for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS – including mentoring, counselling, and ensuring their education and other rights in Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal Province.

Training and supporting traditional healers to respond to the challenge of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and closing the gap that exists between the healers and the formal health care services in KwaZulu Natal.

Training and mentoring community-based organisations providing HIV-prevention and care and support services for people with HIV in Limpopo.

Kenya

Kenya’s population of 35 million people has placed a tremendous strain on the health system, already suffering from soaring AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria rates.

AMREF works with a diverse range of Kenyan communities including urban slum settlements in Nairobi, remote rural areas in the north-east and south, lake regions in the west and coastal communities in the east.

Kenya’s Major Health Challenges

Kenya is currently facing a health crisis. A rapidly increasing population, an under funded health sector, and countrywide shortages of skilled health workers means that mortality rates in Kenya remain high and continue to rise – particularly among women and children in disadvantaged communities.

The public health service is often beyond the reach of those living in remote rural areas or urban slums. The community health facilities are often under-resourced and staffed by few, inadequately trained and overworked health workers.

Effective health care is hindered by mismanagement, low staff morale, and a disconnect between the community needs and health services available.

Most doctors in Kenya gravitate towards cities with large hospitals. Many are abandoning public practice to work in private clinics and many others are leaving Kenya to work overseas. As a result, community health centres in remote locations suffer an acute shortage of trained professionals.

AIDS is the leading cause of lost productivity in Kenya. About 5.9 per cent of the population or 1.2 million people in Kenya are currently infected with HIV.

AMREF is:

Helping youth in urban slums, especially girls, to improve their health, escape from poverty and improve their academic opportunities.

Supporting Laboratory medicine across East Africa by setting up new labs, providing technical expertise and developing training courses

Awarding rural health professionals with scholarships to upgrade their skills and improve community health. 

Empowering Girils toward better health through the Ganze Girls Education Project.

Tanzania’s Tarime district is home to nearly 500,000 people and borders the south-eastern shore of Lake Victoria. The district has very weak health services – affecting women and children most severely.

Local clinics are ill-equipped and lack reproductive and child health services, maternity rooms and quality antenatal care. They are also between 5 to 10 kilometres away from most villages, making it nearly impossible for pregnant women or sick people to access them regularly. There are few government resources available to invest into health care resulting in poor home-based services and few community-based health organizations.

These weak health services have led to high rates of HIV/AIDS and malaria particularly among women, children and youth. Traditional values sometimes discourage gender equality so women and girls don’t have the power or means to negotiate safer sex, leaving them exposed to an increased risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Malaria is the deadliest disease in Tarime district accounting for 12 per cent of adult deaths and 13 per cent of deaths of children under five. Pregnant women, young children and people living with HIV/AIDS are at the highest risk of malaria because of their weak or undeveloped immune systems.

AMREF’s Work

To improve women and children’s access to better health care AMREF is improving the skills of community health workers across the district.

Specifically AMREF will train;

200 community health workers

70 community midwives

40 peer educators

24 clinicians

24 counselors

27 AIDS committees (consisting of 320 members)

Community health workers will provide pre and post natal care for mothers and HIV testing, counseling and treatment. They will also educate mothers on preventing malaria and other common childhood illnesses. Both men and women will receive education on reproductive and sexual rights encouraging gender equality.

The program will strengthen Tarime district’s ability to provide essential, accessible and sustainable health care to women and children.

Improving Quality Health Care for Mothers and Newborns in Tarime is part of AMREF’s 4-country Building the Capacity of Community Health Workers program. Learn more about this program in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

South Africa is home to the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world. The 2010 UNAIDS report estimates there are 5.6 million South Africans living with HIV. Due to the severity of the epidemic, South Africa is one of the few countries in the world where child and maternal mortality has actually risen since the 1990s.

These staggering statistics prove the urgent need for prevention efforts. It is also clear that linking patients to service providers is critical to reducing the spread of the disease and mitigating its effects.

Like many African countries, South Africa lacks doctors, nurses, clinics and hospitals to cope with the HIV/AIDS crisis. In rural communities the closest clinics are often inadequate, understaffed and far away.

It is now recognized that 65 per cent of people living in rural South Africa see a Traditional Health Practitioner (THP) before a medical doctor. These communities often rely almost exclusively on THPs for their health care needs. THPs are very likely to encounter large numbers of patients who are infected with, affected by, or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Outnumbering doctors in Africa 100 to 1, THPs represent a critical human resource pool to work with to improve access to appropriate health care – especially in rural South Africa.

AMREF’s Work

In 2005 AMREF successfully trained 80 THPs on voluntary testing and counseling to better manage HIV, home-based care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV education and how to complete proper patient referrals to clinics. The program was hugely successful in improving health services and linking these very important front line caregivers to South Africa’s formal health system.

Building on this program AMREF will train more THPs to provide better quality front line health services.

Specifically AMREF will;

Train 800 THPs in a 40-day course

THPs will be educated on;

Directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) for tuberculosis patients,

Voluntary counselling and testing including pre and post-test counseling,

Prevention of mother–to-child transmission of HIV

Proper patient referrals to clinics

AMREF’s work with THPs is based on a number of developments that recognize the importance of traditional healers and their link to the formal care system.

In 2004 the South African government passed The Traditional Health Practitioners Bill affirming the value of traditional medicine. The World Health Organization’s Global Program on HIV/AIDS has also placed an increasing emphasis on the need to involve traditional healers in HIV prevention and support.

Preventing and Better Managing HIV/AIDS and TB with Traditional Health Practitioners is part of AMREF’s 4-country Building the Capacity of Community Health Workers program. Learn more about this program in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Every year approximately 20 million people in Kenya are exposed to malaria which has a tremendous impact on the country’s already weak health system.

More than 30 per cent of Kenyan outpatients who visit a doctor are sick with malaria while 19 per cent of hospital inpatients are also diagnosed with the disease.

Kenya’s high poverty levels and insufficient number of health workers make the situation even worse. With a population of almost 40 million people, Kenya has less than 5,000 doctors. In Canada there are more than 65,000 physicians for a smaller population.

In Kenya’s Eastern Makueni district malaria is an epidemic affecting pregnant women and children under 5 most severely. When pregnant women contract malaria they are at risk of delivering their babies at dangerously low birth weights, contracting anemia and miscarrying.

The situation is even worse because of the critical shortage of health workers – there is only 1 doctor for every 62,000 people in Makueni and health facilities are poorly equipped.

Adding to the challenges is poor data collection across the region. The majority of mothers and children who die from malaria in the district never even get to a health clinic.

AMREF’s Work

To better prevent and manage malaria in Makueni, AMREF will train a variety of health professionals to provide better quality front line services.

Specifically AMREF will train;

200 community health workers

8 community health extension workers

20 members of Makueni’s district health team

These important front line care providers will distribute mosquito nets, educate women on how to prevent malaria, recognize symptoms and distribute treatment.

AMREF will also work closely with the local community-based health management information system. Community health workers will be trained to collect data from people in their villages (number of births, cases of malaria, immunization coverage) and enter the information into computers at the health management information system. The information will then be used by health authorities to better direct resources and services where they are most needed.

Special thanks to The Charles & Rita Field Marsham Foundation for its generous support of this project. 

The Preventing Malaria Among Mothers and Newborns in Makueni is part of AMREF’s 4-country Building the Capacity of Community Health Workers program. Learn more about this program in South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

Home to approximately 500,000 people, Uganda’s central district of Luwero was the epicentre of Uganda’s six-year liberation war during the 1980s. As a result, the district continues to suffer from a heavy burden of poverty and lags behind the rest of the country in all vital health statistics. The average life expectancy is only 46 and the maternal mortality rate remains unacceptably high at 1 in every 200 pregnancies, compared to Canada which is 1 in every 5,600.

In Uganda malaria is the leading cause of sickness and death – accounting for more than 35 per cent of hospital visits and up to 110,000 deaths every year. Luwero district is vulnerable because of its climate and poor living conditions.

Malaria is particularly deadly for pregnant women and children five years of age or younger. Half of all Ugandan children who die in hospital die from malaria and when children survive their mental and physical development is impaired. Pregnant women are also extremely vulnerable to malaria which can result in anemia, premature delivery, low birth weight and neonatal or maternal death.

AMREF’s Work

To better prevent and manage malaria in Luwero AMREF will train a variety of health professionals to provide better quality front line services, especially for mothers and children.

Specifically AMREF will train;

850 community health workers

Two district health teams

These health workers will target pregnant women and children under five distributing mosquito nets and information on malaria prevention, identification and treatment.

As well as working directly with pregnant women and children the program will strengthen the community’s health services – ensuring they are better equipped to manage maternal and child malaria and promote better overall health for mothers and babies.

Preventing Malaria Among Mothers and Newborns in Luwero is part of AMREF’s 4-country Building the Capacity of Community Health Workers program. Learn more about this program in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.

Join us on the first Wednesday of every month.

Back by popular demand, AMREF reinstates our Coffeehouse Speaker Series on global development, hosted by Urbana Coffee.

AMREF’s Coffeehouse Speaker Series on global development is a series of interactive forums where dynamic and engaging speakers active in international development share their experiences and knowledge on issues that are timely and relevant on the world stage.

We invite you to join us on the first Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at 6:00 PM at Urbana Coffee, located at 1033 Bay St. (north of Wellesley) in Toronto.

There will be no Coffeehouse in May.

Please join us at our 15th Annual African Marketplace Gala on Thursday, May 10th. We look forward to restoring the Coffeehouse in June.

If you have any suggestions for topics to discuss or speakers to present at the Coffeehouse, please let us know.

Yes I Will Support Better Health in Africa!

Thank you for choosing to support AMREF’s work empowering communities towards better health!

DONATE NOW 

You can make a single donation or join AMREF Canada’s Health for Africa Monthly Giving Plan.

Donate online: 
Donate Now.

Donate by phone:
416-961-6981 or toll free 1-888-318-4442.

Donate by mail:
With a cheque or money order (please do not mail cash). Please include this donation form [PDF].

AMREF Canada 
489 College Street, Suite 407 
Toronto, ON 
M6G 1A5 

AMREF is a registered charity and your donations are fully tax-deductible.

Questions?
Read our FAQs page or please contact us by phone or e-mail: info@amrefcanada.org

April 24, Addis Ababa

The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) today received the World Federation of Public Health Associations 2012 Organisational Award. The award is bestowed in recognition of an organisation’s outstanding achievements in and contributions to the field of public health and is presented every three years.

Receiving the award, Dr Teguest Guerma, AMREF’s Director General, stated that AMREF works in the remotest communities in Africa, serving the most vulnerable people in order to achieve lasting health change in Africa. “We believe that the power to transform Africa’s health lies within its communities. We therefore work side by side with the people to build their knowledge and skills, so that they can transform their own health,” she emphasised.

She observed that AMREF’s credibility with local communities and African governments stems from the relationship and trust that AMREF has built over the past 55 years which includes learning from, influencing and partnering with various stakeholders to build long-term relationships and ensure solutions are holistic and address the breadth of the communities’ health needs. She gave an example of Ethiopia, where AMREF pioneered a Clinical and Surgical Outreach programme in 2006, partnering with the Ministry of Health, the Gynaecology Society of Ethiopia, the Surgical Society of Ethiopia and Addis Ababa University to increase access by disadvantaged communities to quality medical, surgical and diagnostic services. Each hospital in the programme is visited every three or four months, with specialists staying in the hospitals for up to a week, dealing with cases ranging from plastic and reconstructive surgery, to urology and orthopaedics and at the same time transferring skills to local health workers.

Transforming Communities from Within to impact Health Systems

Dr Guerma noted that AMREF’s recognition in the public health arena also stems from the fact that AMREF strengthens health systems, particularly at community level, and develops human resources for health to alleviate the critical shortage of skilled health workers in Africa. AMREF has trained over 500,000 community health workers, mid-level health workers, and leaders of health institutions from over 33 African countries, she said, adding that eLearning, mLearning and ICT-based methodologies have been applied to rapidly and cost-effectively scale up training of the health workforce. 

AMREF’s focus on women and children, who are central in transforming communities from within, has seen it launch an international awareness campaign called Stand Up for African Mothers, said the Director General.  She explained that the campaign aims at training 15,000 midwives by 2015, in order to contribute to reduction of maternal mortality in Africa by up to 25 per cent. As part of the campaign, AMREF is also supporting the nomination of an African midwife for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize as a way of honouring African midwives, who work very hard in difficult circumstances to save the lives of mothers and children. AMREF also wants to encourage Africans through this campaign to raise funds for their own health development instead of always looking to others for money.  “US$1 from every African will go a long way in training midwives and saving the lives of African mothers,” she said.
 

A “sneak peak” at some of the auction items available at MAMATOTO.

Whether you are dreaming of going south, east or west, we’ve got a host of luxury vacations to choose from. And that’s not all. You’ll also find jewelry, artwork, local trips and much, much more!

A Luxury South African Safari

This once in a lifetime trip for two includes:

• Return tickets to South Africa provided by South African Airways
• VIP meet and greet on arrival in Africa, charter and inter-camp flights, trip planning and co-ordination provided by Askari Travel
• 2 nights at Lebombo or Sweni Lodge in Singita Game Reserve, Kruger National Park
• 2 nights at the luxurious Tswalu Kalahari reserve
• 2 nights' bed & breakfast accommodation at the award-winning Le Quartier Français, voted a top 100 hotel in 2007 by Travel and Leisure Magazine
• 2 nights at Cape Town's Ellerman House, one of the finest hotels in the city

A Unique Golf Getaway on Nova Scotia's Northumberland Shore

• Two return tickets to Nova Scotia courtesy of Aeroplan**
• 3 night’s lodging in the Fox Harb’r Resort executive suite
• Resort features championship golf course and renowned spa

An Exclusive Ultra-Unique West Coast Adventure

• 2 return tickets to Vancouver from any Canadian city***
• 3 night private boat tour from Vancouver
• Overnight accommodation in Vancouver
  
• All meals, drinks and wine!

* Two economy class return tickets on South African Airways from New York or Washington to Johannesburg or Cape Town. Valid May 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013. Standard blackout dates apply.
** Aeroplan Points provided. Flights to be scheduled by auction item recipient. Flights within Canada only.
*** Flights will be provided on points. Flights to be scheduled by auction item recipient. Flights within Canada only.
 

MAMATOTO comes alive with the sights and sounds of Africa!

Stroll through the African Marketplace where vendors will be selling one-of-a-kind arts and crafts. This year our participating vendors include:

• African Lifestyles - Jewelry
  
• Africarisma - Décor and Design
• Africville - Sculptures and Jewelry
  
• Nharo - African Art & Décor, African Jewelry, wood metal & stone African sculptures, and tribal African masks.
• Safari & Co - Travel Outfitter
• My Maasai - Leather bags from the Maasai region of Kenya

Taste the delights prepared by our culinary sponsors, Acqua Catering, a la Carte Kitchen, and Daniel et Daniel.

Graça Machel Mandela

With AMREF's first-ever global initiative endorsed by Graça Machel Mandela, we've pledged to train 15,000 midwives by 2015. MAMATOTO will celebrate the launch of this important campaign in Canada.

Graça Machel Mandela is the wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela and the widow of Mozambican president Samora Machel. An international advocate for women and children, Graça has been awarded the North-South Prize for her achievements in the protection of human rights. She serves as the chair of the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa Eminent Advisory Board.

Past Galas

View photos from past galas below.

A heartfelt thank you to our event Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Official Print Sponsor

Friends of AMREF

Culinary Sponsors

Auction Sponsors

Live at MAMATOTO: jazz vocalist Denise Pelley and the hybrid Zimbabwean music of The Resolutionaries Marimba Band!

Denise Pelley

Denise Pelley has performed with orchestras as far afield as Portugal and Germany. Having opened for Aretha Franklin in London, Ontario, she has also performed with such artists as the acclaimed trombonist Ray Anderson, Gospel/Blues legend Jackie Richardson, and Flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook. Denise was honoured with being the recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and was named a YM-YWCA Woman of Distinction in the Arts and Heritage category. She often travels to Sudan where she delivers a music and art camp to Sudanese children.

The Resolutionaries

The Resolutionaries Marimba Band is a hot new blend of hybrid Zimbabwean music that has set dance floors ablaze and is hailed for bringing people together. Marimba is a traditional Zimbabwean instrument that combines sweet melodies with African rhythms. The Resolutionaries Marimba Music is a mix of age-old African tunes, modern innovations and trans-atlantic "livasporic" inspiration.

MAMATOTO would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.

Their generosity allows AMREF Canada to improve the health of African mothers and their babies.

Consider becoming an event sponsor.

Contact:
Rachel Lancaster
AMREF Canada
Director of Marketing and Fundraising
rlancaster@amrefcanada.org
(416) 961-6981

Find out more about MAMATOTO sponsorship opportunities by downloading the sponsor information package.

Consider volunteering at this event:

Contact:
Liz Doyle
AMREF Canada
Donor Relations Manager
info@amrefcanada.org
(416) 961-6981

Contact Us

AMREF Canada 
489 College Street West, Unit 407
Toronto ON
M6G 1A5 

 AMREF’s Drought Response Team Continues Programming in Kenya

AMREF's drought response is focusing on sustainable, long-term solutions

April 9, 2012

The $US 5.7 million raised by AMREF supporters worldwide has helped communities in Kenya more easily withstand drought and the challenges it brings. An estimated 260,800 people have benefited from AMREF’s support so far. The AMREF Drought Response Team continues to distribute food, nutritional supplements, and they continue to focus their efforts on the most vulnerable including women, children and the elderly, medicine, clean water and fuel to keep water pumps operational. The emergency response has benefited both human and livestock populations (healthy cattle and goat herds are a key element of food security for many pastoral communities in East Africa). Installation of various water storage tanks, extension of pipelines and water harvesting systems has reduced the distance families need to travel in search for water. Thanks to school programs which include water, sanitation and feeding education, school enrollment and attendance has also stabilized in most parts of the country that were affected by the drought.

Although the food security situation in Northern Kenya has gradually improved over the past few months, it still remains tenuous. If the upcoming rainy season provides less precipitation than anticipated, a second successive season of low agricultural yield could mean hunger for many communities again this year.

In some parts of Kenya, there hasn’t been rain since the beginning of the year and the few existing water sources are drying up fast. This has lead to competition between humans, livestock and wild animals for the scarce resource. With such little water available, sanitation conditions are worsening and the number of cases of transmittable diseases, like measles and dengue fever, is rising fast.

However, fulfilling its core mission of sustainability, AMREF is working alongside communities to develop long-term and lasting solutions. These strategies include the rehabilitation and construction of new and sustainable sources for clean water, the provision of water storage mechanisms and the distribution and planting of highly nutritional and drought-resistant crops. AMREF is also working with local authorities to build the capacity of community health workers; training local artisans on management and operation of water facilities; promoting sustainable irrigation and agricultural practices within communities; building the capacities of government staff; and improving linkages and feedback between farmers, government officials and researchers.

Join us in supporting long-term solutions for African communities by making a donation today.

Feb 13, 2012

Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, AMREF continues to support families in Kenya who have been affected by the drought. AMREF supporters in Canada have so far donated more than $35,000 for a nutritional supplementation program in Makueni. The program provides food to children under five, pregnant and nursing mothers and the elderly. To date, more than 21,000 kg of rice and 7,000 kg of beans have been distributed to 772 people, mainly children.

In addition to Canadians’ donations, AMREF supporters around the world have contributed more than US $5.7 million. With this funding, AMREF has helped more than 1.7 million people in nine regions. Working with the Kenyan government, United Nation agencies and other development groups, we have focused on supporting families by improving nutrition for mothers and children under 5, ensuring access to safe water, providing education on sanitation and hygiene, and providing health services.

Some parts of Kenya have seen a significant improvement. In Turkana, global acute malnutrition (used as a measure for the nutritional status of a particular population) has been reduced to 13.7 per cent from a high of 37.4 per cent. In the border region with Somalia, however, malnutrition remains high at more than 25 per cent.

With our focus on long-term solutions, AMREF’s support for families will continue to assist vulnerable groups to face these and other challenges. You can join us in supporting long-term solutions for African communities by making a donation today.

January 20, 2012

Although the headlines have all but disappeared and the global sense of urgency has faded, the effects of last year’s drought are still very much felt by many communities in the Horn of Africa. AMREF’s dedicated Drought Response Team is still hard at work responding to the ongoing challenges faced by displaced and disadvantaged families, helping them to rebuild their lives, their health and their resilience. Globally, the AMREF family has raised US$ 5.7 million for drought-affected communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. These generous contributions from our supporters around the world have helped fund life-saving initiatives including the distribution of over 90 metric tonnes of emergency food supplements, the building and rehabilitation of wells, rain-water catchment tanks and other water sources to serve over 70,000 people and their livestock, and hygiene education activities in communities and schools directly reaching over 6,000 people.

In addition, these donations have purchased 15 motorcycles, 300 bicycles and 5 ambulances to help health workers see more patients every day. Your contributions have also funded medical outreach camps to diagnose and treat over 6,500 babies, children and their parents for malnutrition, malaria and other common illnesses, and distributed over 300,000 chlorine tablets to ensure safe drinking water for communities across Kenya.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, AMREF was able to ramp up their efforts in drought affected AMREF project sites in the Horn of Africa.

However, our mission is one of long-term sustainability, and to that end, our work is far from over. Please help AMREF create lasting change and bolster health services capacity within communities vulnerable to the threat of future crises. With your support we can provide a solid foundation for healthcare to ensure that communities are better equipped to manage these types of calamitous events. Please donate today.

 Responding to the Horn of Africa Crisis

Dec 6, 2011

The rains have finally come.

The “short rains” have arrived, starting to relieve the severe water scarcity experienced in the past months by many communities in the drought-affected Horn of Africa. Unfortunately, the rain doesn’t immediately alleviate the effects of the drought or provide safe water to drink. The torrential downpours are too heavy -even for the parched land- to absorb leading to flash floods, washed out roads and the contamination of water sources. This leaves already stressed communities vulnerable to waterborne diseases such as acute diarrhoea, trachoma and malaria, and makes delivering food aid, bed nets and health care all the more difficult.

AMREF is well aware of the unique dangers that this situation presents and is taking measures to prevent a secondary emergency from arising. AMREF is providing people with mosquito nets to prevent malaria (a real danger due to accumulation of standing water) and distributing chlorine tablets to purify water. Teams are also on the ground responding to nutrition needs of mothers, pregnant and lactating women and children under five years by distributing nutrient-rich supplementary food. Additionally, AMREF is delivering much needed health care, building and rehabilitating wells, and educating communities about the importance of practicing safe hygiene and sanitation and about other ways to keep their families healthy.

The AMREF Drought Response Coordination Team continues to work on developing sustainable and lasting solutions to the challenges communities are facing, and making sure that help is reaching those who need it most. . In October alone, AMREF delivered medical supplies targeting over 7,286 people and acquired growth monitoring tools such as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tapes and Salter scales to assess malnutrition in babies and children. Over 5000 kg of Unimix, a nutrient-rich food supplement, and 842 L of cooking oil have been distributed to Kenyan families as well as over 800m3 of safe water, benefiting several communities and schools. Another 45 metric tonnes of supplementary food is ready to be delivered.

AMREF remains committed to working with communities in Ethiopia and Kenya to respond to this crisis and to help families empower themselves with the knowledge and skills to meet any future emergencies. Indeed, field staff have reported that communities with whom AMREF had previously worked were faring better than communities s who had not benefitted from AMREF programs. To find out more about the drought in the Horn of Africa, and the associated food insecurity and humanitarian interventions, join us on December 7th for the AMREF Canada Coffeehouse Speaker Series hosted by Urbana Coffee.

October 13, 2011

AMREF Responds to the Drought - A Canadian's Story

Stephanie Irvine, one of AMREF Canada's former CIDA-funded interns working in Uganda, recently touched base with us to share her experiences working with the AMREF-Kenya Emergency Drought Response Team. Her story follows:

In the horn of Africa, climate change and failed rains have resulted in a famine of epic proportions. In August, 12 million people were reported to be measurably affected by the drought, of which 3.7 million people were deemed extremely food insecure and in need of urgent, lifesaving aid. Attention has centered on those who have been displaced from war- torn Somalia however, Somali refugees comprise only one-third of those suffering.

In the dry, arid landscape of Northwestern Kenya, the pastoralists of the Turkana tribe are especially hard hit. The region is isolated, historically neglected and characterized by poor road access and limited infrastructure each negatively affecting livelihoods and health status. As a culture that thrives on a diet of milk, meat and animal blood, the Turkana are greatly challenged, having to walk long distances in hopes of discovering water and grazing grounds for their livestock. Milk production has decreased and thousands of animals have succumbed, leaving behind a thick trail of malnutrition among the Turkana people.

Children under 5, pregnant women and the elderly are at the highest risk. Among children under 5, rates of malnutrition have reached 37% (The Lancet) in the region. Productivity and economic development of future generations will be undermined due to the marked, long-term consequences of malnutrition. Children who survive will experience delayed achievement of milestones and will be deprived of reaching their intellectual potential. Pregnant women are at an increased risk of having a low-birth weight infant and experiencing an obstetric emergency, and the elderly are suffering weakened immunity.

AMREF has been present in the Turkana district for over 50 years and continues to serve and support the community throughout the crisis. I joined the AMREF-Kenya Emergency Drought Response Team in August. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, AMREF has expanded programming throughout the region, playing a key role on the frontlines delivering food aid, essential medicines and constructing and rejuvenating boreholes.

During a blanket-supplementary feeding initiative and medical outreach on the outskirts of Lokichoggio, Turkana, I had the opportunity to speak with a beneficiary named Maratanu, a 26-year-old mother of three children under 5 years. During our conversation, she expressed gratitude for the support from AMREF: “We depleted all our resources since the rains and are forced to walk all day in search of water. We have lost many of our cattle and camels. I feel weak and can no longer make enough milk for my baby. My children are too tired because of hunger. I worry for the health of my family. I am so thankful to receive food, water purifiers and medicine. We will become strong once again. We are very thankful.”

This particular initiative involved the delivery of a micronutrient enriched corn-soya product mixed with oil to provide enough energy and nutrients to nourish each child under 5 for 16 days of the month. High-energy, ready to drink nutritional beverages were also delivered to pregnant women and the elderly. Our medical staff provided vitamin A supplementation and de-worming treatment for all children under-5 years; ante- and post- natal care for all mother; and distributed medical treatments for other common ailments such as eye infections, respiratory infection and weeping skin lesions.

The impact of the 2011 drought and famine in the horn of Africa will resonate long after the rains fall and AMREF will continue to continue to commit to and support the community to ensure better health for Africa.

September 6, 2011

Helping Forgotten Communities Impacted by Drought

Lamu, a coastal district of eastern Kenya, is now witnessing the dire effects of the drought, which is spreading across the Horn of Africa.

Women and children are most vulnerable and have become weak and prone to fatal waterborne diseases. Young men, desperate to find water and pasture for their livestock have had no choice but to search further and further away. Women, children and the elderly have been left behind, with hardly anything to eat.

Apart from the government, AMREF is the only organisation providing support to communities in the area.  Lamu is one of Kenya’s poorest regions, with 60% of the population living in poverty.

The lack of clean water, coupled with increasing malnutrition has increased the rates of diseases such as diarrhea particularly among women and children.

AMREF has been working in Lamu to improve maternal, new born and child health.

Bernard Kimani, AMREF’s Project Assistant in Lamu says there is an urgent need for increased health care services and food relief distribution to prevent increased hunger and disease.

Under AMREF’S drought response initiative, approximately 18,000 children and 25,000 women will have increased access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and food relief.

Please support AMREF’s work today.

 

 August 12, 2011

Emergency Medical Outreach in Turkana

AMREF has officially launched its drought response in Kenya with a medical camp in Turkana District, one of the regions worst affected by the drought. 

Hundreds of people, men and women, young and old, their faces and bodies telling the story of hardship and hunger, turned up at the Loitanik Primary School in Kaikor division, eager for medical attention – and food.

“AMREF has been working with the Turkana community for the last 50 years,” said AMREF Director General Dr Teguest Guerma who was at the medical camp. “I am deeply saddened by the suffering of the people of Turkana as a result of drought and hunger. By launching our official activities here, we are showing our solidarity and concern for them.”

Dr Guerma led AMREF staff, volunteers and government health workers in giving out therapeutic food to children, pregnant and lactating mothers and the elderly. The food contains crucial micronutrients and does not need cooking. Two hundred bags of maize and beans from the district store were also given out.

Men, women and children were screened and treated for disease and nutrition-related illnesses. They also received water treatment tablets and were shown how to use minimal amounts of water to ensure basic hygiene, and thus prevent water-related diseases.

“It is important to ensure hygiene because eye infections and diarrheal diseases like cholera can easily break out when there is a shortage of water. Disease will only weaken the people more and we must prevent that,” said Dr Guerma.
Dr. Guerma emphasized AMREF is doing all it can to stop the suffering of people living in areas where AMREF already works. 

“AMREF is a health development organisation that seeks long-term solutions to health challenges, but development work cannot progress when people are hungry,” she says.  “I promise that AMREF is doing our very best to find long-term solutions in Turkana so people do not find themselves in such a bad situation again.”

AMREF will continue running the medical camp to reach as many people as possible.

While the official launch of the camp was yesterday, AMREF’s activities to mitigate the immediate and medium-term effects of the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa have already begun in affected parts of the country, including Makueni, Kitui, Kajiado, Loitokitok, Samburu, West Pokot, Baringo, Laikipia, Matinyani, Mutitu, Magadi, Malindi, Kilifi, Lamu, Wajir, and in the informal urban settlements of Kibera and Dagoretti in Nairobi.

“Our focus is to save lives. We are grateful to all the donors who have given us money to do this work. We will use the money coming in for drought-related activities in the most effective way possible to benefit the communities, and we will account for every dollar and shilling,” says AMREF’s Kenya Country Director Dr. Lennie Kyomuhangi.

A special thank you to partner organization Humedica and the generous funds raised through German organization Sternstunden.

Please make a DONATION and help communities impacted by the drought in Kenya. 

 August 2, 2011

Wajir County in northern Kenya is one of the regions hit hardest by the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa, with a total of 205,265 people in dire need of food.

Recently AMREF in Kenya’s Country Director Dr. Lennie Bazira travelled to Wajir to assess the situation and determine how AMREF can best help. Watch an interview with Dr. Bazira below and please make a DONATION to help these communities.

July 23, 2011

AMREF is mobilizing efforts to tackle the wide-spread famine the Horn of Africa is currently facing. The UN estimates 10 million people are being affected by the crisis – one of the largest humanitarian crises in the last 60 years.  

Kenya

The situation in the arid north and eastern regions of Kenya have reached emergency crisis level, while marginal parts of the south-eastern and coastal regions are faced with severe food shortages which are affecting close to 3.5 million people.

Soaring inflation has also left large numbers of people in Kenya’s informal urban settlements unable to buy food.

Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in northern Kenya are housing close to 500,000 Somalis, and the numbers keep swelling as 1,500 refugees (according to Government estimates) cross the border daily to escape the famine and insecurity in their country.

Ethiopia

So far, 4 million people in Ethiopia are in need of food relief, mostly in the Somali, Tigray, Oromia and Amhara regions.

Women and Children Most Vulnerable

The famine is leading to malnutrition, impoverishment and loss of life. AMREF is also concerned about the effects of the famine on already vulnerable populations. Children and pregnant women are highly susceptible to malnutrition and diarrhoea, for which medical care is critical. People living with HIV and TB need nutritional support if their treatment is to be effective. As people migrate to escape the famine and move away from their regular health facilities, they are likely to default on treatment for HIV and TB and increased crowding in refugee camps increases the risk of spread of TB and other infectious diseases.

Children are dropping out of school to join their parents in the search for food; girls are often the first to leave the classroom and easily enter into sexual liaisons or early marriages for survival, reversing gains made in reproductive health education.

We have already stepped up activities to increase access to clean water and sanitation facilities for communities affected by the famine in order to prevent outbreak of diseases like cholera and diarrhoea, which would only add to the suffering.  AMREF medical outreach teams are also focusing on treatment of malnutrition and diarrhoea in refugee camps in northern Kenya.

AMREF cannot do this alone.

Please support AMREF today.

World Water Day 2012

Safe Water and Sanitation are Essential for Food Security and Improving Child Health

March 22 is World Water Day, a day established by the United Nations to look at water issues around the world. At AMREF we use this day to raise awareness of the fact that 11 per cent of the world's population does not have safe water to drink and that this, coupled with poor sanitation, results in 4,000 children dying every day. We draw attention to something most of us take for granted, even though it is absolutely fundamental to our daily lives – safe water. There are still nearly one billion people worldwide without access to clean water.

The theme of the World Water Day this year is Water and Food Security. Food and water are essential elements that all human beings must have access to in order to live. Access to food that is sufficient, nutritionally adequate and safe as well as water that is sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable are fundamental human rights that for many people remain a promise unfulfilled. Globally, some estimated 2.6 billion people do not use improved sanitation facilities (WHO, UNICEF, 2010) and around 925 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished (FAO, 2010).

Lack of safe drinking water and sanitation impact negatively on access to proper nutrition and food security. Open defecation, poor sanitation facilities and improper waste disposal contaminate food in many communities in Africa. At the same time, unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene frequently lead to increases in diarrhoeal diseases, rendering efforts to improve nutrition ineffective. Unless urgent and concerted action is taken, the situation is likely to get worse in years ahead as populations increase and water sources get more scarce. To meet the dietary demands of a growing world population, projected to reach 9 billion by 2050, world food production would need to increase by 70 per cent (FAO, 2009). A great deal of the population growth will take place in urban areas, leading to a substantial increase in urban food demand, and requiring safe and productive management of increased volumes of organic waste, human excreta and wastewater.

Ensuring that people have access to adequate nutrient-rich food and safe water is essential for protecting the safety, health and well-being of everyone, especially expectant mothers and children. Not only is water necessary to sustain life, but proper nutrition is also required to ensure optimal health. Consumption of a wide variety of foods, with adequate vitamin and mineral intake, is the basis of a healthy diet. Children under the age of five are most vulnerable to malnutrition. Undernutrition causes weakness and fatigue, inhibits mental and physical development, particularly in children (where it also causes stunting), and increases susceptibility to other fatal diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.

But even when food consumption is sufficient, diarrhoeal diseases inhibit nutrient absorption, which can lead to malnutrition. That is why AMREF on this World Water Day joins the world in advocating for safe water and sanitation for all to ensure lasting health change in Africa. Reductions in diarrhoeal diseases can be achieved by providing improved sanitation and water supply, which in turn can prevent long-term illness and save at least 860,000 children from dying of malnutrition each year.

Achieving sustainable increases in food production to alleviate poverty and eradiate hunger requires sound management of critical inputs like water and land, making linkages between agriculture, food security, health, water management, and safe drinking water programmes essential. To this end, AMREF calls for the integration of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programming with child survival interventions to reduce the number of child deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases. We also advocate for initiatives to increase awareness of the importance of simple hand washing, an element of hygiene programming that can reduce the incidence of childhood diseases by approximately 45 per cent.

Find out more about how AMREF is improving access to clean water and sanitation.

World TB Day Message

March 24, 2012

Dear Partners, Colleagues and Friends,

On this World TB Day we want to make the world aware that children are suffering and dying from tuberculosis (TB) and that this is shameful.

My message for this World TB Day is directed especially to the people most affected by childhood TB and those who can do the most to stop it.

To parents whose children are affected by TB. It takes strength and courage to help your child. You've had to see your son or daughter dangerously ill, which is so frightening, and every day to coax your child to swallow large pills or eat bitter, crushed up medicine. Or worse, if your child has drug-resistant TB, to accept painful injections. Together let us call on donors, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to create and produce child-friendly TB drug formulations! This would not be complex or expensive to do - they just need pressure from us to do it and the will to get it done. Sign the Call to Action on Childhood TB.

To children whose lives have been touched by TB - because you have had TB or because a family member or friend has been sick with it. You know what TB means. You know what it feels like, and you know it is not easy. Speak up! Make sure the people around you know the symptoms of TB, where to go for help and that TB can be cured. You can help other people overcome fears they may have, and your voice can make a huge difference!

To government programmes, civil society and the private sector: We are not finding thousands upon thousands of children affected by TB because we are not looking for them as we should and because we are not treating childhood TB as a family and community issue. All children who have been exposed to TB through someone living in their household need TB treatment if they are ill with TB, and this costs just US $.50 a day. If they are not ill they need preventive TB treatment with isoniazid, which costs only US$ .03 per day. This is so simple and inexpensive it is shocking we are not doing this already in every case.

To health workers: You can be the voice for change. Spread the word about childhood TB to your colleagues. Whenever you are in touch with an adult with TB, ask about any children the person has had contact with, and follow up. Make your professional association or employer aware that health workers should be knowledgeable about and properly trained on childhood TB.

To research funders:  Vaccine research got a tremendous boost this month with the generous donation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Aeras and the launch of Tuberculosis Vaccines: A Strategic Blueprint for the Next Decade. But where are we with diagnostics? We haven't seen a significant increase in funding for two years. We cannot diagnose TB in children using the tools we have, and that is an outrage. We need cheap and rapid tests that can detect active TB disease through a marker present in blood or urine and can be used in any health facility. We are not where we should be in developing new TB drugs. Think about what it means for small children to take TB treatment for six months! You need to assign much more urgency to the quest for a shortened TB treatment and childhood formulations.

To all our partners: Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I especially want to thank those of you who are working at grass roots. Together we can stop TB in our children's lifetimes! We can reach the goal of zero TB deaths in children.

 Warm regards,

Dr. Lucia Ditiu- Executive Secretary
Stop TB Partenship Secretariat

Find out how AMREF is working to stop TB.