This week, our annual Wildman Fund Update event returned, featuring our charity partners and the Etch employees working alongside them.
Every year, we take stock of the past twelve months of vital work being done by our four chosen partner charities: Musana, NC Kibera, The Beatrice Project, and Jeevan Asha. They’re reaching some of the most vulnerable communities in the world and doing incredible work, so the session is a chance to reflect on the progress they've made, celebrate their wins, and look ahead to visions of the future.
Back on hosting duties this year was Sally Bundock, BBC News Presenter and Wildman Fund Patron, and she brought a range of topics to the table for both our charities and Etch staff to ponder and discuss.
What is the Wildman Fund?
For anyone new to the Etch family, the Wildman Fund is Etch’s charitable initiative named in memory of Paul Wildman, the brother of Etch co-founder Shelly Frame. Paul's untimely passing serves as a reminder to us all that life is short, but we can all make a big difference in a short amount of time - for both others and ourselves. Etch supports our charities financially and also provides our expertise to effect change. You can read all about the initiative here.
Musana
2024 was a big year for Musana, as they officially launched in the UK in February. Joining the session was Paul Smith, UK Director. And as well as being a busy, frantic year of launch activity, it was also a successful one, with over a quarter of a million pounds raised.
Over in Uganda, which is Musana's focus, there was a wide range of fantastic achievements to report, including:
- Over 5000 children attending Musana schools
- 50,000 patient visits in Musana hospitals
- 6,000,000 meals provided
- 3,500,000 dollars in local income generated
And while political changes, such as the withdrawal of USAID support, are creating challenging times for charities to operate within, Musana continues to grow with exciting plans for 2025 and beyond.
NC Kibera
From NC Kibera we were joined by Neil and Dave, who shared insights on their recent work in one of the world’s largest slums. The charity focuses on community-based projects in Kibera, and this year we heard about their support of Mama Mbogas, a co-operative set up by a group of women in Kibera to invest small amounts of money to support tiny independent businesses, providing a vital lifeline to business owners, and supporting business growth in the local community. Mama Mbogas are now supporting 56 micro businesses, which is an incredible achievement.
We also got an update on the Saints Football Academy, which gives young people in Kibera a way to play football, providing a much needed outlet and improved personal health outcomes. This year, they were able to take sixty children to play in a league in Mombasa. For many of their young players, this was their first time leaving the slum, and being able to see more of the world in this way has a dramatic impact on their outlook and prospects in the future.
Using donated laptops from Etch, NC Kibera have also established IT training for people in the slum, many of which have never seen a computer with a keyboard before! These sessions give local residents vital skills to get jobs or create even more businesses in the future. Providing menstrual cups has also continued to be a focus this year, and although getting thousands of them through customs has proved challenging, it's critical work that has proven results in the local community.
With both Neil and Dave having created an incredible legacy, their vision is now to try and onboard more UK-based volunteers who can continue this project for the many years ahead. While this may come in the form of travel and visits, it often comes down to supporting the Kenyan volunteers in conversations on WhatsApp, and if anyone is interested in volunteering their time, the team would love to hear from you.
The Beatrice Project
Next, Founder Sue Hutchinson joined us to talk about The Beatrice Project, who work with the Ntombi Nto Girl Child Network in Zimbabwe, aiming to help girls to stay in school unhindered by their periods.
Sue's getting ready to fly out to visit Joy, who heads up the Ntombi Nto project, and was apprehensive about the sheer volume of activity that was planned into her itinerary! Nevertheless, Sue is looking forward to it, with many school visits planned to help further the mission, and this time she'll be joined by her colleagues and friends Angie and Tony.
The biggest change in recent months has been in their increased ability to support their volunteer staff in Zimbabwe, now able to offer salaries and increase the amount of time they can spend working on projects in their local communities. And, as a result, more and more schools are getting on board, and asking for more help. This year, they'll be working with four more brand new schools, and they've begun opening sewing rooms.
Zimbabwe's turbulent political climate makes the work of The Beatrice Project more vital than ever, changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of individual women and girls. And in the months ahead, they too are thinking of mergers, upscaling, and succession planning.
Jeevan Asha
Last, but by no means least, Carol Sylas joined us to talk about Jeevan Asha's work in India this year. With support and help from Etch, Jeevan Asha are benefiting from an improved web presence and increased web traffic - which in turn is leading to increased donations.
We were able to hear about specific instances of the important and incredible work that Jeevan Asha does with the money, including the story of a child of a deaf child who was able to receive paediatric treatment and a hearing aid. The child in question, now 8, has gone on to represent their school in giving a speech on Republic Day, illustrating Jeevan Asha's ability to give children in need a normal childhood and allow them to thrive in the face of difficult conditions.
Offering numerous education programs, urgent medical interventions, cataract awareness sessions, newborn support sessions, geriatic support sessions, and more - Jeevan Asha's work takes small steps that lead to big impact on people's lives, and has done for 25 years now, using education to break the cycle of poverty for many.
And given all this success, the future looks bright as well, with Jeevan Asha set to focus on new projects around adult literacy and skill development.
The power of "ordinary people"
Lastly, Shelly Frame took to the digital stage to share with us her thoughts and reflections on the last twelve months of charitable support.
Most of all, she was keen to stress that the incredible accomplishments being shared by our four charity partners were ultimately delivered by "ordinary people". Not someone inherently special, or someone with unique abilities, just someone prepared to take a stand and try to make something positive happen.
Even ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and we're proud to both support and celebrate the fantastic accomplishments that they've all made.
It was a thought echoed by Sally, who referenced Pixar's popular Finding Nemo films with her conclusion. The world feels like an increasingly complex, and at times dark place. The work of changing things for the better can seem overwhelming, and in the face of difficult odds. So, what to do? Be like Nemo, and his friend Dory. When times are relentlessly tough, and when you feel that adversity, just keep swimming.
If you'd like to find out more about the Wildman Fund, or the work of our partner charities, please get in touch.
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