Fundraising to support children and families in need
Children
We aim to help children achieve their full potential by helping to provide better access to Food & Nutrition, Healthcare and Education.
Families
The project supports families at grass-roots level hoping that this will gradually lead to an improvement of life conditions for the poorer and increase education/job prospects.
Local Communities
We promote greater social integration within local communities and aim to support local people by providing services to facilitate access to education, training and employment.
Some Information About Cabo Verde
A (little) bit of Historical Background
Cabo Verde, also known as The Cape Verde Islands, is a country located at around 500 km off the north west coast of Africa. It is formed by 10 islands and five islets. According to historical records, Cabo Verde (or Cape Verde) were originally uninhabited islands discovered and colonised by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Due to its strategic geographical location it became a trading centre for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence from Portugal in 1975 a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cabo Verde continues to be held as having one of Africa’s most stable democratic governments having won a reputation for achieving political and economic stability.
Hardships, Challenges, Emigration and the The Diaspora
During the 20th century severe droughts caused the deaths of 200,000 people and prompted heavy emigration. A characteristic fact about Cape Verde today is that more people with origins in the country live outside the nation than inside it. The large Caboverdean diaspora is spread across the globe and most people have always tended to keep very strong connections to the home land. This sense of belonging, perhaps strengthened by the anguish of ‘forced migration’ is what unifies the diaspora into ‘one large community’.
This cohesive sense of community is what makes its vast diaspora an important resource with the potential and the will to provide sustainable support for the development of impoverished local communities in the islands. Thus the idea to set this project up as a diaspora charity.
The British Connection
Today Cabo Verde is a very popular destination for tourists from the UK, attacking increasingly larger numbers. According to officials, in 2010 the number of visitors to Cape Verde from the UK overtook the number of visitors from Portugal, France and the Netherlands.The islands have a vast natural beauty, including white sandy beaches as well as mountainous landscapes. Cabo Verde offers opportunity for a variety of water sports as well as cultural rural tourism.
The number of Capeverdeans (or people of Capeverdean descent) living across the UK gradually increased over the years. This is notable in the fact that in 2010 Cabo Verde appointed an Honorary Consul in London and for the first time, it conducted electoral registrations for UK based Capeverdeans to vote in the 2011 elections.