Is rain a sign of blessing?

Some say it is – and if so, I’m feeling very blessed, on behalf of the Deloitte Street Child World Cup.  I left London on Sunday in one of those ‘I’m here to stay’ type of showers where the streets acquire a mirrored complexion.

I flew into Durban – and find here a continual (and unseasonal) drizzle, enlivened by some distinct showers, and the odd exciting deluge. These mainly seem to have coincided with me being in the (steaming up) car, not really being able to see where I’m going, and bathing passers-by.  I call it sharing the blessing.

And things are going well.  The eThekwini Municipality is welcoming the project, as is the KZN Province – and I’ve had positive meetings with them.  DUT and the Star Seaside Home are continuing to go beyond the call of duty in their help and support.  Deloitte’s Durban office is all for this, and looks forward to huge fun for their employees – as well as the children.  We’re dealing with practical food, transport, accommodation questions right, left and centre, and there’s a real sense of progress (and urgency!).  Is the rain a sign of these blessings?

I’m struck by the stark alternatives for street children in weather like this.  Some doorways.  Some balconies to sleep under.  But to beg at traffic lights, as some do, or to walk around the city, or to come to Umthombo – they face utter drenching.  It must feel rather less like a blessing and more like a curse to them.

Is this curse evidenced in the round-ups – sometimes brutal – that are continuing despite the vocal commitment of the Municipality to stop them?  It’s wrong and enraging that children are beaten and cleared away from the city by some elements of the police force – treated not like children but like rubbish.

The Deloitte Street Child World Cup is part of enabling these children to be seen as children again.  As the rain pours, we hope that our plan is receiving blessing – and we hope, for the children, that it will soon stop.

jenny

107 days to go

I’ve just done the maths.  It feels a bit scary to put it like that.

Still, if the days to come are anything like the last 50 days or so, I think it’s all going to work out pretty well.

It’s been an amazing month or two.  Since Deloitte came on board, we’ve moved up several gears and are making progress at an incredible rate.

- our fantastic gala dinner exceeded our expectations by raising £30,000.  Thanks to everyone!

- we held an All Party Parliamentary Group at which we welcomed representatives from the embassies of South Africa, Brazil, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Ukraine.  They, the MPs and NGOs who joined us expressed warm support for the initiative, and were helpful and practical in their suggestions and assistance. 

- the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust have come on board to sponsor the Philippine team.

- BMS World Mission are coming on board the project, providing support to enable the Nicaraguan team to take part, and supporting us with communications innovations (watch this space for more!)

- the M13 Youth Project will be sending a UK team – and it’s been fantastic to have their input into our ongoing team meetings.

In the meantime, around the world, our partners are working with the street children they look out for, in order to select the teams that will be travelling to Durban. The teams will be representing themselves and their peers on an international stage. This project, which has lived in the minds of a network of activists for a couple of years is becoming a reality for those young people who are at the centre of it all.

Next week, I’m off to Durban for a series of meetings, and more discussions with Umthombo.  They have co-ordinated a children’s committee, ensuring that the street children of Durban are fully involved in these last 100 or so days of planning – and the 10 days of the event itself – and, crucially, the follow up, taking the messages further.  I can’t wait to spend more time with them, to root this project back into the experience of these young people.  I hope I’m ready to be challenged, and to change plans where we need to do so.

Thanks so much to everyone who’s supported us up to this point.  It’s been a process of pushing hard to get the momentum going.  Now it’s taking off, and instead of pushing, we’re being pulled along at a hectic pace.  It’s good to have got the project this far.  Now the countdown has really begun.

jenny

Jamie Redknapp, Alastair Campbell, Geovanni, Eduardo at the party of the year!

Interviewed by Simon Mayo, and along with Jason Isaacs, Tom Watt, Nancy Dell’Olio and 450 partying guests, this quartet helped the Deloitte Street Child World Cup raise essential funds at a fantastic fundraising dinner on 18 November.

The event was a huge amount of fun – and was only possible because of the generosity of a huge number of people.

The rollcall of BIG BIG THANK YOUS:

- to our speakers, Alastair Campbell, Jamie Redknapp, Geovanni, Eduardo, Tom Watt, Jason Isaacs, and Bulelwa Ngantweni,  and to Simon Mayo for doing a brilliant job of interviewing them.

- to Deloitte, our principal sponsors, for helping make the whole evening happen.  Especially Peter Parsons – thank you for everything, Peter!

- to Stanlake Park Wine Estate for donating their flagship Stanlake Park Traditional Method Sparkling Wine to start the evening with bubbles!

- to SAB Miller for donating all our wine and beer.

- to Belu for donating all the water.

- to John Foster of Sworders and Antiques Roadshow for auctioneering

- to Dylan Thomas, our brilliant photographer

- to all our raffle prize and auction donors - Global Goals, Sir Cliff Richard, Aardman Animations, Sworders, Treagus Stoneman Associates, Really Useful Group, Deutsche Bank, Editors, Chelsea FC, Mala Indian Restaurant, Phil Reed, director of Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms, St Paul’s Cathedral, Thandie Newton, John and Jo Wroe, Isobel and Bryan Webster, Meg Wroe.

- to SFL Group for sound

- to our wonderful DSCWC partners for rallying tables and supporters – Momentum Arts, Cheka Sana Children’s Trust, Action for Brazil’s Children, the Consortium for Street Children.

- to Streets United for amazing freestyling skills

- to the Frank Williams jazz quintet

- to the Sofitel Hotel for their welcome!

- to the team of tireless and supportive volunteers who sold raffle tickets, made the auction happen, and were generally great.

And to all the guests who made merry, and made money to enable street children’s voices to be heard.  THANK YOU!

jenny

David Beckham supports the Street Child World Cup!

“I know from personal experience just what power football can have to inspire and change young people’s lives whatever their background or nationality. This is what the Deloitte Street Child World Cup is all about and I give it my full support”

David Beckham

More great items for auction on November 18th!

Let us know if you want to place a bid in advance!

       A round of golf at the Wentworth Golf Course, home of the World Match Play with Les Ferdinand.

       The final two of eight exclusive Street Child World Cup prints, signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Gary Lineker.

       An exclusive tour for six, of areas closed to the public at St Paul’s Cathedral, including Christopher Wren’s private library, many areas featured in the Da Vinci Code film, and including lunch with the Dean.

       A shirt signed by the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé.

       A shirt signed by former England and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer.

       Shirts signed by the Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham squads.

       A one- off from Aardman Animations, home of Wallace and Gromit.

       A personalised tour around the Cabinet War Rooms, exploring behind the scenes with the director for up to four people.

        A week in a luxury holiday home in Tenerife.

       A week in a holiday cottage in Perthshire.

       A print by celebrated artist Meg Wroe, made after her visit to see the work of Umthombo with street children in Durban.

       A valuation by Sworders the fine art auctioneers (Antiques Roadshow).

    And there are more to come!  Watch this space…

Gala Dinner Unique Auction Prizes

The Street Child World Cup Gala Dinner is now less than ten days away.

The Amos Trust are excited to announce the list of fantastic and unique prizes that will be auctioned off at this fundraising event that will be held on the 18^th November at the Sofitel Hotel near Heathrow.

Auction Prizes include:

• A shirt signed by Brazilian football legend Pelé
• Shirts signed by: the Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur FC teams
• A shirt signed by former England striker Alan Shearer
• A personalised tour around the Cabinet War Rooms, exploring behind the scenes with the director for up to four people
• A week in a luxury holiday home in Tenerife
• A week in a holiday cottage in Perthshire
• A print by celebrated artist Meg Wroe, made after her visit to see the work of Umthombo with street children in Durban
• A free valuation by Sworders the fine art auctioneers
• A round of golf at the exclusive Wentworth Golf Course with VIP guests
• An exclusive Street Child World Cup print, signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Gary Lineker
• A ball, signed by Brazilian football star Juninho

A selection of raffle prizes will also be available on the night, including chances to win tickets to top West End shows, a case of champagne and £450 in gift vouchers.

If you are interested in bidding for these items we would love to see you at the Gala Dinner on the 18^th November and some limited places are still available.  The ticket deadline for this fantastic event is this Thursday, 12^th November, please click here for more details.  If you are unable to make this event but would like to make a bid for one of these items please contact Jenny Dawkins, jenny@amostrust.org.

All proceeds go towards the Street Child World Cup which is taking place in Durban, South Africa, March 2010.

Jenny Unwin

Be louder together! Stop violence against street children

Consortium for Street Children Campaign

 

It’s now less than one month until the world celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the UN convention on the Rights of the Child on the 20^th November.

The Consortium for Street Children (CSC) recently launched a new campaign REALISING RIGHTS: STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST STREET CHILDREN which includes an online petition. The Consortium for Street Children hope to get 100 signatures on this petition before the anniversary of the UN convention on the Rights of the Child on 20^th November.

Add your name to the petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Realising-Rights

With your support the CSC can send the petition to important high-level decision and policy maker such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Street Children, the newly appointed UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children, and the International Police Association.

Please tell your friends about this opportunity to help. This is an ideal chance to show the world that street children matter and have rights too.

 

CSC campaigning really makes a difference…

 

The Consortium for Street Children feature in several sections of a recent International Development Committee enquiry, which offers recommendations to the Department for International Development (DFID, the UK government’s overseas aid arm. The report makes several groundbreaking points.

The report highlights the important differences between street children and other children living in urban areas and urges that a distinction must be made between the two. This encourages DFID to ensure that it tailors specific “policies and programmes for street children within their approach to urban development” meaning that funding to aid street children will be kept distinct from other funding areas.

It also recommends that “DFID adopt indicators specific to street children within its new International Strategy with UNICEF”.

Add your signature today http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Realising-Rights and show your support for the important work of the CSC.

Jenny Unwin (SCWC intern)

Alastair Campbell and Jamie Redknapp

The names are flying in at Street Child World Cup towers!

Alastair Campbell, perhaps Burnley’s most well-known fan, will be attending the Street Child World Cup gala dinner  and interviewing Jamie Redknapp, a gentlemen of the game, with a reasonable claim to being part of football’s royal family.

If you haven’t got your ticket yet, hurry! 

Also joining us:  Tom Watt of BBC Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk, Eduardo, Geovanni, and a host of friendly fun people to enjoy a game of table football with.

I’m really looking forward to meeting them all then.  Come along too!

jenny

Thandie Newton and Gordon Brown

Not necessarily often mentioned together, it’s true.  But today, both have given their support to the Street Child World Cup.  A very exciting flurry of emails at SCWC central.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown says: “No child should have to live on the streets – I commend the Street Child World Cup for providing a platform for the rights of street children to be heard”.

 

Bafta-award-winning actress, Thandie Newton says:   “The Street Child World Cup hosted by Umthombo is a wonderful opportunity to hear the forgotten voices of Street Children – often marginalised, this is their time to be heard and to shine on the world stage. From the football field to governments across the world, this a chance to celebrate the talent that every child has”

Thank you Thandie and Gordon!

jenny

UK Team Confirmed

More and more pieces are slotting into the Street Child World Cup jigsaw, and from the start we wanted to have a team from the UK, so it is great to be able to confirm that we will be represented by a team of  from Manchester.

The kids that will represent the UK come from the M13 Youth Project.  Their vision is to care for young people growing up in communities that are amongst the most deprived in the country.  This will be a fantastic opportunity for the kids on the project to see first hand how children from other countries cope with life on the streets.   We are delighted to have them on board.

Tom