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When you think of bees and goats, what comes to mind? Honey, milk, cheese, and maybe some cute goats jumping on things? While these things are all true, there’s so much more to these two creatures than sweet treats and charming antics. In recent years, goats and bees have been proven to be mighty assets in helping to transform people's lives in areas with limited resources. In this blog, we will examine how bee and goat programs create meaningful change by improving health and nutrition and generating income for communities. Improved Health and Nutrition One of the most significant benefits of goat and bee programs is their ability to [...]

By: Jen PanattoniAs a donor, you may have come across the term Donor Advised Funds (DAF), but what exactly are they, and how can they be used to donate stock to charity? We hope this blog answers your questions and provides insights on how you can contribute to the American Foundation for Children with AIDS using a Donor Advised Fund.What is a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)?DAF is a charitable giving account that allows donors to make grants to their favorite nonprofit organizations. A sponsoring organization, such as a community foundation or a financial institution, administers these funds. Donors can contribute cash, securities, or other assets to the fund and receive [...]

Today Jon, Dave, Juju, Diamond, Thando, and I visited beneficiary families to vaccinate the babies and weigh the goats. While there, I was so happy to notice that one of the families received a #LooLove. Yahoo! The mama was so excited and grateful, smiling her gorgeous smile and saying "siyabonga" over and over again as we climbed back into the truck and waved goodbye. #AFCAids #goats #lovewell

Busy day at Morning Star! Moving a water tank up a rock, mixing cement and creating a base for the tank, painting, training the goat staff, watching the set, climbing rocks, visiting a school and teaching sewing, filling a truck with cut grass for goat feed (unloading it at the homestead and doing it again and again), multiple trips to bring thatch for a roof, meetings to plan next year's programs, and learning Texas Hold'em. A pretty darn good day, for sure! #afcaids #lovewell #dogood #zimbabwe #vacationwithapurpose

Team Naartjie started the day with a bang! One group (Kim, Zack, Eric, Ben, Diamond, Benson, Joseph) is setting up a second water tank up on a rock, as it will use gravity. This requires building a stand for it to sit on, so heavy block, cement sand, and water will be carted up the rock before creating the stand. Jeanie Pauli is busy repairing mattress covers. Juju, Tifany, Kathy Kirk, and Angie are painting "goat headquarters" while Jon is welding away. Bob has partnered with Talent to repair small machines that need a new life. David, Aiden, Ruby, and T'as are busy weighing and vaccinating goats today. We [...]

Team Naartjie is complete! We spent an unexpected night in Bulawayo due to a team member missing her flight, but we are now complete and ready to head out to Morning Star. Whoo hoo!!! #AFCAids #lovewell #zimbabwe

School uniforms, reusable pads kits, dresses, trousers, purses, skirts, and hats are all sewn in a little tailoring shop in Miwani, Kenya. This is another AFCAids supported project, in partnership with Restoringhopes Ministries. We have dreams of expanding this project to include 10 more machines, training more women while expanding the items they will sew and the number of buyers. It is always a leap of faith to grow these projects but when I see them, when I read the reports and when I hear the stories, it makes sense to do so. Slow, incremental growth is the name of the game for us at AFCA. We look for: [...]

Meanwhile, in Gemena, DRCongo, a group of beneficiaries working in a community garden project have all received their LuminAID solar lamps and Sawyer water filters. Good days all around!! #AFCAids #congo #cleanwaterforall #lovewell

LuminAID solar lamps.were given to widows today in Miwani, Kenya. The ladies were SO excited and danced and hollered and clapped and gave a little speech. I just stood with my eyes watering and couldn't stop smiling. Alice, the supervisor, taught the ladies how to use the lamps, teaching them in Luo. #RestoringHope #afcaids #lovewell #lightsforall