Project Spotlight

Welcome to Givewell's Project Spotlight. Each month we highlight a project for which a charity is currently seeking funds. We also provide details on how to give directly for this project.

Organisation:	Diabetes Australia - New South Wales
Project Name:	'Life for a Child’ Sponsorship Program

Background Information:

For a family in a developing country, having a child diagnosed with diabetes can bring an overwhelming financial burden, and often ends in heartbreak. In some countries, very few health professionals have experience in childhood diabetes. In others, comprehensive care is only available in the capital city, leaving many children far away in the provinces in very dangerous situations.

In these countries there is a combination of poverty, lack of services and poor education, which deprive children of the chance of long survival. They are frequently short of insulin, are unable to control their blood glucose levels, do not have medical care, have scant management support and little knowledge about their condition. Some die quickly, and many others have poor quality of life and develop early and devastating complications.

Project Description:

In response to this need, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) established a Child Sponsorship Program 'Life for a Child’ in 2001 with support from Diabetes Australia - NSW and HOPE worldwide. It is an innovative and sustainable support program in which individuals and families participate to help children with diabetes in developing countries.

The program is run from the Diabetes Australia-NSW Head Office, and is overseen by Dr Graham Ogle (Program Manager) and Professor Martin Silink (IDF President) at the International Diabetes Federation office in the New Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. Aside from the tremendous assistance from Diabetes Australia-NSW with office space and technical support, all other state Diabetes Australia branches have enthusiastically supported the program.

Participants in ‘Life for a Child’ offer assistance to the most needy children at supported diabetes centres. The contributions enable the children to receive clinical care and diabetes education they need to stay alive. The centres provide thorough clinical and financial feedback.

Project Outcomes:

The goals of the program are to provide:

sufficient insulin and syringes;
blood glucose monitoring facilities;
appropriate clinical care;
HbA1c testing;
diabetes education; and
technical support for health professionals (if requested).

Some centres need support for all these areas; others need support for some components. The program now supports over 1,200 children in 19 countries including Philippines, India, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and more. Dr Graham Ogle and Professor Martin Silink have set a goal of assisting 2,000 of the most needy children by the end of 2009.

Can donors/grant makers give directly for this project? Yes.

If so, how?

Being a supporter of the program costs $1 per day, which can be donated monthly ($30), quarterly ($92) or annually ($365). All donations over $2 are tax-deductible in Australia.
Donations can be made via:

Credit card: click here if you would like to make a secure credit card donation online.
Fax: download the donations form and fax it to (02) 9660 3633.
Phone: call 1800 451 737 to donate.
Mail: Please forward cheques/money orders (payable to ‘Diabetes Overseas Aid Fund’) to: Life for a Child with Diabetes, Diabetes Australia - NSW, GPO Box 9824 Sydney 2001.

Contact Details for Further Information:
Ms Rebecca Hutchison, Program Coordinator
Ph: (02) 9552 9955
Email: rebeccah@diabetesnsw.com.au
Web: www.lifeforachild.idf.org

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