Iceland-based ABC Children’s Aid International sent out an SOS recently because of its heavy debt burden, which jeopardizes the operations of its children’s home in Kenya. Icelanders responded by donating ISK 4 million (USD 32,000, EUR 20,000) in total.
From Mali, one of the countries where ABC aids children. The photo is part of Páll Stefánsson’s African football series and is unrelated to this story.
“It came as a huge surprise to us; a wonderful answer to our prayers,” chairman of ABC Gudrún Margrét Pálsdóttir told Fréttabladid. Most of the money went to pay the charity’s accumulated debts and to cover the cost of the operations home’s in the coming months.
ABC also received an additional amount of ISK 300,000 (USD 2,400, EUR 1,500) in regular monthly donations, which will go to the home’s educational program. The charity sponsors the education of children in many countries in Africa and Asia.
However, while the remaining amount of the 4 million will cover the difference for some time, the regular monthly donations from Iceland are not enough to secure the home’s future operations, Pálsdóttir said.
With the collapse of the Icelandic króna, converting krónas to foreign currencies has become more expensive than before the economic crisis hit one year ago.
The charity hopes that the number of regular donors will increase further before that amount runs dry. “The need is immense and it growing rather than diminishing,” Pálsdóttir stated.
Visit ABC’s website to learn more about the charity’s projects.
