Donations

Emily lives in Lilongwe, Malawi. She's 39 years old and married, with three children. Her husband runs a small business and Emily sells second hand clothes. She started her business with the aim of supporting her family with their basic needs, such as food. She has been running her business for 15 years and three of her family members work with her. Her goal is to educate her children, construct a house and purchase goats. We've enabled her to bulk purchase bales of second-hand clothes, thereby increasing her profitability. Thanks to those who donate when they book a holiday, we wish Emily and her family well.

September 05, 2020

Muhammad Ramzan is 32 years old cobbler from Basti Wanika, Kasur, Pakistan. There are seven members in his household that includes his wife, two daughters, and three sons. Three of his children are getting education while two are not yet of schooling age. Muhammad is a cobbler by profession and has been self-employed for almost 10 years. He earns around £92 per month making men's shoes. We've helped him buy materials in buld, including purchasing soles and adhesive solution, buckles, and shoe uppers. The investment will help him increase his productivity and a rise in his family income. We wish him well and tank those who contributed to UTT donations whilst booking their holiday with us.

September 02, 2020

Fahad Ali is 25 years old and lives in an area of Kasur called Kot Murad Khan in Pakistan. Fahad has not married yet, so he lives with and cares for his Mother. To earn an income, Fahad runs a small business making environmentally friendly jute and fabric bags. These bags are becoming more and more popular locally for packing groceries such as lentils and rice, and he has a growing customer base. To make the bags, Fahad buys jute fabric rolls, cuts the fabric into pieces and then sews the bags as per the required dimensions. So far, Fahad has been very pleased with how the business has been growing. He earns around £75 per month, but he would like to increase his income by growing his product range and offering different types of bags. In order to take his business to the next stage, we're helping him buy jute fabric in bulk and experiment with different bag designs to offer new products and grow his income. We wish him well and admire his project which also aids the environment.

August 28, 2020

Vivien Rivera is 56 years old. She is a married and lives with her husband Roy and their three children in the village called Pungtod, Oslob in Cebu province - a place that we have visited in the last eighteen months. All her children are married and been living separately. Roy is a seafarer but stopped working three years ago. Vivien on the other hand has been operating a general store in front of their house to help her husband in dealing with their living expenses. For over 20 years now, Vivien has been managing her store where she sells wide variety of consumable goods such as rice, corn, canned goods, condiments, noodles, powdered drinks, biscuits, chips, cold drinks and a lot more of other items. She also offers animal feeds, school supplies and household cleaning materials. Her store is open daily from 5 in the morning until 6 in the evening. She was being helped by her children before while her husband was away working. Three years ago, Roy decided to stop working and now he is helping Vivien in the store. All their children are married and had their own home separately but due to the pandemic, her children and grandchildren are temporarily living with them to ensure their safety because her children lived in city where COVID-19 positives kept on increasing. She offers credit to some of her valued and trusted customers. We've helped her pay for extra stocks of popular products to help her assist her family during the pandemic.

August 13, 2020

Samoeurt San is a 38 year old farmer with three children: two daughters and a son aged 14, 12 and 9, all of whom currently attend school. The family live in the Ek Phnom District of Battambang Province which we know and visit. She and her husband have been farmers for the last 15 years, farming short-term rice and green beans for sale. They have a plot of land of three hectares in size upon which they grow short-term rice and get a crop yield of 3 tons per hectare. After the rice has been harvested, they then use the same plot of land to grow green beans which can be harvested after 90 days. The green bean crop amounts to 900Kgs per hectare of land. Along with others, we're helping the family buy an additional hectare of land upon which to grow short-term rice and beans and better support their income. We wish them well.

August 09, 2020

Ghulraiz Parvaiz is 36 years old and lives in Baar Colony, Lahore with his wife and three children. Two of his children are studying and getting an education. To earn a living and support his family, Ghulraiz is a master tailor by profession. He has been a tailor for the last 12 years and earns about £78 per month. His customers mostly come from the local area. Ghulraiz realized that his income is not enough to meet the high costs of living due to the high inflation with his limited income. We're helping him buy fabrics so that he can sew a variety of different clothes and earn more. This investment in his business will help him earn more to meet his family's basic needs and live a financially stable and happy life with his family. We wish them well.

July 23, 2020

Asif Ali is from an area called Chaki Piyara Lal which is in the area of Kasur in Pakistan. He is single and lives with his parents and one sister. Asif Ali struggles to support his family and we're happy to help sponsor his small enterprise. For the last two years or so he has been working as an embroiderer. He crafts fancy clothes using needle and sells to retail shops. He earns around £75 per month on average. With his current low earnings it can be hard for him to even provide two basic daily meals for his family. We're helping him buy fabric and silma sitra material (pearls, stones and yarn) to increase his family income. Thank you.

July 18, 2020

Mrs. Savin Pich is 33 years old and has been a farmer for few years. She lives with her husband in Morng Russey district of Battambang Province, an area that we know (having lived for months in Cambodia). They farm wet season rice for sale which is their source of income for their family. Along with the local microfinance partner, we're helping her buy a hecatare of land to double her crop of rice. Helping people to help themselves is essential in the post-Covid world, and we wish Savin Pich well.

June 14, 2020

We make small, regular donations every week to the Northern Ireland Battery Hen Rescue as we keep rescue battery hens ourselves and know the their plight. If you buy anything via Amazon.com you too can donate - even free of charge - as Amazon will donate 1% of purchase value via smile.amazon to charities of your choice - you may choose this charity, or there are hundreds of other options. The retail goods are the ame price - but 1% will go to a good cause.

June 07, 2020

Through the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology), we are happy to sponsor a cuckoo called Valentine and have been tracking his progress back to the UK. To find out more about the BTO's cuckoo project and how you can get involved click the link below.

May 19, 2020

We have donated £50 to the Medical Detection Dogs charity who are looking for funding to train dogs to detect coronavirus in passengers arriving at UK airports. Six dogs have been earmarked for the training; Norman, Digby, Storm, Star, Jasper and Asher. Good luck, dogs!

May 17, 2020

Eulogio Llamos is a 64 year old married man with three adult children who runs a market stall with his wife Fe, 66. They have a stall in Toledo city in Cebu, the Philippines, which we know from a recent visit. The family lives in a village called Ibo, Toledo where they have a smallholding, though the fruit they supply is largely from wholesalers. The couple has been selling bananas, apples, mangoes, watermelon, oranges, pineapples and other seasonal fruits for the past 26 years on stalls that are open every day from 5 in the morning until 8 in the evening. They don't employ anyone to work with them and so they work every day. Their income also helps support their children and grandchildren. Maintaining fresh food supplies in this crisis is essential in developing countries like the Philippines, and we're very happy to support the family in buying more stock to help keep their business alive, and to keep fresh food getting to the people who need it most.

April 27, 2020

Vincent Nkinamubanzi from Ngororero in Rwanda is a 53 year old married man with 4 children, all of who attend the local primary school. He operates a wholesale shop in Ngororero City selling a wide range of products. Meanwhile his wife is a farmer but also helps out in the shop when time permits. Like so much of the developing world, Rwanda is hit hard by the Covid 19 Crisis, and we’re happy to support Vincent and his family. Vincent has been a shopkeeper for the last 8 years, selling rice, beans, maize, maize flour, sorghum, soft drinks, sugar, salt, cooking oils, household items like pans and plates, cleaning items, and non-perishable food as well as construction materials like cement. The money that we (and others) have given will allow Vincent to maintain supplies to his customers – access to food and supplies is essential in this crisis. It will also help Vincent to continue to employ his two staff.

April 26, 2020

We are proud to support The Cinnamon Trust, the only specialist national charity for the terminally ill and people in their later years and their much loved, much-needed companion animals. Especially important during this worrying COVID19 period, elderly or ill pet owners become very worried about their ability to care for their pets feeling that their only option is to rehome them. This is where The Cinnamon Trust's national network of dedicated volunteers step in to offer support, enabling owners and pets to stay together. They will walk the dog for a housebound owner, foster pets when owners need hospital care, feed the cat, even clean out the birdcage or litter trays. The trust always needs new volunteers, and even if you can only spare an hour a week they would love to hear from you.

April 16, 2020

Weneber Ermac is a 43 year old female entrepreneur who lives with her husband Ermest and their three children in the village called Lusaran in Cebu province. We know the town. Her eldest is now teaching at a private school, her second child attends 1st year college and youngest is 2 years old. Back in 2004 the couple started a grocery store business. They sell a wide variety of groceries, bread, household products, footwear, ready to wear clothes and more household items. We've friends who work in NGOs like Oxfam, and we're very aware how the Covid 19 crisis is impacting rural communities like this. We've helped Weneber renovated her shop. Currently she employs two regular sales ladies and one baker. Her store is open everyday from 5 in the morning until 7 in the evening. She sells variety of consumable products for people and animals. She also sell various farm inputs and household items. She will buy construction materials like concrete blocks, steel bars, cement and other materials needed. We wish her and the family well.

April 15, 2020

Marlon Artajo is a 34 year old shopkeeper who manage two stalls in the public market of Balamban in Cebu province of the Philippines. We know the market there - just simple open stalls of a few square metres. He is married to Jeresa and they have one child aged 11 months. They all live in a village called Vito nearby. Marlon's original stall sells mobile phone accessories, top-ups, and a simple photocopy and print service. He recently opened a second stall right next door with a barbers shop. We admire his entrepreneurial energy (wages there are around just £6 a day) and we've given him £45 (plus covered admin. costs) to enable to buy more stock for the shops, and better support his business. We know the good people of Cebu island, and how hard they work, and we wish Marlon and his family well.

March 01, 2020

We sponsored a friend (Rosie Harrison Gallagher) to walk 80 kilometres in February 2020 in aid of Women's Aid (Ireland). The weather was shocking, and Rosie isn't an experienced walker, but she believes in this cause, and we can share her passion for the good work that Women's Aid do on a daily basis.

February 28, 2020

Emelia Armecin from Tuburan, Cebu, Philippines is a married woman with three adult children. All of her children are married and been living separately. She is now 58 years old and husband Joelito is 61. They both live in the village of Putat which is in the town of Tuburan in Cebu province and manage a mango farm (just 50 trees) and are now building a small roadside shack/ store to sell fishing supplies and petrol. Her store is near the sea where fishermen pass by, and were helping her complete the store, buy fishing supplies, petrol and animal feeds. Emelia hopes her new business will progress for her to continuously earn income and deal with their everyday needs and provide help for her child and grandchildren. We wish them well!

January 20, 2020

Aimable Nahimana is a 33 years old, single potato farmer In Rwanda. He lives with his parents and siblings and he is responsible for all the household costs. He lives with his family in the rural village in Rubavu District. The area where he lives is well known for the high quality potato crops. Aimable started farming potatoes 10 years ago, helping his parents and now he employs several people. In the future, he would like to become a wholesale potato distributor. We're helping him buy potato seed and fertiliser to help better support his family. We wish him well.

January 19, 2020

Jesabil Quiaot lives in Lamac, Pinamungajan, Cebu, Philippines - an area that we know and visit (last in Cebu in Spring 2019). Jesabil is a 24 year old married woman with three children agesd 5 years old, 1 year old and 1 month old. Her husband Michael James works and Jesabil cares for the three children and manages a store where she sells animal feeds, vitamins and medicines. We know how challenging it can be to raise little ones and run a small business from home. We've helped her improve stock of products such as animal feeds, medicines and vitamins. For now she is earning between 300 to 600 pesos (about £ 4.51 to £9) daily since she only just recently opened the business. Jesabil is hoping that her business will grow so she could earn more income to deal with their living expenses. We admire her spirit, and wish her well!

January 18, 2020

We've donated the money required to cover a cleft-palate operation on a child via charity Operation Smile, Ireland (c€180 ). They work in many developing countries helping adults and children born with this common birth defect, and changing lives for the better. This relatively simple operation can change a life and outlook for an individual, and we're more than happy to help. Thanks guys - together we're literally helping 'put a smile' on someones face for 2020.

December 21, 2019

Ranilo Arda is a farmer who is focused in growing beautiful flowers in the village of Babag II in Cebu province, near Cebu city in the Philippines. We were there earlier this year. Ranilo has set up a small flower farm on his father's land to support his family (partner Irish and their two daughters ages 9 and 3 years old). The farm is about 5,000 square meters and employs up to five seasonal workers in the busy harvesting period December to February. We've given him £90 (and paid administration costs) to help with the farm inputs to assist with this year's harvest and wish him and the family well. Thank you for your support.

December 16, 2019

Abida Bibi, aged 40, is a resident of Sabir Basti, Kasur in Lahore, Pakistan. There are a total of 7 members in her family. Four of her children are studying and her husband is a farmer. Abida Bibi supports her family financially by selling buffalo milk. She has been rearing one water buffalo for the last 10 years and earns around £55 per month. Her husband owns four acres of land where he grows wheat and rice. In his free timehe labours and earns around £60 per month. We've contributed £100 (plus admin costs) to help enable her to purchase an additional buffalo. Having this additional buffalo will enable her to enhance her milk output and increase her earnings. This is vitally important in helping her family to become more financially stable and improve their standards of living. We wish them well.

December 14, 2019

Muhammad Sarfraz is 29 years old and married, with two children in Chah Buland, Kasur Pakistan. Sarfraz sells seasonal fruits such as bananas, grapes, apples, etc. by using a push cart in the main road. He has been selling fruits like this for the ast five years to support his family. He earns about £90 per month which is not enough to manage all of his household expenses, and needs to bulk purchase. We've given him £100 (and covered costs) to enable him to buy apples, oranges and grapes in larger quantitiesfrom the local fruit market. With this bulk purchase, his costs will decrease and he will be able to better support his family. We wish the family well, and thank UTT guests for their assistance.

December 02, 2019

Ricardo Lequido is a 44 year old farmer who lives in the village of Valencia, Alegria in Cebu province of the Philippines. We were there ourselves earlier this year. He is married to Josephine and have four children, two sons and two daughters. Two of his adult children are working and the other two are attending school. He finds farming business a good source of income as long as he works hard and have funds to finance his farming expenses. Richard grows cabbages and spring onions and aims to soon start planting aubergines. We've helped him with farm costs (water, seeds etc) (£100) and we wish him and the family well.

November 25, 2019

Nancy Castro is 46 and lives on the outskirts of the city of Loja in southern Ecuador. Her husband has a truck and works transporting stone material. They have three children; two of whom are already married and live independently while the youngest is still studying. Doña Nancy works selling 'Tuppaware' type products for the home. She sells them at a large market and also directly to her customers’ homes. She makes a profit of around $370 per month on average (that's about £285). December is a big sales month for her, so we've helped her increase stock, and hopefully that will bring in more income for the family at Christmas. We've donated £100 (and paid administration costs) thanks to the generosity of UTT guests. We admire people that set out to help themselves, and we know that sometimes just getting a small 'leg up' in the world can make all the difference. We wish Nancy and her family well.

November 05, 2019

Timotea Firmeza, 59 year old is married and she has 4 adult children. She lives in the village of Poog which is in Toledo city in Cebu province of the Philippines, where we visited earlier in 2019. Her husband passed away 2 years ago in a road traffic accident. She lives with her two unmarried children, their partners and 8 grandchildren. Timotea used to work as a house caretaker for many years in Cebu city but now she has a small business selling clothes, bags, umbrellas, towels etc. We've given her £100 to increase stocks and better support her family, and we wish her well. Thank you for your support!

October 31, 2019

Young Mirei (age 10) has NEVER had her hair cut - and it's over 1.5m long. We know the family well, and have huge admiration for Mirei's project. She has a close family member affected by Multiple Sclerosis, and has chosen to raise funds to support the MS Society. Happy to start the ball rolling with a £50 donation to her brave project - young people can change the world! Do consider a donation, even £1/ £2 can make a difference!

September 23, 2019

Emily Conde is a 47 year old business woman who manages one stall in the public market of Lutopan, Toledo city in Cebu, Philippines. We visited earlier this year. She is married to Jerome and they have two sons and one daughter. Her eldest graduated college in Marine engineering and is ready to work in a shipping company this month. Her two other children are in grade 11 and 10. The family income comes from Emily's success running her stall. For the past 16 years she has managed the business herself. She sellsrice, corn, sugar, monggo beans, salt and garlic, animal feeds, farm fertilisers, poultry eggsand charcoal. Her stall is open everyday from 8 in the morning and closes at 6 in the evening. So basically she does everything in the stall for she did not want to hire a worker. If customers will buy one sack or more, he call motorcycle driver to help in lifting and give them tip. All of her products to sell are directly delivered at her stall. In a month, she can sell 100 sacks or more of her rice and corn, making around £1 per sack profit. We've given her £100 (and paid admin. so she gets the full £100) to help her increase stocks and improve the stall. We wish her and her family well.

September 21, 2019

Meet 'Beaker' one of half dozen ex-battery hens we rescued yesterday from her ‘enriched cage’. LOOK AT HER CONDITION. It angers us that greed leads to this. We’ll keep her image on our phones and show it to anyone we see buying the battery eggs in the supermarket. Want to help or adopt your own?

September 14, 2019

Fabien Nsengimama runs a small grocery stall in Sovu, Ngororero- Birembo Branch, Rwanda. They sell products as varied as beans, spaghetti, biscuits and other household goods like body oil, shoes, and slippers. Fabien is 20 years old, married, and they have a baby girl. Fabien sells to small clients in his neighbourhood. Along with others, we're helping him increase his stock including soft drinks, cakes, samosas, and other foods. He rotates with his wife in the shop and they also grow potatoes. So when he is in the plantation, she sells in their small shop, and vice versa. They earn around £240 a month and we help our assistance will help boost their family income. Thank you for helping Fabien and his family.

July 27, 2019

Our friend Elvis the Boxador (yes, he is our friend) helps out at his local 'Wag and Company' as a friendship dog - it's a registered charity enabling visiting dog teams to build meaningful new friendships with older dog lovers across the North East of England. We've seen the difference his poochie-visits make in his local care home, and we're happy to donate to support the project and help with the organisation. Keep up the good work, Elvis! Elvis can be seen 'working' at Rosewood Care Home in Gateshead and the residents, naturally, love him!

June 26, 2019

Jum'aa Abu Reeda is 23. He is married with a young son aged 3. He lives with his family in Qusra near Nablus in the 'West Bank' of Palestine. Given that it's 'Eurovision week' we felt it appropriate to support a Palestinan family through a micro-loan donation. We're giving Jum'aa £100 via Lend With Care charity (and covering their admin costs), and he'll be able to use the money to improve his business. Any money he is able to pay back we'll pass on to another entrepreneur in a developing country, or via our regular charity donations. Jum’aa runs a shop selling household items as well as small dometic appliances. He established the business around five years ago. Prior to this he had worked briefly as a construction labourer. However, he changed because he wanted a business with more profitable opportunities and something for which he could depend upon on himself. Among the items he sells are cutlery, plates, cups, bedsheets and even small cooking stoves. We're helping him buy extra stock for his store, specifically plastic tables and chairs, rugs, and even more electrical items for the kitchen. We wish him well, and we hope for peace and prosperity in Palestine. Click the link to find out more., and see his shop.

May 13, 2019

Anwar Dar Ahmad is a 48 years old. He is a smallholder farmer and lives with his family near the town of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, Palestine. Given the latest attacks on the people of the West Bank, we felt it appropriate to reach out and help in a small way by supporting a farming family. We've donated £100 to help Anwar develop his tomato-growing business. Anwar has four children. He has been farming for the past 20 years or so. He owns two acres of land, on part of which he has greenhouses which permit him to grow tomatoes out of season and in a controlled environment. Along with others (via Lend with Care) we're helping him buy 400 tomato plants, compost in bulk, frames for the plants and sheeting to aid temperature control in the greenhouse. We wish him a successful season.

May 10, 2019

Gulfam Ali is from a suburb of Lahore in Pakistan. He sells embroidery to earn the bread and butter for his family (his elderly parents, one sister and himself). His parents are receiving regular medical treatment. Gulfam sews beautiful women's clothing, known locally as 'Silma Sitara' work. His fulltime work brings him a monthly income of approximately £107. This only just covers the family expenses, so we've helped him purchase fabric, pearls and embroidery stones to sell higher-priced 'Silma Sitara' and hopefully provide a better living standard for his family, and improve the medical facilities for his parents. Thank you for supporting this family.

April 04, 2019

Ariel Pantollano is a father of three children. He is married to Fe and both of them run a general store in the town of Balamban in Cebu province in the Philippines. We were there ourselves in February this year; it's a beautiful part of the world, but with very low wages. The family sell basic commodities such as eggs, canned foods, noodles, powdered drinks, condiments, biscuits, chips and sweets. Ariel is 34 years old while Fe is 33. They have three children ages 1, 2 and 6 years old. Ariels' store is particularly useful locally as it allows credit to customers who are weekly or monthly paid. His sales are about 6,000 pesos a day (c£87). Through the local co-operative we've helped him restock his store with more saleable items. Ariel will continue his business and sustain what he is earning and better support his family. We know these small roadside stalls well from our own travels, and supporting them keeps families in their communities. Thank you for your support.

April 02, 2019

Carmen Paccha is 30 years old and lives on the outskirts of the city of Loja in southern Ecuador. She is married with three children. Her husband helps her on their smallholding and also works as a builder when he can find work. She grows vegetables on a plot of land gifted to her by her parents, and sells the veg to wholesalers three days a week. She earms around $200 profit per month (about £150, or €175) from selling vegetables. We've helped with her farming inputs so that she can hopefully produce a better harvest and better support her family. THANK YOU.

March 09, 2019

Erika Pazmiño is 22 years old and from the smal town of Catamayo in southern Ecuador. She's a seamstress, and thanks to YOUR help we've been able to assist her in buying a new industrial-quality sewing machine. She makes school uniforms and specialist sports clothes for her local community. Erika has grown her business, sometimes employing assistants, and is now the secretary of her local Textile Association. Her small company makes around 400 USD profit a month, with which she supports her family. We wish her well.

March 06, 2019

Luis Joaquin Chávez Yaselga is 31 years old and a farmer. He lives in San Blas de Urcuquí in Ecuador. He and his ex-partner have one son. He has been farming from a very young age and has 20 years experience in this business. We're happy to be support him in his small farming venture, thanks to your generosity. Your support will help him in 2019 with farming inputs, buying twine, hiring labourers, maintaining the land with a tractor, and other farming expenses. With this extra help he will hopefully achieve a good price at harvest and be better able to support himself and his family. Thank you!

February 12, 2019

Mr. Mon Met is a farmer from Bovel District, Battambang Province., Cambodia. He is 32 years old and has one child, aged 10 years old who is at school. He grows wet season rice for sale every year on his nine hectares of land. We're helping him this year with his farming costs. Mr. Mon farms wet season rice (in what would be called 'summer' in the UK). As his rice paddy has no irrigation system, he only plants one harvest per year, which takes 6 months before he is able to collect his produce of 2.5 tones per hectare. The middlemen buys the harvest directly from his farm. We're helping him with ploughing and threshing costs to enable him to better support himself and his family. We know the Battambang area, and wish him and the family well.

February 11, 2019

One child is dying EVERY TEN MINUTES from malnutrition / preventable disease in Yemen (says the UN), yet Europe seems more obsessed with Brexit than providing meaningful aid. We've made another small donation today, and ask others to consider doing the same. It's a ghastly, and preventable situation that should horrify us all.

December 15, 2018

Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary is a Bristol based independent charity that rescues and rehomes unwanted, abandoned and often mistreated cats and dogs. They receive no funding from the government or National Lottery and rely on the generosity and goodwill of their supporters to keep their kennel and cattery doors open. They rescue and rehome around 800 animals each year finding them loving and responsible new homes, and we're happy to have been able to help them with a donation. Many of our customers come from the Bristol hinterland, and it felt like the right choice for our donation this week. The dog pictured is called Pip and is looking for a home - could you help?

December 03, 2018

We've made a Christmas donation to the Wildwood Trust - who are working to try and save the red squirrel from its prediction extinction in the UK. They breed squirrels in captivity, and release them in an appropriate and managed way in nature conservancy areas in North Wales and on Anglesey. We think they do great work and are happy to help. We also learned that baby squirrels are called 'kittens'! red squirrel numbers are estimated to be down to around 10 000 in Wales (that's low) and we'd love to see them get back to where they used to be.

November 29, 2018

Universal Aid for Children, Ukraine is a charity that supports children leaving the Care System of Ukraine. Although children in orphanages often (and rightly) receive charity support, we like the fact that this charity has a specific focus on supporting teens as they graduate from orphanages into adult life. We've family members who work daily with such vulnerable kids in the UK, and we know that it's a crucial time to get a good start in life. We've decided to sponsor one individual, Nikita, for 6 months as he makes his way in the world. The monthly sum that we send him will give him a monthly stipend, and assist with getting secure housing, education and medical supplies. Nikita is going to college to study as a welder, and cares for his grandfather (who is poor health). At weekends he works as a labourer for a renovation company. We wish him well, and will post updates via the Under the Thatch Facebook page of his progress. Thank you for making this sponsorship possible by holidaying Under the Thatch.

November 09, 2018

UNICEF estimate that a child dies from malnutrition in Yemen every 10 minutes. Unfortunately we don't have the power to stop the UK (and other) governments selling the arms to Saudi Arabia that are directly influencing the humanitarian crisis there. We're appalled by the irony that while UK/ European governments are pumping public money into arts projects to (rightly) commemorate the 1918 Armistice, some of those countries also benefit hugely from the taxes paid on immense arms sales to places like Saudi and Israel, with weapons used against civilians. The tax profit (in part) from these arms sales is used for arts and other projects to remind us of the futility of war. This doesn't seem right, and we urge everyone to write to their politician/s to prevent the sale of weapons to regimes who have been proven to use them inappropriately. In the meantime 400 00 children are at risk of death from acute malnutrition, and all we can do is shout..and send a small amount of aid. We're not comfortable using a distressing image like the one shown. But it's a recent and real photo, and we want the world to wake up to the Yemen crisis. If you're able to also make a donation, no matter how small, we encourage you to do so via the link or https://www.unicef.ie/our_work/emergency/yemen-crisis/

November 08, 2018

Jeneffer Flores is mother of three children aged between 12 and 23 years old in Bogo City, Cebu, Philippines. She has been separated from her husband for about 10 years. She has been working as a village treasurer for 5 years. To earn an additional income, she also sells food items in the city of Bogo in Cebu province. She sells affordable noodle dishes and frozen foods. Jennefer wants nothing more than to provide a better quality of life for her children and to give them all to highest education. Jennefer sells pre-packed dishes in large plastic containers. Her regular customers are market vendors, sales ladies, pedicab drivers and small store owners. She has been in this business for the past four years now. She earns between 500 and 1,500 pesos a day (about £7 - £21). She also sells snacks like steamed buns, coconut juice and fried peanuts. She wakes up early to cook her daily dishes and her children help her in preparing the ingredients. She used to hire pedicab drivers to transport her products. But now she has her own vehicle. Jennefer knows how to drive so she recently acquired a single motorcycle on credit and has also purchased a side car. We're helping her pay for the side car and to pay for the tuition and school projects of her second child. We wish her well - and may even pop by to say Hi as we'll be in the Philippines ourselves soon!

October 03, 2018

Marietta is married to Roy (both 52), and they live in San Regemio, Cebu. Philippines. They've one adopted daughter, after having unfortunately having lost their son to illness, age 16. They run and manage a shop near a sea port and it is their main source of income to deal with their living expenses. The couple manage a shop stall where they sell food items such as cup noodles, biscuits, chips, bottled water, hot and cold drinks, powdered drinks, hygiene products etc. She purchases most of her stock from the big stores in Bogo city because the prices there are much cheaper. Her shop is open 24 hours a day at the Hagnaya port. The couple work shift duties to manage their business hours. Most of their customers are passengers and ship workers. They have been in this business for 20 years now. Her daily sales range from 3,000 to 5,000 pesos (about £42 - £70). Along with others, we're helping her purchase 12 sacks of quality rice that cost roughly 33,000 pesos (about £462). She will use the rest of the funds to restock her shop with more items such as cup noodles, biscuits and bottled water. We wish the family well.

October 02, 2018

Ali Raza is 23 years old. He lives in Lahore, Pakistan with his parents, three brothers and one sister. He pays for the educational expenses of his sister and one brother. Ali supports his family by stitching men’s clothes and he earns £131 per month. His father also works and earn £125 per month. Ali’s income is not enough for supporting his family and saving up for his future to have a family of his own. Ali Raza really wants his siblings to have the best opportunities in life. We're helping him purchase fabrics and sewing materials to help him bring prosperity to his family.

September 17, 2018

Mr. Pheak Krahn is 27 years old, he has been as farmer for over four years in Ma Nork Village, Talos Commune, Cambodia. He grows his wet season rice paddy on a farmland that is five hectares. He collects three tons of crops per hectare to sell on the market. It takes a period of six months for the rice paddy crops to get ready for harvesting. As the rice paddy are harvested the crops are sold directly to a local merchant. We're helping him buy further land to expand his wet season rice paddy farming. With the extra plot of land he expects to get around one more ton of rice paddy to sell on the market and thereby help his family. We wish him well.

September 17, 2018

Living in the locality of Islam Abad in Lahore, Pakistan, Waqas is a 25-year-old man who works as a tailor. His family of 8 is dependent on him. He has parents, four sisters and one brother. Three of his sisters are still going to school. His father works and earns £63 per month. Faced with rising costs and increasing expenditures, Waqas earns barely enough to make end meet. He earns £114 per month. He sews gents and readymade clothes. He is determined to educate his sisters and wants to improvise his business. We're helping him buy fabric and sewing supplies to improve the family income.

August 30, 2018