The Community Partnership Service is an important part of AFAP’s ongoing strategic development. Through the Service, communities in Australia are linked with communities in Africa, the Pacific, South East Asia and South Asia in the support of specific development and poverty alleviation projects.

With AFAP technical support, development expertise and guidance, Community Partners mobilise the financial and human resources of Australian communities for the purpose of responding to developmental needs that have been identified by communities in recipient countries.

If you are part of a community group that is interested in supporting an overseas aid project and would like to become a Community Partner, please contact us

Our South Asia Community Partners are:

Bangladesh:
Operation Cleft www.operationcleft.org.au
The Glencoe Foundation was one of the first groups to participate in AFAP’s Community Partnership Service. Initially the focus was on education initiatives. However, over time these activities have grown to include poverty alleviation and most recently a health focus with “Operation Cleft”.Operation Cleft has enabled hundreds of people born with cleft deformities to have access to life-changing surgery by funding local surgeons to undertake cleft repair operations in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

China:

Baoji XinXing Aid Street Kids www.xinxingaid.org.cn

Baoji XinXing is the first Chinese NGO established for street children in mainland China. It was founded in March 2006 by a group of national staff previously employed by Medecin sans Frontieres (MSF). Baoji Xinxing has a 24 hour open centre with accommodation for 60 children, aged from 6 to 18 years. The centre provides psychological intevention, medical aid and educational support through a multidisciplinary approach.

The centre organises schooling, vocational and apprenticeship trainings and a wide range of educational activities to facilitate street kids' reintegration in the civil society.

Rigdzin Foundation - VISTA, www.RigdzinFoundation.org

Vajra Institute for Sustainable Training Assistance (VISTA) is an integrated vocational education, heritage conservation and enterprise development project run by the Rigdzin Foundation partnership with Ju Mohor Monastery. VISTA aims to assist the Tibetan nomadic community of Sershul County who are now being housed in urban areas, to adjust to urban living, and to develop their skills and the business applications to support their economic livelihood. VISTA has four program areas covering Tourism Development, Technology Skills Training, Health Care and Education and Heritage Conservation. On the left: Children gaining access to primary education through VISTA programs

Tibetan Support Program www.tibetsupport.org

The Tibetan Support Program (TSP) was established to assist with the education of children in the Quinghai, China in the North Eastern corner of the Tibetan plateau. Whilst in Nepal in November 2001, Dr Dave Webb, the founder of TSP met Lobsang Tsering, a Tibetan monk who spoke of his dream to build a school. Returning to Australia after having offered his assistance, Dave established TSP in Perth to help improve the quality of life of the Tibetan nomadic people. In July 2005, the school opened for 30 children - including 18 orphan children - between the ages of 5 and 9. The second stage of construction was completed in November 2005 providing space for 30 more children. By the end of 2007, 250 children are expected to board at the school.

India:

Vets Beyond Borders www.vetsbeyondborders.org

Vets Beyond Borders was established by veterinarians and is currently involved in rpojects in India, Sri Lanka and the Pacifric, and has a consultative role in several other countries. The organisation seeks to improve the health and welfare of both animal and human populatins in developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region, by providing or facilitating sustainable animal welfare programmes, staffed by qualifed veterinary personnel. The organisation uses experienced Vets Beyond Borders coordinators and veterinary staff to train local administrators and clinical personnel in the field. In the North-Eastern Indian state of Sikkim, Vets Beyond Borders is working in collaboration with the Sikkimese Government and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in a state-wide, animal welfare project.

Nepal:

CLCR- The Centre for Learning and Children’s rights www.forchildrights.com

CLCR is an Australian not for profit organization coordinating programs of aid and educational development in Nepal, with specific focus on training teachers, educating children and supporting the UN’S Millennium Development Goals. In 2008 CLCR commenced the Heartland Children’s Academy (HCA), a fast growing school providing co-educational classes from Nursery to class ten, specifically targeting the underprivileged sectors of Nepal’s society for educational support.

International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) www.ippg.net

The International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) works to improve the conditions of mountain porters employed in the tourism industry worldwide. IPPG’s aim is for every porter to have access to insurance, adequate clothing, boots, shelter and food, and medical care when ill or injured.

IPPG continued to consolidate the work on the Machermo Porter Shelter and Rescue Post. Funding has been raised for a new porter shelter at the foot of Kala Pattar at 5000m, one of the main Everest viewpoints and for a new seasonal shelter and first-aid post at Gamaukh in India.

IPPG continued its work to educate both tourists and governments on the issue of porter safety mainly through its popular website and to assist with the provision of clothing and footwear for loan through porter clothing banks.

Room to Read www.roomtoread.org
Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children's literature, constructing schools, providing education to girls and establishing computer labs.
While Room to Read was founded in 2000 providing support to schools in Nepal, it is now operating in eight countries throughout Asia and Africa. Room to Read believes that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations.

Sailung TriNetra www.sailungtrinetra.org

Sailung TriNetra is a Nepali Non-Government (NGO) organisation established in October 2006 and working in the Ramechhap District in East Nepal. Sailung TriNetra strives to give rural village children access to learning tools, resources and the potential to empower themselves by providing education and training opportunities.
These facilities will provide education to up to 130 children in its first preschool phase. This will provide a much-required foundation, returning students to their village schools with an introduction in the basics of learning and socialising. A bakery has also been established in Kathmandu to provide training for the wider community that will further benefit families into the future.

The ISIS Foundation www.isis.bm

The ISIS Foundation (ISIS) was established in early 1997 to benefit children in the developing world, specifically in Nepal and Uganda.

ISIS works on a range of projects including installation and maintenance of sustainable technologies (such as solar lighting in homes, and smokeless stoves), rescue of and support for around 140 war-displaced and trafficked children, and medical training.

In Nepal, ISIS works in Kathmandu, the capital, and in Humla, a remote and highly disadvantaged district in the North West. In Uganda, ISIS’ main focus is in the Luwero region, a rural area North of the capital, and also in Kampala with a small street children’s project.

Pakistan:

W1 Foundation www.w1foundation.org

The WI Foundation aims to improve the wellbeing and status of women and children in Pakistan through the prevention of violence and abuse and by improving women and girl's access to education, health services and income generating opportunities. W1 works in partnership with community-based organisations and promotes activities such as legal aid centres, the provision of basic education, literacy classes for adult women and the provision of basic health services.

Sri Lanka:

AHEAD (formerly ISHED)

The Institute for Sustainable Health Education and Development (ISHED) delivers state-of-the-art eLearning and collaborates with healthcare workers and departments of health-developing nations on health and disability policy production and on capacity building using eHealth and eLearning technologies. Working closely with the Interactive Health Network (UK) and the Institute for Clinical and Academic Neuropsychiatry, ISHED uses a multitude of networks to ensure interactive communication with remote areas without reliable electricity or telecommunications infrastructure, including digital satellite radio, analog radio, and innovative real-time and asynchronous low bandwidth solutions online.

Help Sri Lanka http://helpsrilanka.com.au/

HELP Sri Lanka Incorporated was established in January 2005. The projects are broadly grouped under disaster relief but range from building schools, houses and villages, education, literacy, upgrade of hospitals and medical equipment, water sanitation, grief counselling and foster care.