Latest news with #Children'sInvestmentFundFoundation
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Sam Thompson says how new Soccer Aid challenge has given him 'nightmares'
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Thompson opens up for the first time about his incredible 260mile endurance challenge for UNICEF - saying the feat will dwarf his achivements in the jungle Sam Thompson has opened up about his incredible endurance challenge - saying he has been having sleepness nights as he is such a novice runner. The much-loved star is undertaking five back-to-back endurance days of running and cycling in less than two weeks. He is set to transport the Soccer Aid for UNICEF match ball from last year's stadium - Stamford Bridge in London - 260 miles to the home of this year's match at Old Trafford in Manchester. It will see him take on five marathons and over 160 miles by bike. Speaking about how he was feeling, Sam said: 'I am so nervous…I've had nightmares about it,' he says. And he said even being out of his comfort zone in the jungle was nothing compared to this endeavour. He said: 'This is by far gonna be the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. The jungle was great. But I've never been a runner. Before I started training for this, I had never even run further, I think, it was 8K. And even then I remember getting back, my legs were dead and I was like, 'oh, my God, this sucks. Why would anyone do this?' 'And then I stupidly watched the marathon this time around. Shouldn't have done that because the amount of people who are literally on the floor. How is this even a thing? Like, Joel Dommet is a seasoned pro and he passed out.' Asked if he would rather do jungle trials instead, he says; 'Oh, my God, the amount of camel's penises I would eat, I can't even tell you.' Sam says juggling training with his TV work, podcast with Pete Wicks and radio show with Bauer was proving hard going. 'There's so much going on. It is incredibly hard to go and train, I would have loved to have trained maybe a little bit more. But such is life, you know, and you can't always just do it. So it's gonna be one hell of a shock to me. It's 260 miles, which is a lot,' he says. He also spoken to Jamie Laing who recently ran five ultramarathons in five days for Comic Relief. 'Jamie and I are really great friends, he was like, 'I can only just walk now…it's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done,'' he says. 'We're not athletes. We're your average Joe's when it comes to physical activity, I think. And we are just two guys who've never run before.' Donate to Sam's Match Ball Mission for Soccer Aid for UNICEF now, by visiting This year, thanks to the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, every donation you make to Soccer Aid for UNICEF will be doubled – up to £5 million.
The National
29-04-2025
- Health
- The National
UAE pledges $125m in drive to prevent 300,000 childbirth deaths in Africa
The UAE on Tuesday announced the launch of a major humanitarian project aimed at preventing 300,000 deaths in childbirth across Africa over the next five years as part of a $600 million healthcare strategy. The Beginnings Fund is the first flagship project unveiled by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, a philanthropic organisation established last month to deliver a crucial lifeline to needy communities. The fund will work in partnership with African governments, national organisations and experts to provide access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies by 2030. The fund will operate in 10 African countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – to help improve maternal and newborn survival rates. The Beginnings Fund has been established under a joint $600 million commitment, which includes $100 million in direct financing for its work. The funding pledge was enabled by a $125 million grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, with the same amount from each of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, The ELMA Foundation, and Gates Foundation, with further funding from Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Patchwork Collective and others. The programme will focus on strengthening workforces and equipping facilities with the expertise needed to improve patient outcomes. The launch of the scheme was held at Kanad Hospital in Al Ain, the first modern hospital established in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The event was attended by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, deputy chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, and chairman of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, and Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as a number of African health ministers. 'Through the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, we are honoured to support the Beginnings Fund in giving more mothers and children the opportunity of a healthy start," said Sheikh Theyab. "In the earliest days of the UAE, our nation faced high maternal and newborn mortality rates. This journey taught us the profound importance of quality health care that is available to all, at every stage of life, and this knowledge continues to guide us today. "Through this partnership, we further our dedication to working hand-in-hand with governments and partners to build a healthier, more hopeful future for generations to come.' Newborn deaths in the first month of life are the single biggest driver of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 per cent of maternal deaths also occur, the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity said. it said "without transformative action", 182,000 women and 1.2 million newborns in sub-Saharan Africa will continue to die each year from preventable causes, in addition to 950,000 stillbirths. The international effort has won the support of the World Health Organisation. 'The world has made real progress on reducing the number of maternal and child deaths in the last two decades, thanks to dedicated health workers and governments, backed by investment and technical know-how,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director general. 'But still, every seven seconds a mother or baby dies a preventable death. We welcome the launch of the Beginnings Fund and look forward to working closely with all those involved to end these preventable tragedies.' Tanya Masiyiwa, president and chief executive of Delta Philanthropies, said the major investment plan would be key to providing better training for health workers. 'Although infrastructure existed - medical schools, nursing colleges, and partnerships with institutions such as those in the UK - the actual translation of training materials into practice was missing due to lack of funding," she told The National. "Materials would gather dust in offices because there were no resources to run training programmes for specialists, nurses, and auxiliary staff. This is why the investment from the Beginnings Fund is so critical. it has become a real game changer.' Ms Masiyiwa said further financial assistance is needed to strengthen the health sector in parts of the continent. 'Sub-Saharan Africa, from east to west to central to southern Africa, faces dilapidated health systems and limited maternal health investments. "The plan is to continue fundraising, bringing on board both large investors and smaller contributors, including local philanthropists within each country.'
Zawya
28-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
African Development Bank Group approves $50 million trust fund to end school-age hunger in Africa
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank ( approved the establishment of a fund to help put an end to hunger and malnutrition amongst school age-children in Africa. The End School-Age Hunger Fund (ESAH) was approved on 20 March with the aim of bolstering school meal programmes in targeted African countries by expanding existing initiatives and creating new ones so that more children in Africa have access to nutritious food while attending school while simultaneously boosing rural economies through agricultural productivity. The implementation of the Fund, which will be run in conjunction with the African Development Fund ( the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, includes the participation of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, which has already demonstrated its commitment by signing a $50 million letter of commitment to establish the Fund. In September 2024, Children's Investment Fund Foundation and the Bank signed a letter of intent ( in which the CIFF undertook to provide up to $50 million for the creation of the End School-Age Hunger Fund , witnessed by African Leaders for Nutrition Champion and African Union Nutrition Champion, His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho. In addition, the Foundation indicated that it was fully prepared to contribute a further $50 million to the Fund, once the Bank had made its initial contribution. The Foundation is committed to supporting broader resource leveraging efforts to attract more donors to the Fund. At the same time, the African Development Bank is seeking to engage other philanthropic organisations, such as the Aliko Dangote Foundation, to strengthen the Fund's donor base. The End School-Age Hunger Fund will support activities that contribute directly to school food initiatives within the continent, ensuring the provision of nutritious meals to children while promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises that provide services related to these programmes. Where appropriate, it is expected to provide essential technical assistance to governments, encouraging them to prioritise nutritious school feeding programmes as a vital mechanism for enhancing socio-economic development, ensuring student retention in schools, and improving learning outcomes and social protection. 'The End School-Age Hunger Fundwill work to secure a five-year commitment from the targeted countries, which is the standard implementation period for the Bank's investment projects,' said Dr. Beth Dunford, the African Development Bank Group's Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. 'The implementation period is long enough to establish a solid proof of concept to ensure the continuation of the initiative beyond the initial funding phase.' The Children's Investment Fund Foundation is the world's largest philanthropic organisation dedicated specifically to improving the lives of children. Since 2004, the Foundation has received voluntary contributions and donations totalling over $2.4 billion. Over the past ten years, its endowment has grown to a value of $6 billion (2020), which highlights the potential opportunity it offers in terms of harnessing resources. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is the premier multilateral financing institution dedicated to Africa's development. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NSF). The AfDB has a field presence in 41 African countries, with an external office in Japan, and contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
