Latest news with #orphanedchildren
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
British father, 54, dies in crash while on holiday in Greece - leaving his children orphaned
A father has died while on holiday, leaving his children orphaned. Craig Bloomer, 54, who ran a café in Wolverhampton, died after he was caught in a scooter crash while in Greece. He lost control of the moped he was riding and crashed near the village of Agios Mattheos in Corfu in July. He was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead by doctors. Hi grieving daughter Rebecca, 32, also from Wolverhampton, said: 'Our dad's loss has left a massive hole in our lives.' She added: We lost our mum two years ago to cancer. Since then, he has been a bit down in the dumps. 'On holiday, it was the happiest I'd ever seen him, he had a new girlfriend. 'He was lovely and a proper family man.' He was known to love motorbikes, old cars, going to the pub, snooker, and was 'really good' at art. The sudden death came after he lost his wife Jane, 53, to cancer. The grandfather had been staying on the island with his two daughters, their partners and their children. His body was flown back to England on Wednesday and the family will start planning the funeral. The heartbroken sisters have launched a GoFundMe to help with the costs.
Zawya
04-07-2025
- General
- Zawya
Tree of Life and ACE Gallagher join hands to enhance lives of orphans in Bahrain
Manama, Bahrain: For the second consecutive year, Tree of Life Social Charity Society has tied up with ACE Gallagher in a heartfelt initiative dedicated to supporting orphaned children in Bahrain. ACE Gallagher Insurance Brokers Bahrain team members contributed through donations and volunteering, working hand in hand to create a memorable art workshop held at Artology, a vibrant and inclusive art studio. The event brought together ACE Gallagher employees and Tree of Life's children aged 6 to 12, fostering creativity and hope. Each child received a themed mood board centered around the idea of 'a brighter tomorrow with love,' sparking imagination and positivity. Employees sat side by side with the children, co-creating colorful canvas paintings that beautifully expressed each child's unique vision and spirit. To maintain the joyful atmosphere, lunch was shared among the children and volunteers, deepening the sense of warmth and togetherness. The smiles, laughter, and genuine moments of connection between the volunteers and the children made the initiative truly unforgettable. The children's artwork radiated joy, creativity, and hope. ACE Gallagher proudly announced that the paintings will be displayed in their Bahrain office, with the most creative piece featured on the company's official end-of-year greeting card, shared with clients, suppliers, and partners across the region. Eng. Khalil Al-Dailami, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Tree of Life Social Charity Society, said: "Once again, our partnership with ACE Gallagher has brought light and hope to the children through the power of art. Such collaborations are essential in nurturing creativity and building a brighter future for those in need." Yolla El-Khoury, CEO of ACE Gallagher Holding, added: "Engaging with Tree of Life has been a powerful experience for our team. It shows how collective care and compassion can truly transform lives, and we remain committed to making a positive difference in the communities we serve." This partnership is a reflection of ACE Gallagher's deep-rooted belief that empathy, connection, and care are the cornerstones of a more inclusive and hopeful future for all. Founded in 2012, the Tree of Life Social Charity Society operates under the law provisions on private bodies and associations in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Society offers its services indiscriminately to all segments of the Bahraini community, focusing on social welfare, support for orphans, aid for underprivileged families, health care, and social activities. About The Tree of Life Social Charity Society The Tree of Life Social Charity Society aims to be a role model for associations, combining Islamic values with professional excellence in diverse charitable actions and projects. Its mission is to strengthen social bonds within the community by promoting charitable and humanitarian activities. The Society believes in collective responsibility to improve the quality of life in the community and take pride in successful initiatives that make a lasting impact. ACE GALLAGHER: ACE Gallagher is a leading regional broking firm with over 70 years of expertise. Known for earning the trust of its partners and clients alike, ACE Gallagher's collaboration with Gallagher, the world's third-largest insurance broker, has pushed them to new heights. With 16 offices across seven countries, ACE Gallagher blends local insights with global reach, delivering personalized solutions and top-tier claims and risk management services across a range of industries. ACE Gallagher stands out for their agility, resilience, and forward-thinking approach to the ever-changing market. Their mission: to leverage the vast knowledge and experience and to deliver exceptional services that ensure their clients' utmost satisfaction while fostering mutual growth
Mail & Guardian
01-07-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Africa, the cradle of the HIV pandemic, must be the cradle of the cure
There will be no HIV cure without Africa's involvement. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy They say history is written by the victors. But in the case of HIV, the story isn't over. Not by a long shot. And if we're honest — if we're truly listening — it is Africa that holds the pen for the next chapter. Let's call it what it is: the HIV pandemic has Africa as its epicentre. More than 25 million people on the continent live with the virus. That's more than two thirds of the world's HIV-positive population. Here's the truth, raw and unfiltered: there will be no HIV cure without Africa. Why does cure research in Africa matter? Because science divorced from relevance is science done wrong. The virus here is different — literally. Subtype C, dominant in Southern Africa, behaves in unique ways compared to subtype B, the strain most studied in Western labs. A cure crafted without considering this risks being ineffective. But it's not just virology. It's people. Culture. History. It's the grandmother in rural Malawi still caring for five orphaned grandchildren. It's the young man in Soweto tired of hiding his status. It's the community health worker who's seen more funerals than birthdays. Yet, scaling research in Africa is like climbing a muddy mountain in the rain. The challenges are real and they're brutal. First, the money. Or the lack thereof. African research institutions are starved of resources. Laboratories are too few, too outdated or too dependent on external donors whose priorities shift with the wind. Promising trials stall, not for lack of will, but for lack of wi-fi or reagents. A potential cure is held hostage by broken centrifuges and expired funding cycles. Second, the regulatory swamp. Clinical trials understandably need approval. But in Africa, the processes can be glacial. Ethics committees, often underfunded and overworked, are left to wade through complex protocols with limited support. Meanwhile, researchers — eager, bright, burning with passion — wait. And wait. Time bleeds. Momentum fades. Then, there's trust. Or rather, the scars left by its absence. For decades, Africa has been the testing ground for drugs, devices and diagnostics, many of which never returned in the form of benefit. People remember. So when someone says, 'We're testing a cure,' people in Africa ask, for who and at what cost? Without deep, honest community engagement, even the best science will sit in sterile labs, untouched, unused. Oh, and don't forget the brain drain. Bright African minds are too often lured abroad. Can you blame them? Better funding. Better infrastructure. More recognition. But the loss is ours. When the very people best positioned to solve Africa's problems have to solve someone else's, that's not just sad, it's sabotage. So, what now? Roll over and wait for Western labs to save the day? Absolutely not. What's needed is a fundamental shift, a re-imagining of how global science is done. One that sees Africa not as a passive recipient of cure breakthroughs but as a co-creator. A leader. A standard-setter. We need to fund African-led research and advocacy institutions such as the African HIV Cure Consortium (AHCC), not as side projects but as central nodes of global strategy. We need regulatory harmonisation across borders so that a trial approved in Kenya isn't buried in red tape in Nigeria. We need to invest not only in labs, but in people, in narratives of ownership and pride. And, most critically, we must demand that cure research be ethical, inclusive and future-focused. No more parachute science. No more backroom deals. No more data extraction without shared benefit. Africa must be in the driver's seat, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road ahead. A cure isn't just a medical milestone. It's a justice issue. To end HIV without ending inequality would be to miss the point entirely. If the cure becomes another tool of global exclusion — available in Boston before Bulawayo, or Paris before Pretoria — then we haven't cured anything. We've only perpetuated the disease of disparity. Africa deserves better, it demands and needs to do better, because the people who've borne the brunt of this pandemic have also carried the torch of resilience, courage and hope. Dr Albert Machinda is the co-principal investigator and head of secretariat for the Africa HIV Cure Consortium funded by the Gates Foundation and AIDSFonds.
Free Malaysia Today
18-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
3 children orphaned after car crash in Kuantan
Pekan police chief Zaidi Mat Zin said the crash involved a Proton Wira, carrying the three children and their parents, and a Mitsubishi Fuso lorry. (JBPM pic) PETALING JAYA : Three children were orphaned after a road accident which killed their parents in Lepar, Kuantan, last night. The children, aged six to 17, suffered injuries to the head, face, and abdomen while their parents died at the scene, Bernama reported. Pekan police chief Zaidi Mat Zin said the 10pm crash involved a Proton Wira car, carrying the three children and their parents, and a Mitsubishi Fuso lorry. Initial investigations found that the crash occurred when the children's father lost control of the car while overtaking another vehicle, entering the opposite lane and colliding with the oncoming lorry. The lorry driver was uninjured while his two passengers suffered minor injuries. The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
Sky News
14-06-2025
- General
- Sky News
Children orphaned after father killed in Air India plane crash days after mother dies
A father returning home after scattering his wife's ashes was among the victims of the Air India crash, leaving his two young children suddenly orphaned. Flight 171 was carrying 242 people when it struck a medical college hostel less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India. Twenty-nine people on the ground were killed, taking the total number of victims to 270. A hospital official confirmed 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but DNA testing is being conducted to identify the bodies. Just one passenger, a British man from Leicester, survived what has become the worst aviation crash in a decade. Among the victims, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya had been visiting India to fulfil his wife Bharti's "final wish" to be laid to rest in her hometown of Gujarat. Bharti had died just over two weeks ago, following a "courageous battle with cancer". A GoFundMe page, set up to raise funds for their two children, says: "Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. "Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents - their world turned upside down in just over two weeks." A fundraiser, which has topped more than a quarter of a million pounds, confirms all money raised will go directly into a legal trust, "to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs". 3:24 Black box has been found India's aviation ministry says workers have recovered the digital flight data recorder - one of two black boxes on the plane, from the rooftop of the building where it crashed. This box has data on engine and control settings, so will be able to show if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff. The investigation will initially focus on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source told Reuters on Friday. A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process. There is no information yet on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which will be a crucial part of understanding what caused the plane to crash. The country's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.
