together we can make a difference...

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Canadians coming together to support vulnerable children through programming that works. We support a sustainable and developmental approach, as opposed to a charitble response.

Vision

To empower communities to care for their vulnerable children.

Mission

To empower communities with the knowledge, skills, strategies and self confidence to form and successfully run their own community based organisations supporting the well-being of vulnerable children.

Values

We have identified the following values as intrinsic to our success in acheiving our mission:

Empowerment, Integrity, Passion, Resourcefulness. Ubuntu - 'humanity to others'

WHAT WE DO

Friends of NOAH Canada

FoNC incubate and support organizations and individuals focused on orphaned and/or vunerable children programming that works.

(NOAH) Nurturing orphans of AIDS for Humanity

Every year, Friends of NOAH Canada come together to support the children in their nutritional needs. Join us again this year in support of this worthy cause.

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Big Little Caravan of Joy

Friends of Noah Canada and The Big Little Caravan of Joy have joined together to provide a platform for children to learn through creative play.

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OLPC Intiative

Through the One Laptop Per Child campaign we are starting a pilot project to provide unique laptops that are durable, user friendly and loaded with educational tools for children.

Join us on the journey by following our blog!

BLOG

WHAT YOU CAN DO kids

WHAT YOU CAN DO Attend our Annual Fundraiser We have made great friends and strong relationshipS during our journey in support of children in need. We welcome any person, group or corporation to join us as we move forward with our goals.Make a Straight DonationWe understand that sometimes it is difficult to come and and support by attending an event or giving of your time. If you still wish to contribute please click the donate today button on the top right corner of this website . Thank you from all of us at Friends of NOAH Canada. Attend a Play With our new partnership with Big Little Caravan of Joy you can enjoy a theatre performance right here in Toronto. Proceeds of these events go to help fund performing arts programs at our Arks.Become part of our networkFriends of NOAH Canada is a Registered Canadian Charity that currently only has a presence in Ontario. It is our goal to build networks across Canada with individuals who are committed to helping the cause. If you or your organisation has fundraising ideas we would love to hear from you.There still remains a great need for support in these communities, please contact us as we would welcome your support and are willing to team up to support you in your fundraisng activities.Please contact:Friends of NOAH Canada350 Davenport RoadToronto, OntarioM5R 1K6416.907.4937

Newsletters

FONC winter newsletter2.pdf

NOAH Newsletter updated.pdf

Events

Annual Dinner 2011

Annual Dinner 2010

NOAH

BACKGROUNDThe United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reports that there are more children orphaned or left vulnerable by AIDS in South Africa than anywhere else in the world. Findings from the 2007 General Household Survey substantiate this according to the report there are approximately 3.7 million orphans in South Africa. This includes children without a living biological mother, father or both parents and equates to 20% of all children in South Africa. This creates a humanitarian challenge on a scale that no nation has ever faced before.In response to the realisation that we face an epidemic of orphans following the AIDS pandemic is South Africa, Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity (NOAH) was conceptualised in 2000. NOAH works on franchising community-based models of orphan care through which motivated individuals from communities are guided to set up their own community of care (Ark). An Ark is a network of accountable and synergistic support armed with the skills and confidence to care for its orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC).Noahs objective is to help the staggering number of children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa to mature into emotionally and psychologically stable adults capable of forming lasting and loving relationships, of being nurturing parents to their own children, and responsible citizens of South Africa.NOAH builds networks of care in communities by providing training and support to community leaders, volunteers and care givers. Through this training, NOAH ensures that some of the childrens basic needs are met food, warmth and after school shelter. These are followed with improved education opportunities, counselling, day care and after care activities which can include computer classes, clubs and various OVC developmental programmes. NOAH also provides assistance to those caring for the OVC by helping with government department registration in order to access available grants and take some of the financial strain off of the care givers. Together these services improve the quality of life for almost 25.511 children registered with NOAH, their extended families and their communities, who are empowered and supported through the relationship with NOAH.NOAH works in 101 comunities where we have established Community based Organisations (CBOs), known as Arks, according to the NOAH Model. An additional 6 Arks have been successfully developed as independent CBOs, separately funded and able to maintain their own operating systems. This development of Arks to independence is part of a staged intervention that takes the Arks through 4 key stages. This process sets specific goals and milestones for each stage of development. Arks develop annual implementation plans that set milestones in line with each developmental stage.Before moving from one stage to another, each Ark is critically evaluated on its process, development and ability to function in the next stage, with the final stage being a partnership stage with NOAH where the Ark is registered as a CBO and functions independently of NOAH. At this stage they are able to source funding directly, manage their accounts and audit requirements and deliver on donor needs. The CBO is further able to leverage partnership support in providing services directly to OVC. They remain however as an integral part of the NOAH network, mentoring younger arks and being an example of achievement. NOAH also remains available for further mentorship, training, support and development should the community committee deem this necessary.The NOAH model is premised on the understanding that the key to success lies in a group effort from the community. The Ark begins a s a community initiative and continues as such. NOAHs primary function is to empower the Arks, which centres on training and guiding communities to provide services to OVC, database management, financial procedures and governance at a community level.

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Corporate Donors feature

Thank you

Our Corporate Sponsors

DeBeers Canada

Elizabeth Grant Skin Care

Equity

Ernst & Young

First uranium

Global Fresh Import & Export

Hok Inc.

Imagemakers International

Interface Exhibits Inc

Ivanhoe Cambridge

Maximum 60 design Communications

Meridian

Publicis

Rogers

Safari & Co.

Tau Capital

Toron

The Pharmacy Group

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2010 dinner

5th Annual Dinner

A night to remember

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We loved hosting this event! The change in venue to The Berkeley Church was ap-preciated by all, the silent auction items were as spectacular as they were varied, and the interactive drumming provided by the Drum Café, as well as George St Kitts and other original members of the lion king cast performing some beautiful songs, were fantastic and moving experiences.

Our live auction 3 week 3 country trip of a life time was such a success with the win-ner generating a boon for NOAH. We are so excited that the winner of this trip will get the chance to go to visit some of NOAHs Arks whilst in South Africa.

Live Auction South Africa Album.pdf

What we did

$ 45 000 was raised, 100% of which was sent to NOAH to support:

Nutrition program at Injabulo Ark

Kitchen set-up at 4 other Arks

Soul Buddyz peer AIDS education

Forums for best practice among community caregivers

WHO WE ARE web kids

Fred Chenoweth Chairman of the Board

Peter Sacks Treasurer

Bill Dillane Board Member

Jim Richings Board Member

Kristi Herold Board Member

Megan Ing Board Member

Nicky Potter Executive Director

Randi Kirshenbaum Board Member

Sarina Condello - Founder & Director of The Big Little Caravan of Joy

Susan Warburton Executive Assistant

Financials

CORPORATE DONORS

BLCJ

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The greatest natural resource that we have on the planet are the minds and hearts of our children. Sarina CondelloThe Big Little Caravan of Joy was founded by performing artist and educator Sarina Condello (B.Ed., M.Ed.) in 2005. Sarina, a 20 year veteran of teaching the performing arts, has seen the transformative and healing effect that drama, music, and dance can have on the child spirit, and so, shortly after a life-changing trip to Ghana in 2003, the BLCJ was born.Through the facilitation of performing arts camps, the creative work of the BLCJ acts as a springboard for children orphaned or affected by terrorism and illness to explore, experiment and acquire new information about the world and themselves. Simply put, the philosophy of BLCJ holds that creative exploration and expression is the most elemental aspect of our human nature. Active creativity in these camps helps heal, integrate and expand each child's human potential.Since its inception in 2005, Sarina and the BLCJ have held multiple performing arts camps for orphaned and underprivileged children and the throughout Africa, in addition to educational and instructive workshops for the child-care workers entrusted with their development. However, this is only the beginning for the BLCJ. In 2011, Sarina, in collaboration with fellow charitable organizations such as NOAH, created and hosted two conferences in Swaziland and South Africa entitled, The Empowered African Child Conference and The Empowered Noah Child respectively. Through a series of workshops and performances, the goal of these conferences is to embody the spirit of the performing arts, in order to give rise the the true spirit of the young African child. They are created and designed specifically to empower childcare workers through the performing arts, and the power of creative play so that the young child can benefit in the future. With its mandate of empowering the child spirit through the performing arts, the Big Little Caravan of Joy seeks to heal, integrate, and expand each childs human potential.Mission Statement and Core ValuesMission-The mission of the Big Little Caravan is twofold: 1. To empower the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by using the performing arts and creative play for health, development and joy.To empower the lives of childcare workers, guardians, artists and educators with a child-centric methodology that uses a performing arts and creative curriculum for health, development and joy.The intended outcome of these actions is to create healthy, safe and educated communities through the power of the performing arts.Core Values-The Big Little Caravan of Joys values reflect the best practices of compassion and loving kindness, while integrating social and cultural relevant issues through its programming.3. How it WorksArt making, creativity, and play is an inherent faculty of all human beings, especially children. The Big Little Caravan of Joy provides learning on many levels: the sensory, kinesthetic, conceptual, creative and mythical. The BLCJ provides healing opportunities for these children to explore truth, beauty, and spontaneity through creative play and the performing and circus arts in the context of sharing and building new relationships with one another.Sarina Condello as arts director and educator, and a selected group performers and/or artists joins with a cultural group of the hosting country in order to create a participatory theatrical and creative event for the children involved. The camp will be developed through the childrens personal and regional expression and will embody the spirit and magic unique to them. The performing arts themselves utilizes an encompassing learning ground emerging from the creativity of the children at the orphanage, community or hosting village.All activities are developed to enhance and nurture the participants awareness of self, others, and the world that they live in through playful, dramatic and artistic expression. The long term benefits are: collaboration of skills, a sense of presence, empathy, expression of creative ideas and the building of knowledge and skills through the creative interaction with others. All visiting artists and volunteers are responsible to create, facilitate and perform alongside with the children involved with the camp.4. Camp SchemeThe camp runs for five to ten days, very much like a traditional arts camp, with an intention to create a final performance or celebration on the last day. Visiting artists, volunteers and a team of performers from the hosting country hook up with the Caravan in each location to facilitate the camp. Five to fifteen artists from each country are employed and provided with accommodations, meals, etc. for the duration of each camp.The Creative Components:Visual Arts - Memories are captured forever and live on in with arts project that the children from each camp make together; collage, finger and foot painting, arts and crafts, and puppet making will also be included.The Performing Arts (Circus, Theatre, Martial Arts, and Dance) - Children delight in the discovery of new and exciting skills that takes them beyond their boundaries as they journey into the world of circus. Dancing, juggling, clowning games and other fun activities complete their days with wonder.Music - Musical numbers from both continents are taught and performed by the children and artists at the final performance.Play - Here are some of the activities that the children will experience during their time at the camp: painting, outdoor sculptures, costume and set making, story telling, circus training, games, races, theatre games, putting on a show for the community and much more! The Schedule:In the first two days all staff (including guest teachers, Canadian Volunteers and African performers and educators) workshop together in order to prepare for the events that will occur during the camp. Simultaneously each group, artist, and youth use the week to prepare for the directing and leading of the camp activities and performances.The next few weeks, the camp runs like a traditional arts camp with an intention to create a new body of work to be performed when the camp commences. The final few days are dedicated to preparation and rehearsing for the final celebration and show. An original childrens story that evolves around a selected theme acts as a spring board for the performance. Ten character groupings (which will handle up to 5 - 20 young performers) are part of the story. These groupings also act as camp teams as the children go through their day traveling from one art specialists to another. Ten councillors and ten specialists comprise of the creative arts camp faculty titled "Team Joy". 5.The Empowered Noah Child Conference and The Empowered African Child Conference!THE EMPOWERED NOAH CHILD (ENC) CONFERENCE and THE EMPOWERED AFRICAN CHILD (EAC) CONFERENCE is a weekend workshop that embodies the spirit of the performing arts and creative play as to give rise the the true spirit of the African child. It is organized and directed by Sarina Condello (B.Ed. M.Ed.), in association with her non-profit organization, THE BIG LITTLE CARAVAN of JOY (BLCJ). This conference is created specifically to enrich the Noah childcare worker through the performing arts with creative play concepts and a child- centric, child-driven methodology. This workshop will provide hundreds of ideas for after-school, daycare and holiday programming for the vulnerable and orphaned child. It is created and designed specifically to empower childcare workers through the performing arts, and the power of creative play so that the young child can benefit in the future.The intention at the end of the conference is to empower and instill a sense of joy and confidence in each every Noah child. The EAC & ENC Conference will utilize the countrys best performing artists and speakers, to create a strong voice in the creative investment of the Noah Child. In addition to the educational portions of the conference, it also puts into place future creative experiences, performances, community events for Noah including: psychosocial support for orphans and vulnerable children through the South African Artist Residency Program and follow-up residencies; Creative Arts Camps; and local skills capacity development for community care workers, and local African artists.6. Get Involved!Youth, Artists, and Educators: As the Big Little Caravan of Joy grows and expands, so too does the opportunity for others to become involved in its mission. Since 2006, Sarina has been bringing North American volunteers to Africa to help in the implementation and facilitation of her camps and conferences. Not only is this an amazing opportunity to give back through fostering and brightening the child spirit in Africa, it will also be a life-changing and eye-opening experience to the North American participants. Members of the caravan come to find that the joy that they endeavor to bring to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa inevitably radiates back on them, resulting in transformation, illumination, and rejuvenation.

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