Creating Opportunities in an Evolving Business World   Friday 20 October 2006   Charity
		Mission and Programs Mission The Freeplay Foundation mission is to help vulnerable people, mostly women and children, transform their lives using sustainable, self-sufficient and environmentally friendly technologies. Grade 2 Children excited about their Lifeline radio Programs The Freeplay Foundation works mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, helping two million people in six key focus areas: education, health, agriculture, complex emergencies, peacemaking and economic development. Who We Are We are committed to act as stewards of the environment and create access to resources by making clean energy technologies available to those in need. Chief Executive Profile The executive director, Ms Kristine Pearson, is a fellow of the Schwab Foundation for Outstanding Social Entrepreneurship and a lifetime fellow of the World Technology Network. Goals and Results Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2005 Provided more than 1250 Freeplay Lifeline self-powered radios and distribution/training advice to three major international aid partners - Mercy Corps, Oxfam and International Medical Corps for a tsunami survivor radio emergency relief and information project in Indonesia Implemented new and supported existing radio information & education projects in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Two million people now have access to information and education via Freeplay Lifeline radios Began feasibility research on Freeplay Foundation micro-enterprise development projects based on the Freeplay Weza, a portable, environmentally friendly, foot-powered energy source that charges communications devices, pumps tires, and jumpstarts cars and boats. Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2006 Develop business models, financing mechanisms and pricing strategies together with a training module and business start-up kit to pilot in Weza Pioneer micro-energy enterprises in selected countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Expand the scale and range of our self-powered radio information and education initiatives in Zambia, building on the great success of our first five years of support to the Ministry of Education's 'Learning at Taonga Market': a distance formal and non-formal education program reaching many thousands of children in primary schools and informal learning centers. Children learn basic literacy, hygiene, food security as well as how to navigate a market and spend wisely. Increase Freeplay Lifeline radio provision and listening group training, through our partnership with CARE, to the 65,000 child-headed households throughout Rwanda. Vital information can thus reach these young caregivers, who are rarely equipped with any basic grounding in caring for the sick, nutrition and food preparation skills. The Weza being tested at the Visionary Training Centre in Zambia. In October 2006 the first Weza pilot program will be launched where 80% of the attendees will be women Self Assessment The Freeplay Foundation monitors and evaluates all its projects, as a key step in its business implementation model. It uses a mix of regular written questionnaires and field visits with project partners and radio beneficiaries. Independent evaluations of individual projects are carried out by international business schools and donor-commissioned research organizations. Additional Comments from the Organization Tom Hanks is the Freeplay Foundation's US Ambassador. In November 2005, Kristine Pearson was awarded the Tech Museum's 2005 James C Morgan Global Humanitarian Award. Kristine Pearson is only the second person to receive the prestigious award, named after Jim Morgan, the noted humanitarian and chairman of the board of Applied Materials. The award was inspired by Mr Morgan who believes that technology transcends business and can be a tool to tap the potential in each of us, to turn ideas into solutions for a better world. It honours an individual or organisation whose broad vision and leadership on a global scale are helping society find solutions to some of greatest challenges humanity. The Times of London chose the Freeplay Foundation as charity of choice for their 2005 Christmas Appeal. It is rare for such a relatively young charity to be chosen for such a prestigious appeal. For more about the Freeplay Foundation, please visit: www.freeplayfoundation.org.   Please visit the Women In Business Club web site: www.wiblondon.org.
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