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Good morning! I am thrilled to present my 4th SPOTLIGHT feature wrapping up our focus on the incredible work that Geanco Foundation is doing in Africa. [Part One] [Part Two]
Personally, I have had the pleasure of knowing Afam Onyema, the Director and CEO, for the last ten years through mutual friends in LA and am grateful to four wonderful people who helped me raise $145 for Geanco on my birthday in 2018.
Today I’m delighted to share with you about Geanco’s friendship with Selma actor David Oyelowo OBE and their amazing medical missions that set them apart from the rest.
David Oyelowo’s Scholarship for Girls
Tens of thousands of girls have been victims of terrorism in Nigeria in recent years. Many of these girls have escaped or been rescued from their tormentors. However, they still are not truly “free”.
Considered tainted by their experience in captivity, many have been rejected by their families and villages or shunted off to live in squalid, dangerous camps. Their educations have been disrupted, often permanently.
Thousands more girls in Nigeria have lost parents and family members to the violence and chaos consuming their communities. Our special scholarship benefits this vulnerable group of precious girls.
We cannot stand idly by while thousands of innocent girls remain under serious threat. With our help, these bright and resilient girls can blossom into Nigeria’s most inspiring leaders in government, education, business, entertainment, and so much more. – David Oyelowo
We cover tuition, room & board, summer tutoring, medical care, social support, and professional psychological counseling. Scholarship recipients attend safe, high-quality schools in various sections of Nigeria.
This program is named in honor of acclaimed British-Nigerian actor David Oyelowo (Selma, Gringo, Disney’s Queen of Katwe), who encouraged the scholarship’s creation and plays an active role in selecting its recipients and raising money to ensure its continued success.
Famous Donors
David and Jessica Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt and Plan B Productions, Ava DuVernay, Participant Media, Janus Funds, and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon provided seed money and continuing assistance for this program.
Geanco’s Medical Missions
Over 200 needy Nigerians have received hip and knee replacements and bone fracture repairs through our medical missions.
In addition, we donated a SIGN Fracture Care System to a university teaching hospital in Anambra State and trained local Nigerian surgeons on its use. They now repair serious bone fractures on a regular basis in a simple, inexpensive and sustainable way.
In 2018, we extended our reach to laparoscopic surgery. We now perform minimally-invasive gallbladder, hernia and appendix surgeries on poor patients, train local surgeons, and donate specialized equipment and instruments.
Medical Missions Personnel:
Our missions are led by skilled, compassionate American medical professionals from all over the country. Not only do they donate their time and expertise, they also personally raise funds to help cover mission expenses.
Zimmer Biomet and Medacta International, global orthopedic equipment manufacturers, have donated over $3 million thus far in equipment, instruments and cash for our missions.
United Airlines has donated free flights to previous missions. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon and the Golden State Warriors donated free sports apparel to our patients and their families.
PreNatal Care + Anemia Treatment:
We cover the cost of anemia treatment and prenatal care for 300 vulnerable pregnant women each month.
We have also screened over 25,000 women and children for anemia, including 10,000 in 2018.
We are the ONLY partner in all of Nigeria using Masimo Inc.’s innovative, noninvasive handheld monitors to quickly and painlessly screen patients.
Testing for anemia is often not performed in Africa because it traditionally requires invasive blood draws and lab analysis, which are either too expensive or not readily available.
Masimo provides the technology for this anemia initiative. We are grateful to Stacey Taggart and Guyan Randall for making this life-saving partnership possible!
I hope you have enjoyed this three part spotlight on GEANCO FOUNDATION! Stay tuned next week to learn about the fabulous work Finally Family Homes plans on doing with foster kids who have aged out of the system.
Sharing is Caring
More About GEANCO
And in case you missed our previous 2 Spotlights on Geanco:
This post just made my day..! Such a great read..! Geanco sounds like a great organization. Thanks for sharing.. ?
Good job for them giving equal opportunity to young girls! Everyone deserves equal opportunity, regardless of gender.
Geanco sounds like an amazing organization! I love the way they are trying to help the community.
What beautiful initiatives! Thanks so much for sharing with us so we can learn about the wonderful work they are doing in Nigeria. <3 May they continue in their success!
This is such a great initiative! Geanco Foundation is doing an amazing job in Africa! Thanks for bringing my attention to this program for girls! Education is the most powerful tool to change one´s life!
Such incredible work is being done, and it’s so amazing to see that girls are getting a chance to flourish. Everyone deserves equal opportunity, regardless of gender.
David Oyelowo’s Scholarship for Girls seems like a great initiative! Good job for them gving equal opportunity to young girls!
Incredible post and amazing work! I love reading about things like this and how it impacts the better future!
thanks Elizabeth! stay posted every Saturday for a new spotlight post.
Very good of you guys at the Geanco Foundation! The work you are doing can never be forgotten by me. As a matter of fact, where can I donate?
awesome! Ntensibe, you can donate by clicking on Geanco’s website link above (www.geanco.org)
This is a type of post I love to read. Doing amazing things for those who’ve endured hardships beyond their control. I applaud the Geanco Foundation for their initiative!
thanks Brianne. I’m loving sharing about these wonderful non profits doing good in the world.
Reading this made me happy. The Geanco Foundation has done tons of amazing things and imagine all the people that got the help they needed for a better future.
This is an amazing opportunity!! A scholarship that inspires and lifts up those who have been dealt a bad hand in life through these horrible events is such an awesome cause!
This is great work and it deserves full exposure, scholarships are pretty hard to come by.
thanks for sharing!
This seems like a great destination. I would love to travel here based on what is happening there and images! Making plans to visit now!
Lavern… I imagine traveling would be great but i hope you take a moment to read about the great work GEANCO is doing in Africa.
I am so impressed by the important work that the Geanco Foundation is doing! It’s truly amazing ♡. Thank you for sharing all of this goodness with us! They are truly making the world brighter for so many with their awesome help.
This is fantastic and made my day! Just thinking about all the good that comes from this foundation is incredible! That makes my heart happy! Thank you!
thanks Christine! makes my heart happy knowing others are inspired and appreciative of these spotlight posts.
How amazing!! I love the idea of the scholarship, what an incredible opportunity!
-madi xo |http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
right? i love to hear about these great deeds being done and spreading the good word.
Such great work is being done by Geanco Foundation! I l really think its essential that everyone in their lifetime make it a mission to do something to move this world forward. I have always been a fan of David Oyelowo, but I love him so much more after reading this post. He has a platform and he is using it positively. Reading this post really put me in a good mood just knowing people are out there making differences! I will be on the lookout for what Finally Family Homes does.
you’re absolutely right. great work being done by Geanco! Isn’t it great to hear about the wonderful things our favorite actors are involved in? makes me respect them more.