SOS Africa Charity Drive, Kelebogile Updates!

[AndyDufresne]

Ahoy Conquer Club Members!


As some of you may know, back in March 2011 (nearly a year ago), we announced SOS Africa as Conquer Club's first Official Charity. We've been wanting to partner up with SOS Africa, a U.K. based charity, and their President and Co-Founder Matt Crowcombe (AKA: [player]Tactician[/player]) on an endeavor after that initial announcement, and I am pleased to say we have finally partnered up!

As we mentioned in that initial announcement linked above, SOS Africa is a terrific charity, empowering underprivileged African children through education, with a guarantee that all contributions and donations made go toward the education and welfare of the children they support.

[spoiler=More information about SOS Africa]
Please check out these governmental links for more information about SOS Africa being an official and properly registered charity in the UK.

Charity Commission of the United Kingdom (Governmental website):
Charity Overview, Financial History, Compliance History, Trustee Contact Information and their latest financial report for download or view can be found here.


And here is a video from SOS Africa themselves:

[/spoiler]______________________________________


With all the above in mind, I am pleased to announce that Conquer Club will be running a donation event to sponsor a child's education for a FULL YEAR. You can meet Kelebogile (kele-bo-geelay) below!

[spoiler=For More Information about Kelebogile]

Date of Birth: 01 September 1999
Class: Grade 7, Mafikeng Primary School


Background:

Kelebogile was born on the 1st September and lives in Lonely Park Village with her mother and father. She has both an older and younger sister. She is from a loving but very poor family who cannot afford to send her to school.

Kelebogile’s education has been funded by SOS Africa since January 2006. Sadly, we were contacted by her previous sponsor a short while ago and informed that he could no longer pay for her education. Although SOS Africa has a policy of never removing children from school, we are looking for a sponsor for Kelebogile to secure her education for the future.

Kelebogile is a very friendly child. She is well mannered and polite. She loves to socialise and has lots of friends. She will always attend all the social functions at the school. She played netball this year but did not make the team. She loves her swimming lessons. She is a well behaved child who never gets into trouble. She loves to chat to everyone. She often gets merit badges for good behaviour. Kelebogile has also made a fantastic start to her school career and is doing well in many subjects.

See if you can spot Kelebogile below!


[/spoiler] ______________________________________

• Our Target Goal is ₤600 or roughly ~$950 (USD).

______________________________________

I think with an active gaming community like our own, our Target Goal is well within reach! And if we exceed our goal, those extra funds will be reserved for next year's education fees. So check out the temporary widget located on the left panel to navigate to the donation page, or click here to be taken directly to it.

(Note: And if you reside in the UK, check out this post by a fellow UK Conquer Clubber which explains how you can have the UK Government attach some extra funds to your donation, at no extra cost to you!)

To encourage donations from our Conquer Club community, I am also pleased to announcement that once we reach our Target Goal, a NEW MAP will be released for the whole community to play on and enjoy.

[spoiler=Map Sneak Peak][/spoiler]
This map will certainly add some much needed graphic love to our current offering of Africa themed maps! Many thanks goes out to [player]thenobodies80[/player], [player]iancanton[/player], [player]Victor Sullivan[/player], and [player]koontz1973[/player] for their hard work towards the development of this reward map.

I know I look forward to adding my contribution towards this cause, and similarly I look forward to playing on this map too, and I hope you feel the same way! So lets get those donations rolling and show SOS Africa the kind of impact our online gaming community can have on the real world.

Thanks,


--Andy & Team CC

[Chuuuuck]

No Gambling allowed.... But, please allow us to provide this tournament for you, that you can pay to enter, and we will give big prizes to the winner after we take our cut.

No Advertisements, that is why we charge a small annual fee... But, please, click on this little "widget" on the side of your screen from a company that we have a contractual agreement with and is interested in getting you to provide something that helps them out.

What's next?

[AndyDufresne]

No Gambling allowed.... But, please allow us to provide this tournament for you, that you can pay to enter, and we will give big prizes to the winner after we take our cut.

No Advertisements, that is why we charge a small annual fee... But, please, click on this little "widget" on the side of your screen from a company that we have a contractual agreement with and is interested in getting you to provide something that helps them out.

What's next?

Chuuuuck, you can rain somewhere else. SOS Africa is just a charity we wanted to help out, plain and simple.


--Andy

[s3xt0y]

No Gambling allowed.... But, please allow us to provide this tournament for you, that you can pay to enter, and we will give big prizes to the winner after we take our cut.

No Advertisements, that is why we charge a small annual fee... But, please, click on this little "widget" on the side of your screen from a company that we have a contractual agreement with and is interested in getting you to provide something that helps them out.

What's next?

He has a point.

[Chuuuuck]

Just calling it like I see it. I am not one of your constant trolls. I don't post very often but I have been around a long time. I see the changes happening...

[dcowboys055]

Don't click it then? I think it's a wonderful partnership, good opportunity for the cc community to show how great we are!

[Tactician]

Hi Guys,
Its Matt here from the SOS Africa Charity (Aka Tactician).
I just wanted to thank Conquer Club for helping us raise money to send Kelebogile to school and encourage you all to get involved if you can - we are already 10% of the way there
For those of you who don't know about SOS Africa, feel free to visit our website: http://www.sosafrica.com or send me an email: matt@sosafrica.com.
Thanks again for all of your support!

[SimplyObsessed]

Just made a small donation.

I think, Andy, it's important to put emphasis on the fact that donors who pay tax in United Kingdom can check the box to say that they're a UK tax payer and the charity will receive an additional 20% gift aid from the United Kingdom government at absolutely no cost or inconvenience to the donor. I've just done it myself and it was simply ticking a box.

Details are here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/giving/gift-aid.htm

[AndyDufresne]

Just made a small donation.

I think, Andy, it's important to put emphasis on the fact that donors who pay tax in United Kingdom can check the box to say that they're a UK tax payer and the charity will receive an additional 20% gift aid from the United Kingdom government at absolutely no cost or inconvenience to the donor. I've just done it myself and it was simply ticking a box.

Details are here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/giving/gift-aid.htm

Thanks for this mention, SimplyObsessed! It sounds like a great way to give a little more if you reside in the UK!


--Andy

[Genaraln7]

No offence but why bother, Africa has been a bloody mess for thousens of years and always wil be its just one dictator after the other. Do we need to pay to clean up there mess?
This is pointless so plz stop bloody spaming us with this s***
This AD is very distracting and annoying it has been placed exactly next to any game/map your playing! If you want anyone to help out you ask, and not shove it in there face!

If this keeps up i might as wel play Tribalwars, at Tribalwars when you PAY you dont get botherd by ads or other b***s***!

[redhawk92]

No offence but why bother, Africa has been a bloody mess for thousens of years and always wil be its just one dictator after the other. Do we need to pay to clean up there mess?
This is pointless so plz stop bloody spaming us with this s***
This AD is very distracting and annoying it has been placed exactly next to any game/map your playing! If you want anyone to help out you ask, and not shove it in there face!

If this keeps up i might as wel play Tribalwars, at Tribalwars when you PAY you dont get botherd by ads or other b***s***!

i think if you were starving in africa you might feel different

[SimplyObsessed]

No offence but why bother, Africa has been a bloody mess for thousens of years and always wil be its just one dictator after the other. Do we need to pay to clean up there mess?
This is pointless so plz stop bloody spaming us with this s***
This AD is very distracting and annoying it has been placed exactly next to any game/map your playing! If you want anyone to help out you ask, and not shove it in there face!

If this keeps up i might as wel play Tribalwars, at Tribalwars when you PAY you dont get botherd by ads or other b***s***!

Yes it's a big problem, that will take years and years to put right but it's in part ignorant attitudes like yours that lengthens the problems. If you don't want to donate then don't, but don't come here and complain that some of us actually have a sense of compassion and decency. There are parts of Africa that are quite affluent, your hastiness to write off an entire continent as "a mess" shows your own ignorance. Charitable organisations are, and have, made a huge difference. Yes there will be problems for generations to come, it's inevitable, but without help from charities over the years many in Africa would be much worse off than they are now or dead.

I welcome the introduction of fundraising on CC, and congratulate the organisers on doing something so fantastic. I hope that once the target is reached more things like this emerge. I'd suggest that good idea would be to have a fundraise for a different charity each month. CC has a great platform to raise awareness and it would be a good thing to do.

[pissedoffsol]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

[EagleofGreenErth]

Honestly I dont find it distracting at all... Its actually fun to see it go up (although I myself havent made a donation and probably wont, sorry to say). Great to see CC doing a good cause though!

[SimplyObsessed]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

The problems are much worse overseas, we're fortunate that almost all of the population in our countries aren't homeless. There are charities that do deal with the problems in our countries, nobody is forcing you to donate money overseas

[natty dread]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

Do we need to pay to clean up there mess?

Wow, you two really are prime samples of decent human beings.

[danfrank]

No Gambling allowed.... But, please allow us to provide this tournament for you, that you can pay to enter, and we will give big prizes to the winner after we take our cut.

No Advertisements, that is why we charge a small annual fee... But, please, click on this little "widget" on the side of your screen from a company that we have a contractual agreement with and is interested in getting you to provide something that helps them out.

What's next?

Chuuuuck, you can rain somewhere else. SOS Africa is just a charity we wanted to help out, plain and simple.


--Andy

The video is just propaganda . Is there an actual financial statement showing where money is going I am not against donating to charity , i donated a house full of furniture to Tidewell this past year. I did that as a way to show appreciation for them helping my mother inlaw head home . BUT i must agree with chuck , whats next. And also you helping them for what percent ?

[KoolBak]

I can see the points of all posters; I am unsure how I feel about this. It is inhuman to deny the need for charitable organizations - I give what I can to those that appeal to me. But....when one of my own CC group brothers is going through radical chemo that is half killing him so far and he is struggling to survive, keep a roof over his head, etc.....I feel the need to help him too (our group's new banner sig, showing him our love).....there are so many examples

I am curious, however, HOW "JustGiving" works...they indicate 100% of funds go to charities selected, yet they also indicate they take a 5% cut from somewhere...I didnt quite get it. They claim a FOR PROFIT charitable fund raising company makes sense.....I'd like more info. To date, thats MILLIONS that they have made that DIDNT go to charity.

My background being commercial lending and business controllership, I am VERY skeptical and have seen first hand the woes of human greed and mishandling of money...there is no way around it but for a keen eye and watchers for the watchers for the watchers......

I commend CC for doing its part....I am....slow......to accept this type of change......

[AndyDufresne]

You can read about Just Giving's practices and costs associated with running their website here (and below):

show

--Andy

[KoolBak]

Well that outlines more clearly that they charge 5% off the top....a neccessary evil of doing business. The nice thing about NONPROFITS, however, is that their books are open for public review - a private, FORPROFIT company's, are not.

And that bonus they indicate is only for UK taxpayers donating, I believe, so it is slightly misleading for the rest of us.

*tosses banana to drooling monkey*

[Swimmerdude99]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

There was a homeless guy attending my church and we helped him get a job and a home.... his first paycheck... he sent money to help homeless people in other countries... pretty cool imo. And he said it himself, his position in life isn't near as bad as those in other countries.

[danfrank]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

There was a homeless guy attending my church and we helped him get a job and a home.... his first paycheck... he sent money to help homeless people in other countries... pretty cool imo. And he said it himself, his position in life isn't near as bad as those in other countries.

Why would the man not help the next homeless person next to him , as the church did. Instead he took the gratuity of the church and sent it overseas , imo this situation is hypocritical.

[VicFontaine]

No offence but why bother, Africa has been a bloody mess for thousens of years and always wil be its just one dictator after the other. Do we need to pay to clean up there mess?

Brilliant. Remind me that, if I ever see you on the sidewalk having just been mugged, to not help you. After all, there have always been thieves, and victims. And it would be a waste of my time to help.

[Janomike]

I consider myself to have a good life, there are alot of people that dont have my luck!

Although i know it is not much, i always try to help where i can, already have 2 children from india
where my family pays for the education. To help them get some good education is the best we can do i guess.
This might help them to give their own children a brighter future.

Glad to see CC doing this, hope there are many more who will donate!

Janomike

[natty dread]

meanwhile, millions of people are still homeless in the uk, usa, and elsewhere too, but somehow we don't feel bad for them and insist on sending money over-seas.....

There was a homeless guy attending my church and we helped him get a job and a home.... his first paycheck... he sent money to help homeless people in other countries... pretty cool imo. And he said it himself, his position in life isn't near as bad as those in other countries.

Why would the man not help the next homeless person next to him , as the church did. Instead he took the gratuity of the church and sent it overseas , imo this situation is hypocritical.

A homeless person in any western country still has better living conditions than most people in 3rd world countries. Even if you're homeless, in most western countries you don't have to go hungry - there are shelters that give you food for free or places to stay in. In Africa, there are children dying of hunger. That simply doesn't happen in most western countries.

That said, it's always a bad idea to start comparing people's suffering. Even if people in place A suffer worse than people in place B, it doesn't mean that people in place B should just suck it up. The existence of larger problems doesn't absolve us from the responsibility of addressing smaller ones.

However, the idea that we shouldn't help any 3rd world countries because "people have problems in our own countries too" is even more laughable. The reasons for the poverty of 3rd world countries are complex, but western countries have a large responsibility there - it's partly due to the consumer capitalism of western countries requiring that cheap labour of 3rd world countries to function. Which means that western countries have a vested interest in keeping the 3rd world countries poor...

So, anyone who says that we shouldn't help 3rd world countries is an entitled douchebag in my book. If you can afford to pay $25 for a year's subscription to an online gaming site, you sure as hell can afford to donate a few dollars to help people who are living in horrible conditions due to our unsustainable economic policies.