The Shinners Centre is currently in a dire financial situation. Our partners in Holland have not been able to recive any grants for shinners this year. Our bank account has run dry and this means shinners is facing closure. We are not able to feed the children this month or pay workers for their services last month, yet most of them are teenage mothers and orphans from the slums. Usually, our partners would send money into our account every month end but they communicated letting us know the current situation. Times are hard and you can imagine what it is like for the poor, orphaned in the slums.

We urgently need funds to remain open in the short term - any donation, however small, will enable us to continue feeding and educating the children for a bit longer.

In the longer term we deperately need ongoing sponsorship. This will support us in our goal to become self-sustaining in the foreseeable future. We hope then to avoid a similar situation recurring.

As a community-based organisation supporting local people in the Obunga slums the Shinners Centre provides direct help to people who are desperately in need. Although the centre aims to be self-sustaining we have not yet achieved that goal. Therefore we need funds on an ongoing basis in order to continue caring for the children and running projects which we hope will generate the income to enable us to be independant. We appreciate all help and advice, however great or small.

One way to help us is to buy the Chasing Storms album by Erik Shepherd - all the proceeds go directly to help the Shinners Centre.

Here are some of the other ways in which you can help:

• Buy our products
• Sell our products
• Make a donation
• Sponsor a child
• Sponsor a project
• Become a partner organisation

If you can help us in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

- with thanks from Caroline and all at Shinners.