WELCOME
Global poverty is a huge problem for humanity today. Challenges and issues it brings, such as hunger, health problems, no education, unemployment and similar are more than serious to make us be more aware and get involved to help in any way possible. We are an organisation dedicated to helping children globally by providing resources, support and advice.
SERVICES
With a wide range of services dedicated to all children in any need, we can provide many opportunities which lead to developing skills and knowledge which will make the foundation of ensuring children and people in their surroundings.
CONFERENCE, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
With over 15 years experience of working with the most vulnerable and deprived children in inner-city areas of London, Kids Company is in a position to share the knowledge and expertise derived from intervening directly with this client group.
With the practical and emotional support we give to them we can help them build and thrive needed skills for adulthood. With our programs, young people with difficult start in life have an opportunity for proper education, training, and employment as any other.
OUR GOALS
Our mission is based on believing that every child with just a little help and support can bring the very best, no matter if the issue is sexual exploitation, child poverty, violence or malnutrition.
OUR BLOG
Children and family all around the world have the opportunity to read the posts we share which makes a great way of connection and makes a great aspect of help and support.
10 Ways Pets Help Benefit The Lives of Kids
More than just cuddle companions or playtime buddies, pets also provide many other benefits to your kids. This makes owning a pet a rewarding experience. And as your child gets the most support from their pet, it would be great to know how pet ownership positively affects your kids in more ways than one. Let us dive into these valuable life lessons.
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Helps improve your child’s motor skills and increases overall activity.
As kids run or walk with their pets, their bodies are also in motion allowing them to develop muscle growth and improved breathing. They tend to be stronger than other children with sedentary living such as those who play only with their electronic gadgets.
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Facilitates social interaction and friendship formation.
As the pet-child relationship grows, children develop the values of care, loyalty and belongingness. Apart from these, their ability to communicate improves over time, because they tend to express themselves better as they speak with their pet.
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Initiates higher self-esteem.
Pets usually look up to their humans and believe in them. This trait is characterized in their ability to follow commands. When the child gives a command to the pet, and the pet responds positively, this results to a pleasant feeling. This positivity helps the child develop self-confidence and higher self-esteem for doing something right.
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Helps kids excel in school.
Since they are physically stronger, socially aware and confidently prepared, they become more attentive in class and all sorts of school activities. Their overall good performance in school definitely leads to high grades.
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Stimulates sense of responsibility.
Taking good care of pets makes kids more responsible in life. And the combination of improved motor skills and good comprehension encourages them to follow instructions as instructed by elders. They tend to be more capable in completing tasks at home and in school such as performing simple household chores and accomplishing homework.
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Reduces loneliness and anxiety when parents go to work.
For as long as children know that there is a pet who could keep them company, then there is a great reduction of “separation anxiety”. Their attention is drawn towards the pet and so they can permit their parents to leave the house freely without worrying of any tantrum, moodiness, or temperamental behavior.
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Provides support when a child is sick.
There is something about pets that makes them more lovable and that is there being clingy when their owner is sick. They do understand when a child is not feeling well and so they tend to stay up close to provide comfort and warmth. This somehow makes the child feel better.
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Improves immunity and lessens your child’s visit to the doctor.
Except for kids with asthma, children with pets have stronger immune system making them combat allergy-causing diseases. The totality of motor development brought about by their playtime activities helps the child develop proper breathing and precise sensory performance. All these contribute to good health and therefore reduce trips to the pediatrician.
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Removes a child’s tantrums and moodiness.
“Cats and dogs are great companions. They will never make you feel lonely, always climbing onto you before you leave and waiting for you right by the window to come home” says Olivia Williams from MyPetNeedsthat.com. When kids are exposed to this, any bad mood turns into a happy disposition.
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Helps the child become more obedient.
Pets are used to following commands especially when they are being trained. When your child sees this, he or she is more likely to follow commands as instructed by their parents. And this is what makes kids who have pets more obedient than other children.
While pets are known primarily to be good companions, they too can be perceived as teachers, healers, therapists, and most of all best friends.
Simple housing for kids in the underdeveloped world
12One of the greatest challenges of helping kids in developing countries is providing cheap and durable shelter. Providing children with a secure place to live is crucial to advancing development.
The problem is that building houses – using traditional methods – is a very expensive and time consuming task. It requires skilled labour, purpose built tools and a lot of expensive building materials.
Around the world, people are challenging the norms of housing development by pioneering cheap, recyclable buildings that can be built by unskilled labourers.
Here are a few of the methods used to provide housing in developing countries –
Recycling Plastic
Not only is this one of the most affordable and durable methods for building cheap housing, it is also environmentally friendly. The huge amount of plastic used and discarded by humans is having a massive, detrimental impact on the planet. Eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped in the ocean each year, which is equivalent to five small bags full of plastic on every foot of coastline in the world. When you consider this, and the fact that plastic can take up to 400 years to decompose, you start to realise the extent of the problem.
With that in mind, the benefits of recycling plastic and using it for housing are obvious. Instead of using plastic for ‘one-use’ items like water bottles, its amazing flexibility and longevity as a material can be used to provide excellent shelter in developing countries. Startups like EcoDom melt down plastics, mold it into large plastic panels and using those panels as walls and roofs.
Conceptos Plásticos is another company using recycled plastic to build houses in Columbia. The company built temporary shelters in Guapi for victims of armed conflict. The company completed the project in just 28 days, and they only employ 15 people. While the shelters aren’t permanent, they are created out of locally-sourced, environmentally-friendly materials.
Cut My Plastic recommends the use of plastics for windows, roofs and even floors. The material is easy to clean, water resistant, heat resistant and incredibly durable.
Earthbag Building
This isn’t a new, revolutionary method, but it is tried and tested. Earthbags have long been used by the military to form protective barriers and as flood protection. Now this old method is being used around the world as a cheap way of building houses and other shelters.
It’s also one of the simplest methods available. Essentially it works by filling up bags with gravel or soil and placing them on top of each other. Then you use something like barbed-wire in between bags to keep them in place, being careful not to snag the earthbags. You also have to dig appropriate foundations, depending on the size of the structure. This method also answers another one of the biggest issues in developing countries – the surplus on unskilled labourers without work.
Hyper Wattle
Another earthbag based building method, the hyper wattle design was the winner in a cheap house building competition. Contestants had to build a durable and sustainable house for less than $300. The hyper wattle method is extremely strong, which makes it excellent for countries with severe weather conditions. It’s made by stacking wattles (or tubes) filled with either dirt or foam and strengthened with chicken wire or cement mortar.
Bamboo
Bamboo has been used to build shelters for a very long time. It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and is extremely strong and lightweight. Because of this, it is an excellent building material. Bamboo houses don’t need deep foundations because they don’t weigh that much, and they are resistant to earthquakes because they can move back and forth. Like all building methods used for developing countries, they can be built using basic tools and by unskilled people.
Lego Style Brick Housing
In March this year, Elon Musk announced that his company – The Boring Company – is bringing out a new Lego style brick that can be used to build a house in a few days. Built using strong materials like tunneling rock, the bricks aren’t yet available. Elon Musk said on Twitter “the boring bricks are interlocking with a precise surface finish, so two people could build the outer walls of a small house in a day or so.”
Clay Brick Alternatives
A company called Durabric has created an earth-based, environmentally friendly alternative to clay bricks. They are used in much the same way as clay bricks, but have a significantly smaller carbon footprint and are cheaper to products. Made out of compressed earth, the Durabric is strong, durable and weatherproof. It is currently being used effectively in Malawi – where the Durabric is produced – and the company has plans to use the building method in other developing countries.
Simple things make donations live
We all have to remember that every little bit counts with helping children in need. Simple things to us like clean water, blanket, and educational supplies are for some children unimaginable luxury. Whether you will give, volunteer or run some race, in anyway your generosity will always be valued.
Every child deserves a future; it is his full right as for any human being. So to ensure that every child grows healthy, provided with full education and health safety various ways work both ways, for donor and a child.
Options like one time gift, shopping gift from the catalog, child sponsorships, monthly donors and matching gifts are only some of the most common ways to help those in need over any website connected to this mission.
There are even easier ways that can help you do more besides the things you do every day.
Some internet most known ways of donating and charity are over Amazon Smile, Click to Donate, Free Rice, Donate Credit Card Rewards and Charity Miles. These ways request few minutes of your time which can mean a lot more to people in need. These are quick and easy to find online and simple to use. Over some, you may find some local charities, and on the other hand, you may help someone on another end of the world.
As on one of these you may donate small amounts of money, on the other, you are helping to feed the hungry, while also there is an option donating your unused points or miles from a credit card. Everybody also must have heard of Charity Miles from which you earn by just lacing up those walking shoes and taking a scenic trip, going for a joyous cycle, or by putting on those running shoes and going out to put the miles in.
Things to remember when donating is first to stay smart. Unfortunately, many charities are using donations irresponsibly for wrong purpose putting other good, responsible ones also on a bad reputation. It is very approving having desire to help others, but it is also very important to thoroughly check and make sure your money goes for proper cause. Take your time and choose the way that works best for you because in any case, it will work even better for one that needs it.
DIY: Homemade Jewellery
Children are our greatest joy. From their innocence to mischievousness, there’s always some new way they explore the world with all its beautiful colours. Most kids are born with innate sensitivities towards crafts, arts, and music. These talents should be nurtured and cared for, encouraged and given a new dimension to discover more unique skills. Jewellery making is one such craft. It is therapeutic, increases focus and concentration, and improves motor skills.
Not only is jewellery making an excellent way to introduce something brand new and novel to children, but also is a great way to relax and spend time with them. Quality bonding time with kids is a sporadic thing that takes place once in a blue moon. Jewellery crafts promote creativity and give a boost to the self-confidence of your children. Kind words, encouragement and the opportunity to create and wear something new is sure to bring out the best in your children.
Let us look at some ways to make homemade jewellery with Katie from Orla James.
Clay beads jewellery
If you have little girls at home who want to express their own fashion sense, then the clay bead jewellery is sure to be a hit. Polymer clay is available at almost all craft supply stores and comes in a variety of colours.
To make clay beads jewellery, you will need a little polymer clay, mineral oil, an oven-proof pan, thread, toothpick, and a needle.
Cut up the clay into small pieces, add a drop of mineral oil, and round them up into little balls. Once done, pierce the ball with a toothpick through the centre. Lay all the colourful polymer clay beads on a baking pan and bake according to the instructions on the polymer clay packet.
Once done, let the beads cool and thread the beads (with the help of the needle) to fashion a bracelet, necklace, or a friendship band to give to friends.
Coloured pasta necklace
Coloured pasta jewellery is a fun way to spend time with kids. Boys and girls love wearing coloured pasta necklaces while they play with friends or just run around the park. All you need are pasta shells (preferable penne), hand sanitiser, freezer bags, matchstick, strong thread, tape, and food colouring.
In the freezer bags, add a handful of pasta and a drop of sanitiser. Shake well so that all the pasta is coated well. Now add food colouring and shake the bag to cover all pasta shells with the colour. Empty the pasta shells onto an old newspaper and allow to dry off completely.
Make separate freezer bags for different colors.
Once dried, tie the thread to a matchstick and secure it with a little tape. Now you can make bracelets and neck pieces for your kids from regular pasta.
Ready-to-seed jewellery
Most parents today feel the need to teach their children about reuse and recycling. Boys and girls are more aware of the ecological balance of our world than many adults. Ready-to-seed jewellery is a beautiful way to help your little one with his or her green thumb.
What you will need are seeds, clay (preferably air dry), dry vegetable compost (without manure or animal parts), bowl, toothpick, food colouring, hemp twine, and paintbrushes.
Mix the seeds, compost, and clay together in the ratio 1: 1: 4. (1-part seeds, 1-part compost, and 4-parts of clay) and knead together in a bowl. Once done, roll the mixture into bead sized balls or oblong pieces. Pierce through the centre of these pieces with a toothpick. Let dry over the next few days.
Once dried, use a paintbrush and paint organic food colour (undiluted) directly on to the beads. Let dry. Now thread together with hemp twine.
This jewellery is ready to plant whenever your little ones get bored with their jewellery. Simple bury the fashion pieces in the soil, provide water and wait for your seeds to grow into plants.
Toilet roll bracelet and anklets
Keeping in mind the eco-friendliness and do-it-yourself for this project, we bring you the toilet roll bracelet and anklet. What you need are toilet roll cores, glue, wool yarn, and transparent tape. Cut the toilet roll core into three equal parts (you can slice the roll to make an expendable bracelet or anklet) and start wrapping the wool yarn in clean lines. Use tape to secure the end of the thread to the core before starting. Once done, glue on to the base to keep secure. Use colourful wool yarn or single toned ones to add colour to the jewellery. Your anklet and bracelet are ready to be worn!
Why Healthy Drinking Is Important
Children follow in the footsteps of their adults. They grow up believing everything they are taught. Healthy lifestyles and eating and drinking habits should be inculcated in kids from an early age. Good habits like maintaining hygiene, keeping fit and active, and healthy drinking and eating work in contributing significantly to the overall growth, development, and well-being of children. Having set schedules to eat, drink, play, study, and so on help children grow up to be well-balanced adults with a good sense of responsibility.
Children can face many difficulties while growing up due to irregular food and drink consumption habits. It is necessary to keep a close watch on the drinks that are being provided to children (along with food) to ensure children do not fall prey to allergies, obesity, food disorders, flu, and viral cold and coughs. Nutritious drinking habits play an essential role in the health and wellbeing of young children.
Let us look at the benefits of healthy drinking for children.
Milk
Milk is a rich source of vitamin D that is necessary for the growth of bones, teeth, and hair. Calcium-rich milk-based drinks are excellent for muscle and fiber growth in children. Milk proteins are made up of leucine that aids in developing muscle and bone strength. Calcium helps prevent obesity in children and also assists in reducing unwanted fats from the body. Milk and milk products help in keeping headaches and migraines away that many kids experience in the case of a calcium deficiency.
Vitamin D present in milk helps in controlling inflammation and keeping the immune system healthy. Deficiency of vitamin D may lead to osteoporosis later in life. By drinking milk daily, children are setting the foundations of a healthy future. Milk also helps settle anxious stomachs, prevents acidity, lowers blood pressure, promotes heart health, and aids in the growth of healthy teeth.
Water
Known as the lifeblood of all living things, water is essential to the human body. Since our bodies are made up of almost 65 – 70% water, drinking it helps in the control of overheating and dehydration in the hot summers. Water helps in battling overexposure to the sun and also helps control sunburn and prickly heat. Children should drink 2 liters of water daily to keep their body temperatures, sweat glands, and weight in moderation. Kids who are more active than others should consume more water than others. Same is the case for children who play outdoors more than indoors. Remaining hydrated throughout the day is essential for young children.
Many children do not like the taste of water. If this is the case, you could sweeten the water with a few slices of orange, strawberry, or a little lime juice. Drinking water helps battle acidity, settles the stomach, aids in digestion and absorption of food, and in flushing out harmful toxins and chemicals from the body. Toxins in the body are detrimental to the growth of healthy organs and reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. By drinking water, children will be able to flush out unhealthy toxins from the body naturally. Water filters, available from ukh20.co.uk, are a great investment for better quality, healthier water.
Juices
Most children enjoy drinking juices in comparison to milk or water. The sugary sweetness that comes naturally in fruits is more appealing than plain milk or water. While fruit juices are excellent alternatives for junk foods and carbonated drinks, you must ensure that the kids are only getting juice that is without any preservatives. Additives and flavoring can cause more harm than good to the bodies of young children and may even stunt their growth.
Better than drinking juice is to eat the fruit directly. If possible, try to habituate your children into eating the fruits instead of juicing them. Fruits consumed directly can be absorbed with nutrients and fibers straight into the body for a more significant benefit. However, if this is not possible, avoid using store-bought juice. Invest in a good juicer and make fruit juice at home. Children should not drink more than 150 ml of juice in the day. This way, you can control their intake of juice as well as avoid any harmful preservatives, additives, and chemicals from entering their diets.
While children should be allowed to act their age and play with friends, it is necessary to curtail their intake of fizzy drinks, soda, and pop. One glass of soda a month should be permitted to avoid any after effects on their system. Sugar drinks are useful in case of drowsiness, fainting, or any other blood sugar related events.
Growing older can cause all kinds of aches and pains, so moving with a connected body can help to keep you feeling youthful, flexible and strong. Taking up a tai chi class with The Tai Chi Effect or even an online exercise course that helps with balance, fall prevention, relaxed strength and vitality, such as the best Exercise For The Elderly course online. https://www.positivitea.co.uk/ https://www.sewalicious.co.uk/