An award-winning Aberdeen firm has named the Gathimba Edwards Foundation (GEF) as its charity of the year for 2017 – kicking things off by pledging to pay the primary school tuition of 50 Kenyan children.
Independent telecoms company SureVoIP has teamed up with GEF, which supports disadvantaged children living in Kenya, and will hold a series of sponsorship and fundraising initiatives for the charity over the next 12 months.
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In addition to funding the annual tuition of 50 schoolchildren, the company is a gold sponsor at the charity’s annual dinner which takes place on Saturday, February 18 at the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel.
SureVoIP has previously donated computer equipment to one of the foundation’s children, Eliud Mugoya, before he started a human resources management degree at college in Nairobi. The business helped raise two years’ medical expenses for 10-year old Daniel Lilande, who contracted meningitis aged just two-months which left him paralysed from the neck down. It also provided beds for a family of six’s home where they had previously slept on the floor.
Gavin Henry, managing director at SureVoIP, said: “As a company we have a long-standing relationship with the Gathimba Edwards Foundation and have seen the massive difference it has made to dozens of youngsters’ lives in a relatively short time. We are proud to be associated with such a worthy cause and look forward to developing this partnership further over the coming year.”
Myles Edwards, founder of the Gathimba Edwards Foundation, said: “Gavin and the team have been terrific supporters of the foundation for several years now and we’re thrilled that they have made this commitment for the whole of 2017. Thanks to companies like SureVoIP the foundation can continue to provide valuable support to children living in desperate conditions to give them every opportunity to succeed in life.”
The Gathimba Edwards Foundation, established in 2014 by Kenyan international athlete Gideon Gathimba and Scottish 1,500m champion Myles Edwards, provides education, clothing and shelter for nearly 250 children living across Kenya as well as sustainable solutions for their parents. Further information, including details on the upcoming charity dinner, can be found at http://gathimbaedwardsfoundation.org.
Based in the city’s Bridge of Don area, SureVoIP specialises in using the internet to deliver telecoms – more commonly known as VoIP or voice-over internet protocol. The company services the VoIP telephony requirements of more than 1,000 companies of varying size, from multinational oil majors to national charities.
In June 2016, SureVoIP won the Internet Telephony Service Provider Association’s (ITSPA) UK-wide award for Best Business ITSP (Medium Enterprise). The company has also been awarded the ITSPA’s coveted Quality Mark in recognition of its innovative approach to business communications.
