giving back


From every property purchased through DPN, we donate a minimum of $500 towards charities we have chosen to partner with. We have become supporters of causes that have a property element, which currently include Watoto, which builds homes for orphaned children in Uganda, and A21, an organization that builds safe-houses and provides support for people who have been trafficked. Personally and corporately, we are committed to being generous and sharing our wealth with those who are less fortunate than ourselves. We encourage our customers, professional affiliates and anyone else we can inspire to be philanthropic toward those who have far fewer opportunities than we have.

Watoto (Construction of Children’s Villages)

Watoto is an holistic care programme that was initiated as a response to the overwhelming number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda, whose lives have been ravaged by war and disease. It is positioned to rescue individuals and raise them as leaders in their chosen sphere of life, so that they in turn will rebuild their nation. Watoto was founded by Gary and Marilyn Skinner, pastors of Watoto Church, a local church in Kampala, Uganda.

Statistics:

The Watoto model involves physical care, medical intervention including HIV/AIDS treatment and education. The construction of Children’s Villages is central to this model.

Children’s Villages: Children’s villages provide a home environment for each rescued child. Watoto children’s homes consist of a housemother who cares for eight children over the age of two. Each home provides the essentials of any basic home in a developed country. These homes are then positioned in clusters to create a small vibrant community referred to as a village. Each village contains a pre-school, kindergarten, primary school, high school, vocational training centre, water project, medical clinic and a multi-purpose hall for use as a community centre and church. The villages provide safe and open outdoor spaces with beautiful vegetation and plenty of space to live and play.

Baby Watoto: There are many vulnerable babies in Uganda who are abandoned or orphaned due to poverty, lack of education and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Almost all of them fail to make it to their 5th birthday because of the much-needed intensive care and medical attention that most immediate relatives cannot provide. Baby Watoto was initiated to provide the critical care that these little ones need. Care is provided to destitute babies from birth to two years of age. When they are older and physically well enough, they either graduate to a Watoto children's village or are reunited with existing relatives.

For more information on the work of Watoto visit www.watoto.com

A21 (Crisis Care Shelter Program)

The A21 Campaign is comprised of individuals, organisations and government officials who are committed to abolishing injustice in the 21st century. One of the primary goals of A21 is to raise awareness, take legal action where appropriate, and offer rehabilitation services to rescued victims of human trafficking. As Europe and particularly Greece are a hub for women and girls being trafficked into the sex industry, A21 has placed a focus on Greece.


Organizational strategy

A21’s approach to the human trafficking issue is based on a four-part organization strategy which is outworked through various initiatives:

  1. Victim relief through the A21 Crisis Care Shelter
  2. Perpetrator accountability through the A21 Legal Team
  3. Victim after-care through referral to Restoration Programs
  4. Structural prevention through A21 Prevention Initiatives

The focus of DPN's charitable giving to A21 is to assist in the area of Crisis Care Shelters. The A21 Crisis Care Shelter was launched in October 2008 in Greece and welcomed the first rescued victims in December 2008.

Due to security reasons, a location separate from the A21 Project Centre was needed to begin the victims' transition out of forced prostitution. Here the rescued victims meet with justice officials and the police, and receive access to medical care and legal services. Contracted social workers and/or psychologists monitor the progress of the survivors, and teach basic skills to help victims understand and manage the psychological symptoms that are the consequence of their trafficking experiences. The aim of the Crisis Care Shelter program is to help trafficking victims move from crisis to stabilization, and then to a place where they are able to make an informed decision about their next step.

For more information on the work of A21 visit www.thea21campaign.org

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