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8. How African Dowry Works

African Dowry information

1. How much money goes on administration?

   Money raised from the African Dowry scheme is used to support all FARM-Africa projects, to ensure that help can be provided where it is needed most. This includes vital costs in Africa (such as transport and staff training) and in the UK (such as writing up our projects so that other charities can benefit from our experience). Such costs - especially expert staff - are vital for us to help the farmers we work with.

   Ensuring that our work is financially and professionally accountable and sustainable (both to our donors and our beneficiaries) costs money, just as our projects 'on the ground' do. These costs are integral to the work that we carry out. We are not an extravagant organisation and consequently we only spend around 2.5% of our income on Governance.




2. What does my donation pay for?

   Your donations are used throughout FARM-Africa’s work, wherever the need is greatest. This way, you can be sure your support makes the maximum difference in helping to transform lives, permanently. This may mean that your donation could help provide livestock, or it could provide seeds, training and other support, tailored specifically to the needs of a local African community.

   Our projects are based in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. Whether improving small-scale dairy goat farming, working to resolve conflict with pastoral communities or developing new roles for villagers to manage forests, we know that with even a little assistance, African farmers can dramatically improve their own well-being.
   Examples of people that we have helped, and the type of change that your African Dowry Gift List can bring can be found by clicking on the case studies link on the left of this page.




3. Can I Gift Aid my African Dowry donation?

   Yes, you can, if you are a UK taxpayer. You can Gift Aid your donation as you complete the payment page on the site. Alternatively, you can make a Gift Aid declaration over the telephone or through the post.




4. Why is the site called African Dowry?

   When a couple in Africa get married, the family of the groom traditionally pay a dowry to the bride-to-be's family. The dowry is more than just a monetary transaction: it demonstrates that the groom will be able to look after his bride once the ceremony is over, and is symbolic of the union of the two families through the wedding.

   Many traditional wedding practices are changing, including the wedding list and the dowry, and this site mixes traditional values with modern thinking. The African Dowry site asks wedding guests to contribute to the work of FARM-Africa in helping poor African farmers build a life without poverty, as part of the celebrations they are attending.