Guardian Christmas appeal raises almost £200,000

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/10/guardian-christmas-appeal-response-readers

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Generous readers have so far raised nearly £200,000 for the Guardian's Christmas appeal, guaranteeing a massive financial boost for four charities working on innovative social projects in Africa.

With a week to go until the appeal closes, the cash total donated stands at £182,000. This will be divided between Farm Africa, Practical Action, Solar Aid and Worldreader. The Guardian and Observer's charity telethon raised more than £26,000 just before Christmas.

All donations going to the Katine project, run by Farm Africa, will be matched by the UK government to support a rural development project in Ethiopia. The Department for International Development will also match donations raised for Solar Aid.

A hoped-for final surge of donations from readers – supplemented with a Gift Aid top-up currently estimated at £30,000 – could raise the final total substantially.

Nigel Harris, chief executive of Farm Africa, said: "We are extremely grateful to all the readers who have made such a generous contribution to help families across Africa lift themselves out of hunger and poverty and build a more secure future for them and their children.

"We would also like to thank the UK government for doubling readers' donations to Farm Africa's work so we can help even more people become economically self-reliant."

The charities supported by the appeal challenge conventional thinking about Africa and provide imaginative solutions to reducing poverty. Your donations will help these organisations innovate, using technology and economic empowerment, and build a sustainable future for people in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya.

Practical Action promotes technology justice as a way of tackling poverty and providing sources of sustainable energy. Worldreader distributes e-readers to schools to boost literacy. Solar Aid provides cheap, solar-powered lamps to bring a cheap and reliable source of light to some of the estimated 593 million Africans who have no access to electricity. Farm Africa helps farmers develop their livelihoods.

Half of the money raised will be allocated to the Katine project being run by Farm Africa. The remainder will be split equally across the other three projects.

• Make a donation online here or by telephone on +44 (0)151 284 2016.

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