Amani is the last born of Sam and Cindy Chekingo. He was born on May 17th, 2010. He is a vibrant, enthusiastic and outgoing little boy who loves donuts, basketball and video games.
Why Amani Foundation
The founding purpose of the Amani Foundation is to raise awareness and provide resources via support and focus groups; and provide resources to children and families affected by Brachial Plexus Injury (herein BPI) living in extreme poverty environments in the United States and Tanzania. BPI (also known as Erb's palsy) often occurs when a baby is pulled out of the birth canal incorrectly, which results in paralysis of varying degrees of one or both arms.
Amani Foundation's aim is to be the safe haven for the entire family by being in the information and resource center for those who cannot afford.
The Foundation is in honor of Amani Michael Chekingo, a vibrant and enthusiastic little boy who has been affected by BPI.
Amani Foundation realized that BPI does not affect one person only, the entire family's lifestyle changes. There is a need for a safe place for the entire family and a holistic approach to improve the daily lives of the entire affected families. It is very easy for parents to focus on the affected child and forget about other siblings or even themselves. Other family members like grandparents or even cousins need some sort of support to cope with the situation.
Apart from the USA, we picked Tanzania simply because Amani's father was born and grew up there and since it is part of the third world countries, it interests us the most. BPI is not common or recognized at all in Tanzania. When kids are born with any birth defects it is considered as either witchcraft or God's will. Amani Foundation aims at reaching out for awareness; provide moral, financial and educational support to those affected in Tanzania as well as the United States. The worst part is women are not informed of the risks of this birth injury during prenatal care, yet it is almost always preventable when proper techniques are used. Since doctors won't talk about it, someone has to.
The Amani Foundation aims to provide awareness and financial resources based on the yearly donations provided by supporters, grants, and other financial assets and activites. Additionally, the foundation will hold different awareness and educational workshops.
