Tare film on Channel 5 Extraordinary people and private viewing in London, UK

London, United Kingdom - The Board of Trustees of Girl Child Network Worldwide (GCNW) would like to thank RedRebel Films Limited and Channel Five for working collaboratively to help Taremeredzwa Mapungwana to be featured on Channel Five's Extraordinary People. Our goal as a charity is to save lives so that one can share testimonies like this with the rest of the world. The charity remains at frontline of providing services, linking, networking and bringing resources to save lives of girls whose lives are at risk. To date, the charity has assisted two girls with similar conditions from Zimbabwe through another hospital in Zambia with assistance of US Surgeons. Many times the lives of girls are at risk of disease because they are too poor to afford hospital bills of up to £1000 and overseas treatment.

In a statement while on her royal duty in Nigeria, Her Royal Princess Deun Adodyin- Solarin who is Chair of the Trustees and Global Spokesperson for the charity said,' This is a story of a young woman whose bravery and strength we witnessed since the day our Chief Executive Officer Betty Makoni overcame many obstacles to bring her to UK as well as fundraise for her first two successful operations since 2009. Today the world can see a young and brave woman inspiring every other child that there is hope as long as the world responds and helps out. Her story shows what people in the global village can do to help some disadvantaged children starting from an individual like Betty Makoni who opens her inbox and realises that a child needs help and responds promptly up to the doctor who gives free surgery like Professor Ian Hutchinson. It takes a village to raise a child is what as GCNW we believe in.'

Tare first came to the United Kingdom in September 2009 after a rural school head and her students Mrs Nyoni in Manicaland, Zimbabwe as well as Taremeredzwa Mapungwana`s brother Talent made an appeal through an email to Betty Makoni who had relocated to UK with her family after living in self-imposed exile in Botswana in 2008.



Betty Makoni, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network Worldwide recently gave a short testimony via her Facebook and posted, 'When I received a call to help from Tare Mapungwana`s brother and Mrs Nyoni via an inbox message written you are the last hope we have in the world to save the life of our sister, I did not understand what those words meant. I was still new in UK and yet there was a future Doctor with 8 As at Ordinary Level whose life needed to be saved. I told myself I would respond and pledge to support. Dreams come true and £20 000 was raised to fund her two operations and costs went towards hospital bills (£480 per day, medication and accommodation was provided by our family and Tare`s aunt. Film crews followed to take story but of course if this had been followed by news people more UK public sympathy could have been extended to her and to many girls from Zimbabwe who had same conditions. Tare`s case resulted in a flood gate of requests from many girls in similar situations but however due to limited financial resources we managed to assist only two to date..'



Betty Makoni who stayed with Tare Mapungwana for six months at her house whilst she was in and out of hospital described her as brave, resilient, intelligent, focused and mature young girl who loves peace, respects her parents and is very prayerful.

'I was so moved by her thoughtfulness and even extending her ideas on how to help other girls I talked to her about. I can't imagine any other person inspiring the world with her story other than Tare', said Betty Makoni.



There are many organisations and individuals whose support made it possible for Tare to be in UK to get treatment and there are far too many to mention here but Girl Child Network Worldwide thanks Air Zimbabwe for flying Tare to UK for treatment. The first online paper to publish plight of Tare and to draw public sympathy was NewZimbabwe. Com raising over £10000 out of the whole amount of £20000. Award winning journalist Lance Guma is sincerely thanked for his bravery in consistently sending news that accurately informed public about use of her funds. Zimbabwe News Network(ZBN), Visions FM, Zimonline Radio, Dandaro TV and Lady Dee2 and Simple Dread Gamu2 in the entertainment industry immensely helped by raising awareness on Tare`s plight thereby raising more funds. CNN whose announcement of Betty Makoni as a CNN Top Ten hero coincided with this appeal helped to raise over US$10000 with a team of lawyers who asked to remain anonymous as well as over US$5000 from US public. The charity thanks Professor Ian Hutchinson and his charity Saving Faces for free surgery to Tare and all cash and in kind donations. Throughout her treatment his team stood with the greatest support ever.



Since 2004 Tare was fighting with a tumour, but after the two operations in 2009 & 2010 in the UK she is now on her road to recovery. She has since returned to school to complete her "A" level studies. She resumed her studies in April with a local private college, where she did well in the progress tests. She later went back to her boarding school, St. David's Bonda Mission where she wrote and passed her Maths, Biology and Chemistry A level exams. In 2010 she returned back to UK for the second time with private sponsors for a third operation and finally doctor did some thorough tests and found out the cause of the tumour to be rare and needing long term treatments and surgery. Part of highlighting this film is to keep mobilising funds for Tare and ensure her long term treatment and facial surgery reconstruction is done. New Seasons program which works in partnership with Girl Child Network Worldwide are in search of a scholarship in the US for her.

Below is sample minimum quotation the Charity Girl Child Network Worldwide received and paid for each of the operations. Please note this bill went up as stay in hospital became more and payment for Tare's mum's accommodation and food at the hospital is not included as the charity paid for that separately. Those who wish to assist in the next operation please note the rough estimate of the hospital outside free service offered by Professor Hutchinson.

SPECIALTY: Oral & Maxillo Facial Surgery
DIAGNOSIS: Ossifying Fibroma of maxilla & Mandible
TREATMENT AS INPATIENT
ACCOMODATION: 5 nights stay = @ £480 per night = £2,900
PATHOLOGY: £530
DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: £500
PHARMACY:
OTHER: Blood Transfusions x 5 units = £890 Contingency = £1,000
PROFESSIONAL FEES: Anaesthetist's fee £ 850
ESTIMATED TOTAL: £8,000
Private viewing of Film: Donors and supporters welcome
Red Bulls Films Limited invites donors, media and friends to join private viewing of the film on Tare, 'My Face is eating me.' There is a social drink or two thereafter and one can meet charities and film makers involved in the work. Please come and enjoy a beautiful film and support us on this very important night.
Date: Monday 17th June 2013
Guest speakers: Betty Makoni (GCNW) and
Time: 6.30 pm
Venue: Deloitte, 2 New Street Square, 1st Floor Auditorium, London EC4A 3BZ. Blackfriars, Chancery Lane, Farringdon, St Pauls, City Thameslink Station
Entrance fee: Free but Red Bulls Films will have a donation box on site to raise money for Tare's next operation.
RSVP. And let us know you are coming so we can give your names to security at Deloitte.
Tel Sam Chege on 07984191240
Email: Magsgavan@hotmail.com and Samuel_chege@hotmail.com
Help girls and support the cause: www.girlchildnetworkworldwide.or