Questions and Answers (April 23, 2004)

Q: Does ActionAid campaign to ensure that all children in the world get access to free school?
A: Yes it does. ActionAid believes that everybody has a right to free education and that education is very important for helping people to overcome poverty.

What are you doing about this issue?
A: ActionAid works with governments in developing countries to provide schools where there are none and helps community groups make sure that their government continue to support the education system. ActionAid is also part of an international alliance with other charities that demands developed countries keep their promises on education funding.

What can I do in my school to help?
A: ActionAid is one of the founders of the Global Campaign for Education. You can support the call for free, quality basic education around the world by asking your school to join this campaign. There are lots of things you can do to help the Global Campaign for Education, like meeting and talking to your local MP.

Q: [from Rosie] What food do you eat?
A: I like to eat lots of different kinds of food. Some of my favourite dishes are rogan josh curry, roast chicken (with lots of Yorkshire pudding and gravy!) rice and beans, and salad.

Q: Why do you have a cardboard cut out of Nelson Mandela?
A: We have a cardboard cut out of Nelson Mandela so that we can take it to events where we are campaigning about HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Nelson Mandela is a very important person who does a lot of work to highlight the problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa and asks world leaders to do something about it. People like to take their picture with the cardboard cut out so that they can pretend to all their friends that they met Nelson Mandela in real life!

Q: How long have you been working for ActionAid? This website is really good how long did it take to make? How did you make it?
A: I have been working for ActionAid for a year. We got a computer company called Co-Lab to help us build the website. It took them a long time to get it looking this good!

Q: What's your favorite colour?
A: Orange and pink are two of my favourites but I like lots of colours so it is very difficult to choose!

Q: [from Sarah] If you could what would you do to stop poverty in countries like India and Africia?
A: I think that by working together everyone has the power to help poor people gain control over resources and secure their basic rights to food, safe water, education, healthcare and a life of dignity.

Q: [from sarah] If you had three wishes what would you wish for?(you can't say more wishes)
A: I would wish for an end to all war and conflict in the world I would wish for an end to global poverty I would wish that it was nice and sunny and warm in England all year round.

Q: Where did you get that cut out of Nelson Mandella? Can I have one I LOVE NELSON MANDELLA?
A: Some very nice people at a trade union called the Communication Workers Union gave Nelson to us. They wanted to help us with our HIV/AIDS campaign work so they let us have the cut out for free, although I think it was very expensive to make as it is life-sized! I’m afraid we can’t send you a cut out as we only have one.

Q: [from jimmy] Why is it that charities are given billions of pounds a year but there is still poverty?
A: Unfortunately the world is still un unfair place but a lot is being done by charities to improve the lives of many poor people all around the world. For example Salvador and his family from Mozambique lost their house and all their belongings in floods, but Salvador says: "with the help of ActionAid, we recieved food, seeds and tools and a house where we are living now". It is the many stories like these that encourage me to carry on working to fight poverty, because together we are able to make a difference to poor people's lives.

Q: [from Estelle] Hello Anella I'd like to ask a question about the work you do at action aid. Have you ever been abroard with the company, if so where and what did you do there?
A: I have not been abroad with my work for ActionAid, but we do have offices all over the world. I hope that some time in the future I may be able to visit one of these places to see for myself some of the good work that ActionAid carries out.

Q: [from tendai] how does it feel to live in such a world without no education.i would really like to help other people without an education.
A: It makes me very sad that lots of children around the world do not have the opportunity to go to good schools like I did. I think everybody deserves to get a good education and I am very glad that you want to help. There are lots of things that you can do to help make sure that people around the world have access to free education. You can join a campaign, or you can spread the word and raise awareness about the problem through you local media. To find out about all the different things you can do to make a difference visit the ‘Take Action’ section of the Global Links website.