This year there will be two allocations and this is the first one. The second one will be later in the year, only to developmental projects. ISK 48.3 million goes to five projects that promote humanitarian, educational and cultural issues in Iceland and in Kenya in cooperation with ABC Children’s Aid.
New projects:
Grant to ABC Hjálparstarfs (English: ABC Children’s Aid) in Kenya – ISK 1.8 million
Grant to Vinafélag Vinjar, a shelter for mentally impaired people at Hverfisgata – ISK 1 million per year for the next three years.
Grant to The Magic Flute by Mozart for children – ISK 500,000
Continuing projects:
Kraumur Music Fund – ISK 20 million
Aurora Design Fund – ISK 25 million
ABC Childrens Aid in Kenya
ABC Children’s Aid is an Icelandic aid organisation that was established in 1988 and is now operating in eight countries in Asia and Africa. The organisation gives children permanent help in the form of education, support and health care. ABC Children’s Aid in Kenya was founded in Nairobi in 2006 and now there are about 70 employees and Thorunn Lusiru and Samuel Lusiru Gona are in charge of the operation. Around 400 pupils attend the ABC school and about 200 live in the school’s dormitory. The Aurora Fund will donate ISK 1.8 million to the organisation to buy necessities for the dormitory.
Vinafélag Vinjar, a shelter for mentally impaired people at Hverfisgata
In 2009 the Aurora Fund donated about ISK 20 million to the Icelandic Red Cross and three of their projects. One of the projects, called Vin (English: oasis) is a place that the Red Cross has established for people who have mental problems. Friends of Vin was founded in 2011 in order to secure the future of Vin as the Red Cross was considering closing the place down due to lack of funding. In 2012 an agreement was made between the City of Reykjavik, the Ministry of Welfare, the Red Cross and Friends of Vin to secure the operation of Vin for three years. Friends of Vin agreed to provide a part of the operational funding that is needed and in that way the Aurora Fund will renew its support to Vin by providing ISK one million to Friends of Vin each year for three years.
The Magic Flute for Children
The publication of the book about the magic flute by Mozart and an accompanying CD will be the first children’s opera that has been published in Iceland with sound and an illustrated children’s book. This famous, adventure-opera appeals particularly to children and has therefore been used a lot in other countries in order to introduce operas to children. Unfortunately in Iceland children have not been taught much about operas. The idea is to use the material in music education as well as put it on stage in cooperation with Töfrahurðin (the Magical Door) in Salurinn music hall and possibly in the cultural centre Hof in Akureyri afterwards. The people behind the publication are Edda Austmann, Pamela De Sensi and Halla Þórlaug Óskarsdóttir. Aurora Fund sponsors the publication of the Magic Flute by Mozart for children with ISK 500,000.
