Adara, a non-profit group working to improve the lives of women and children living in poverty, has secured a $150,000 donation from Axis Capital Holdings Limited.

Axis, a Bermuda-based global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance, will directly support Adara’s work in Uganda and Nepal over the next three years.

According to a press release, thanks to Adara’s innovative model, whereby the Adara businesses cover all overhead and administration costs of the organisation, every cent of Axis’s donation will go directly to support people living in poverty.

Karen Gonsalves, vice-president of financial controls and analysis at Axis, stated: “We are honoured to support Adara, an organisation that is making a tangible impact in helping to improve the lives of people who live in poverty.

“As a company that is deeply committed to giving back and enacting positive change, we’re heartened to know that 100 per cent of the financial contribution we provide to Adara is going directly to supporting programmes on the ground.”

Audette Exel of Adara stated: “Adara is proud to work with Axis, a respected leader in the global specialty insurance and reinsurance sector.

“Axis’s donation will make a huge difference to the lives of people living in poverty globally and will help us create lasting change for communities who need support.

“For example, $50,000 a year can fund the salaries of 24 midwives to help women deliver their babies safely in rural Uganda. These funds go a long way to saving lives.”

Through the donation, Adara will also provide opportunities for Axis staff to engage with Adara’s work in meaningful ways. Two Axis employees, Karen Gonsalves and Paul Konyecsni, will join Adara’s 2017 Charity Challenge to Nepal, providing them with the opportunity to learn more about the impact of Adara’s programmes on the ground and bring that knowledge back to share with their colleagues.

Ms Gonsalves said: “I am excited to have a role in supporting Adara’s programmes in Nepal.

“While the fundraising and trek will be challenging, I am most looking forward to visiting the Adara programmes and the people they assist, to see first-hand the positive impact that Axis is having on their lives.”

Adara is focussed on improving health and education for women, children and communities living in poverty. The organisation has expertise in maternal, infant and child health; and remote community development and reaches more than 50,000 people living in poverty each year.