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Newsletter: Sign up below to hear all the latest news about the project: About the partnership: |
The Sponsorship Scheme and why it is necessary. Schooling in Kenya is free at primary level and our partnership primary school Innis is large with approximately 800 pupils. However secondary schooling is not free. It costs the equivalent of £120/year for each pupil. This is a lot of money by Kenyan standards and yet about 130 pupils show by the end of their primary years they are capable of going onto achieve the difficult Kenyan School Certificate at Miriu Secondary School. If they complete this certificate, university and a good career is a distinct possibility. Without secondary schooling, particularly with the high level of unemployment in Kenya, there is little chance of meaningful futures for a lot of the pupils. If this was not bad enough the effects of Malaria, TB and of course HIV/AIDs have affected most families. AIDs has left many children without one or both of their parents and therefore without any income. Food and shelter are hard enough to find for many, so providing money for school fees is virtually impossible for most children. So the poverty cycle is robbing the community of not only large numbers of individuals but also depriving it of potential doctors nurses teachers and other professionals that could make a genuine difference. Tony Stephens and Charles Okuche’s sponsorship scheme does make a difference. Currently we have 40 sponsored orphans and this number should rise in the next few weeks but we are still desperate for new sponsors.
Approximately half of the 130 Miriu students are in fact financial orphans. Some still have mothers but their families have no income to speak of. Most have lost both parents. Some of these are taken in by other relatives, Uncles, Aunts etc but whilst gaining shelter and food, providing money for schooling is almost impossible. About 20 are ‘total orphans’. That is they do not really have any visible means of support. Charles has then to decide which ones he can help and which ones he can not. This is a decision I am so pleased that I do not have to make. But it is also a reason as to why Charles is so driven to make our partnership work! What does sponsorship involve? Simply ask for a sponsorship form from Julie Angel who is our project secretary (Tel. 01939 237000) or download and print off a copy of the sponsorship form. Fill it in. Decide the amount you are comfortable with/month and then hand it in to your bank. £10/month pays for one orphan to go to school but £2, £3 or £5 combined with other peoples’ sponsorship is very useful as well. It is important not to overstretch yourself financially because sustainability is all important for these children.
An added bonus is that school provides all children with 2 very simple meals a day. A cup of very sweet millet porridge is provided at break time and a bean/rice meal is available at lunchtime. So education can also remove hunger to an extent. However the problem of food and its supply is also on our minds and the fund raising efforts of both Adams and Buntingsdale Staff and pupils are going to try to provide some solutions in the near future. Please get involved if you feel you can. If you would like any more information before you do so or would like me to send you a form, contact me by email on zestforlife@hopeloveandconfidence.com Dave Q
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