- The School fees project The School fees project was started in 2003 it was set up under the Orphan care programme to assist children by paying their tuition fees. Currently we have over 600 children in need of school fees assistance country wide. However, we are only managing to support 350 of the children who are in Primary, secondary and tertiary education. The 600 children need $75000 per year for tuition alone. At present we are getting support equivalent to $45000 per year which is not adequate to cater for the children on or list. The children in primary school are given assistance of up to $30 which is adequate for those learning in the rural areas however in the urban areas it is a fraction of the total amount required. Those in Secondary schools receive assistance of $70 per child per term. Those who are studying towards their A’ Levels receive $100 which is also about three quarters of the full amount. The students in tertiary institutions require between $600 and $1000 per semester and due to the budget constraints we have only been allocating $200 per child. This is a sad picture indeed and over the past 3 years the number of children being catered for has been decreased, there are many children on our waiting lists.
- Sunday School
The Orphan care programme runs the Church’s Sunday school initiatives therefore it is responsible for training of the Sunday school teachers, the development of the curricula and the materials used in the classes. All children are encouraged to participate as we believe that all children should have a good Christian foundation which is founded in learning about the gospel from an early age. The lessons and activities at Sunday school build up to Bible Quiz which is held annually in every province.
- Uniforms & Stationery
When the Orphan care programme was started several years ago children who could not afford to buy uniforms were given a set once a year, this was because some of the beneficiaries could not even afford a decent pair of shoes and would walk long distances in the cold and the rain. However over the years the programme’s reach has grown and more children need tuition support we can no longer afford to buy uniforms. Stationery that we give out is usually in the form of exercise books and pencils when we get donations in kind from our generous partners and sponsors.
- Nutritional Support