Sponsorship handbook 2015

Project Luangwa

A Guide to Pupil Sponsorship

Your support is not just

about money; an orphanor vulnerable child

who is sponsored knows that

someone, somewhere in the world,

cares.

2015

www.projectluangwa.org/sponsorship

Thank you for considering giving a child the chance of an education through Project Luangwa . . . and if you decide to sponsor, or have already done so, thank you.

Child sponsorship is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to make a life-long difference to someone’s life. The benefits do not stop once the child has left school but gives them a better chance of gaining employment or starting their own business. The ability to read opens up a whole new world through books and the advantages of being able to read about health education speak for themselves, especially in a country like Zambia which is so affected by HIV/Aids.

A Guide to Pupil Sponsorship

Through Project Luangwa

In this guide we will try to explain the complexities of the Zambian education system as well as how our sponsorship scheme works.

The children who are accepted onto our sponsorship scheme are orphans, or classed as vulnerable with parents or guardians who are unable to send the child to school without help. By living and working in Mfuwe we have regular personal contact with the children and their families enabling us to give you first hand reports of their progress. 100% of your sponsorship money directly benefits the child and does not disappear into the wrong pockets or will be used on administration.

Why sponsor a child through Project Luangwa?

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In Zambia Primary or Basic education usually starts when a child is seven years old; that’s late compared to children in the western world. Often a child may begin their schooling even later and some may miss a year or more due to the simple fact that their family cannot spare the money for books or uniform. This can lead to an enormous range of ages in a single grade of up to six years or more. Rarely does the age of a child in a particular grade match that of children in the same grade in more developed countries.

Grade 7 and the start of secondary education Education up to grade 7 is called primary or basic education and is free. At the end of this time pupils sit for their Certificate of Primary Education Exam. If they pass this exam they will be offered a place in grade 8. However, although they may choose their preferred school prior to sitting the exam, they will only be offered a place if their results are good enough. Each school has its ‘cut off’ point and usually the more rural or under-developed the school, the lower their standard level of acceptance. This is the start of two years Junior Secondary Education. One problem with this system is that many of the better equipped schools - and usually the ones the kids choose - are far from Mfuwe and meaning that the pupils would have to board. This is beyond the financial means of most families.

Over the past few years some Basic (Primary) Schools have been offering classes in grades 8 and 9 and this means that a child may be able to continue in Junior Secondary Education at their local school. Experience has shown us that some grade 8 kids from rural areas who attend a distant, and often urban, boarding school, do not do so well as others who stay at their local school. However the Zambian Government are phasing out this option and soon all Junior Secondary education will take place at a secondary school.

What happens at the end of grade 9? - At the end of Grade 9 pupils take their Certificate of Junior Secondary Education Exam - known locally as the Grade 9 Exam - and it is the results of these exams that decide if a pupil will continue in senior secondary education and which school they may attend in Grade 10. This time there is no choice – the better schools pick the kids with better results even if the school is many miles away and the family cannot afford the boarding fees and transport costs. Pupils who have achieved good marks but whose families cannot afford the expense of boarding school may be able to attend their local secondary school - if there is one.

All About Education in Zambia

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afternoon may be devoted to sport. Schools that are short of teachers or classrooms will give lessons in the afternoon to the grades they couldn’t accomodate in the morning.

Tests and Exams - During the last two weeks of each term tests are set in all subjects. Project Luangwa sponsored pupils bring their results to us so we can monitor their progress. Boarding schools are often slow to send reports and often we do not receive these until half way through the following term. Our pupils are expected to attain minimum standard and all exam results are sent to the sponsor.

The months of October and November are National exam time. At the end of grade 7 pupils sit their Certificate of Primary Education exam, the grade 9 pupils for their Certificate of Junior Secondary Education and the grade 12s for their final School Certificate Exams. All these exam papers are set by the Examination Council of Zambia. As the school year starts in January the exams unfortunately take place at the hottest time of the year.

The results come out in stages. During the first week or two of January the Grade 7 results are sent to the schools for pupils to collect and it is then that they’ll learn which school has offered them a place in grade 8. Next to become available, usually in the last week of January, are the grade 9 results, but it is not until late February or even March we see the results for the Grade 12 exams.

The realities at school - The vast majority of rural schools in Zambia don’t have enough classrooms or teachers and in basic schools it’s not unusual to see around 100 children in one

Some pupils are fortunate and live close enough to a local secondary school to travel there daily. But for a secondary school pupil who does not, there is no choice; if their family cannot find the money for tuition and boarding fees their education comes to an end.

The Mfuwe area has just two secondary schools; Matula High School which is close to the airport, and Mfuwe Day Secondary School. Mfuwe Day Secondary School, whilst being a ‘day school’ offers unofficial boarding facilities for kids who live too far away to commute daily.

The Zambian school year - The school year starts in January and ends in December. There are three terms in a year and they usually each last three months. The first break is around the end of April but does not necessarily coincide with Easter, the second is in August and the third starts in December. This last break for Christmas is usually the longest as it coincides with the rainy season and the main planting time for maize. In rural areas most kids will work in the family’s field at this time.

The school day - The school day starts at 7:00 and most kids will arrive without breakfast. Lessons are usually about 40 minutes long and around 9:40 kids will have a morning break. At 12:40 the school breaks for lunch. At some schools ‘prep’ may take place between 14:00 and 16:00 when pupils are not engaged in other activities. These activities may include their Production Unit (PU) - working in the school field growing maize or another crop; Preventative Maintenance (PM) which entails sweeping classrooms or the surrounding area or slashing the grass to keep it short. One

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When does sponsorship start?

The sponsorship year runs in line with the Zambian school year - January to December. Applicants start arriving at the Project Luangwa office from December onwards and by the second week of January the daily queues can consist of fifty or more hopeful students.

In early January applicants are mostly pupils who have completed their Grade 7 exams the previous term and have just received their Certificate of Primary Education exam results as well as acceptance letters from the various secondary schools. Most are looking for help to attend a distant boarding school however Project Luangwa has recently taken the decision to encourage Grade 8 and 9 kids to stay at their local schools for these two grades.

Around the end of January the results of the Grade 9 or Certificate of Junior Secondary Education exam results are published and the pupils will receive letters telling them to which school they have been allocated. And, once again, there will be long queues of hopeful students outside the Project Luangwa office.

Whilst we occasionally get applicants later in the year but unless they are already attending school, and are unable to pay fees due to the death of a relative, we will not start their sponsorship until the following school year. Starting a child half way through the year in a new grade makes it impossible for them to catch up with the work.

Grade 7 pupils queue to apply for sponsorship at the Project Luangwa office

class. Neither is it unusual for five or more pupils to share a text book or worse, there be just one . . . . for the teacher. Rarely are there enough desks and many children may spend their day sitting on the floor. Most secondary level pupils may fare better but not all. Schools vary and Project Luangwa works with the Zambian Ministry of Education to improve infrastructure at our local secondary school, Mfuwe Day Secondary.

An average day for many day scholars- Pupils living at home will get up around 5:00 and start their chores. There will be water to fetch from the borehole and it may take several trips to make sure that there is enough, there’s also washing-up to be done from the night before and the area around the house to be swept. At lunch time many pupils will make their way home - some will have had lunch prepared for them, others will cook lunch for themselves and their siblings, and for others, who have poor parents or guardians, there may be nothing to eat at all.

There may be more chores to do before returning to school for the afternoon and many children do not make it back at all. If they are late they will most likely be punished with extra physical work such as ‘slashing’ undergrowth.

After school it’s more chores and some kids (especially girls) will finish only when it gets dark. This means that it is too dark to study or do homework as few families have electricity and some cannot afford candles. We try to supply all day pupils with a solar light to help with evening study. In spite of all these difficulties some children do well at school and achieve good marks.

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How do you decide who’s sponsored?

Queuing for sponsorship at the office door

Since 2011 we have concentrated on helping secondary level rather than primary pupils. Schooling is free until the end of primary education and it is at grade 8, when fees become payable, that many kids stop going to school. Some families struggle and manage to keep their kids at school until the end of grade 9 but then, as schooling gets more expensive, they fail to find the money for fees and other school necessities.

Our sponsorship program is based on academic potential and financial need. To apply pupils visit our office to write an application letter and complete a form detailing their circumstances. They must also bring at least two end of term reports or their Grade 7 or 9 exam certificates. Pupils must show good grades, aptitude and sound financial reasons for their application.

We interview the child, research their circumstances, and occasionally consult with their teacher before a decision is made about accepting them for sponsorship. Pupils also need to show that they have a good grasp of written and spoken English as all school lessons at secondary level are taught in are in English.

We will never be able to help everyone - but by balancing academic potential and home and family circumstances we try to make a decision about whom we should try to help.

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I want to sponsor a girl . . . why are there so few ?At primary level the number of boys and girls in a class is just about equal. In grades 8 and 9 there are fewer girls than boys and by grade 10 they make up about 25% of the pupils. By the final year, grade 12, the figure has dropped to around 10%.

The reasons for this are many and complex and relate to the traditions and culture in rural areas of Zambia, as well as the economy.

Traditionally girls will do more household chores than boys. Just like their mothers, they will be the ones who make several trips to the borehole each day for water. They cook, keep the area surrounding the house well swept, do the washing up and look after their younger siblings. Boys may also do this but it is more often the job of the girls.

When a family is short of money they usually chose to educate a boy rather than a girl and this can make sense when jobs are few and mostly for men. Once girls reach puberty they may only attend school three weeks out of every four due to little or no access to sanitary wear. This means they miss 25% of lessons.

There is a lot of pressure put on some girls to get married early - even as early as 14. If a family is very poor sometimes it is one way of having one less mouth to feed.

Early pregnancies are another reason for girls dropping out of school and another is abuse or even just pressure for sex. Orphaned girls staying with the extended family may be put under pressure from family members and girls at school have to withstand advances from boys and occasionally even teachers.

But a bigger reason than all of the above is that rural girls often have low self esteem. They are expected not to do so well and therefore often expect little of themselves.

We are very concerned about this disparity in numbers between boys and girls at school and are developing various programmes to help girls. However there is no quick fix so unfortunately in the mean time there are fewer girls coming forward for sponsorship.

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How do you spend my sponsorship donation?

After being chosen by a sponsor a child will be called to the office and we’ll explain what is expected of them as a sponsored pupil. At this stage we will then issue what they need for their first term at school and to ensure that all your money is used for its intended purpose we do not simply hand out cash.

First we issue a cheque to cover everything paid to the school: tuition fees, boarding fees, examination fees, extra holiday tuitions and any items that must be bought at school.

Some boarding schools insist that uniform is bought directly from the school. Others allow uniform to be bought anywhere and for these we issue a ‘uniform chit’ exchangeable at a local tailor for 2 shirts or blouses, 2 pairs trousers or skirts and a school tie. Occasionally we buy shirts in bulk and issue these at the office instead. In addition every child receives:

• a pair of good quality leather shoes, • 3 pairs of school socks• a school bag, • enough hardback exercise books,• a pencil case, pens and pencils• rular and eraser• maths set (for grade 8)• scientific calculator (grade 8 and

above)• if needed, equipment such as

a Technical Drawing set or art materials.

• An atlas and dictionary when available

Kids who attend boarding school also receive: • bus fares to/from school• a little cash to cover toiletries• a lockable steel trunk and padlock (once) • a blanket (every couple of years)

At the start of terms 2 and 3 we issue further supplies of exercise books, pens and pencils as well as school fees and bus fares for those in boarding schools. We buy most of the items in bulk to gain the best possible prices.

Where possible we try to provide each day pupil with a solar light so that they are able to do homework and study in the evenings.

Around $5 per child is placed into a medical fund which is used to help send any of the kids to hospital when needed. Whilst much of the heath care is free in Zambia, the child and

an accompanying adult will need bus fares, food and often somewhere to stay.

At the start and end of end of each year we send the sponsor an itemised breakdown of our expenditure.

After choosing a child to sponsor and the pupil has been to the office, you will be sent a sponsorship letter telling you about the child and their circumstances and a photo. At this stage you may also receive a letter from the pupil.

Pupils will next visit the office just before the start of term 2 and most write another letter to their sponsor. Unfortunately sometimes their end of term reports and exam results don’t reach us prior to the start of the new term but we send these to you as soon as we receive them. This is repeated in late August or early September just before the start of term 3 - so you can expect another letter around this time.

Your pupil’s last visit of the year is in December, at the end of term 3, when they come for their end of year assessment. Once again most kids will write but we rarely have the term 3 report to send until mid to late January.

Many children choose to write more than the usual four letters a year, although not all. Remember that they are writing in their second language and sometimes it can be quite a struggle. There’s no culture of letter writing either and the first letter you receive may well be the first personal one that they have written. It’s a bit pot luck whether the child you choose is a prolific letter writer.

Their letters are enlightening, sometimes shocking and often allow a glimpse of village and family life that would be hard to find elsewhere. Over time you will see their English and letter writing improve - in previous years we have seen letters lengthen from just one or two paragraphs to several pages.

So what do I receive?

“ . . . every time I travel to Africa I encounter orphan children who are desperate to be in school, who need friends and teachers and attention, who need one meal a day that could come from a feeding program, who need a sense of self worth that education could bring, who want so much to learn, and who are denied all of it because the costs of schooling are prohibitive”.

Stephen Lewis, Race Against Time.

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Your sponsored child is as interested in your life and culture as you may be about theirs and, if you wish, you may write letters in return. All kids love to get letters from their sponsors; it can make them feel special and that someone, somewhere cares. Exchanging letters with a rural African kid can be quite a cultural learning curve on both sides. Some things you may write about will be unknown to them and you will find yourself describing all sorts of things that you normally take for granted. The kids love to get pictures too, especially of you and where you live. Remember these kids rarely see television or have access to books and your pictures can help them understand your world.

To protect your privacy we do not give out your home or email address. We can post the pupil’s original letters to you (but do ask for a contribution for postage) or scan them and attach to an email. The latter is our preferred and usual method. With our unreliable and often rather slow incoming postal system we advise that you write your letters in Word and email them to us as an attachment. You can also send photos but please reduce the size first. We will print your letters and photos and pass them onto the child.

Can I write to my pupil ?

No, we understand that not everyone has the time or even may want to get involved. If you prefer to remain anonymous and not receive any information about your child you can donate to our general sponsorship fund. We use these funds to support children who have not been chosen by a sponsor or who have come later in the year to seek support, perhaps after the recent death of the relative who supported them.

When sponsoring a child through Project Luangwa you can decide just how much or how little you are involved. To donate to the general sponsorship fund go to the donate page on our website and use which ever method most suits you to send your donation. PayPal is popular and allows us to track your donation easily. Then all you need to do is send an email to [email protected] telling us the method, amount and that your donation is for our general sponsorship fund.

Can I visit my pupil?Both we and the kids love it when a sponsor comes to visit.

If you are visiting the area we may be able to arrange for you to visit your sponsored pupil but much depends on the time of your visit (is it term time or school holidays) and which school the child is attending. If your pupil is at a distant boarding school and your visit is during term time we may not be able to arrange for you to meet. However if you are here during the school holidays we may be able to arrange for you to visit their home.

If you sponsor a child attending one of the local schools , including Mfuwe Day Secondary then it doesn’t matter what time of year you choose to come.

Do I have to get involved?

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Can I sponsor a disabled child?

There are two schools in the Eastern Province that specialise in teaching children who are either deaf or blind; Magwero School for the Deaf and their sister school, Magwero for the Blind. Both schools teach from pre-school to Grade 12 and are boarding schools. Classes are small; around six to eight pupils and once a child learns to lip read, sign or read braille they follow the Zambian curriculum.

Both schools achieve good results and we are currently sponsoring a blind ex-Magwero student to attend a university in the Copperbelt. He is training to become a teacher.

Attending Magwero is probably the only chance a deaf or blind child has of learning to communicate - their alternative is isolation and frustration.

If you would like to help a deaf or blind child attend a special school costs are in the region of $800 per year.

We are occasionally approached by the parents or guardians of disabled children who are looking for help to send their deaf or blind child to school. Disabled children are the exception to the rule when it comes to sponsoring young primary level children - we offer support from pre-school upwards. There is a disproportionately large number of deaf children in some rural areas; their deafness is often caused by a reaction to large doses of quinine when they were treated for malaria as babies.

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How much does sponsorship cost?

Sponsorship costs depend on a child’s grade and school; schools vary in tuition fees as do the bus fares for boarders. We guarantee that 100% of your donation is used to support the child although we do request an extra 3% to cover the cost of bank transfer fees.

We hope that you will continue to support your chosen pupil if possible, so please remember that a child in grade 8 or 9 at a local school will cost relatively little to sponsor whilst at a local school, however, if they are later selected for grade 10 and boarding the costs may rise.

The approximate costs of sponsoring are:

Day School Pupils Grade 8 to 9 at a local Basic School - $200 to $290

Grade 8 to 12 at Mfuwe Day Secondary - $480

Boarding School Pupils Grade 8 to 12 at Mfuwe Day School - approximately $780

Grade 8 to 12 at other boarding schools - $900 to $1200.

We start to advertise for sponsors in January and continue until the end of February. Sponsorship lasts for one year and in the following December we will write and ask you if you wish to re-sponsor your child for another year.

www.projectluangwa.org/sponsorship

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How do I become a sponsor?

Your first step is to go to our ‘Meet the Kids Who Need Sponsorship’ page on the website and choose a child to help. Then it’s easy - just follow the instructions

on the page.