Charity
Young Africa Empowered
The aim of this new charity is to empower young Africans, especially girls, through education and opportunity. The first focus is The Chankhasi School in Malawi.
The need
This primary school has 384 children over eight-year groups and supports a community of ten villages with over 16,000 population. 95% of these people have no education or reliable source of income. The basic wage, for those who can get work, is £1.50 a day.
Last year, only 4 children went onto secondary education, and most of these did not continue due to the danger and expense of getting to the secondary school, 11 miles away. There traditionally a large drop out rate in pupil attendance, with around 50 in Year 1 and as few as 8 in Year 8. The children are forced for both cultural and economic reasons out of education.
There is a saying in Africa: ‘When you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a girl you educate a society. So we particularly want to facilitate girls education.
What have we achieved so far?
- We have worked with the school now for about two years and already built a new secure classroom/library with three laptop computers, a microscope and some new textbooks.
- An orchard of fruit tree saplings for the children to look after.
- Children have participated in writing competitions and the results are amazing. See https://theyoungdarwinian.com/essays-from-malawi/
A victim of our success?
- The number of children enrolled rose from 329 to 384 and fewer are dropping out.
- The number of children passing the national exams at 13/14 years has increased from 7 to 26. Only 4 were offered places at secondary school (no girls). Few can afford to go.
- The school has tried to help these bright committed students by starting a new class, a first year of secondary, but are restrained by lack of space, teachers and resources.
What are we trying to achieve?
To give the children aspiration and a route to achieve a better quality of life. They will then become community leaders and role models who will improve themselves and their communities.
How?
- By providing solar power for the lights, computer and internet access.
- To supply basic educational equipment and computers.
- To fund more teachers to reduce the current very challenging student/teacher ratio.
- To facilitate children going to secondary school either with individual scholarships or building a sustainable school on site.
- Access to mentors and educational programmes via the internet.
- To create entrepreneurship training, opportunity and ambition
How can you help:
So practically any donation will make a difference and be assured that more than 100% of your donation will go to the school and make a difference. This as the sponsors will continue to cover all sundry expenses and incremental.
Major investments include:
- New updated solar system £4,500
- House for new 2ndary teacher £4,500
- Water pumps for trees and vegetable plot £2,000
- Support books and sundries for new secondary year group £600
- Providing an internet connection £500
So one-off donation or ongoing. For ongoing for the modest amount it would fantastic and hugely appreciated if we could have a suggested 3-year commitment for both the child’s security and sensibility of schools planning, teacher engagement etc
- For £5 per month (£60 year) will pay for a child in primary school, including giving them a basic meal to encourage them to attend.
- £10 per month (£120 year) to maintain solar panels.
- £25 per month (£300 a year) to provide primary textbooks to a year group.
- £50 per month (£600 per year) will sponsor a primary teacher.
- £110 per month (£1400 year) to sponsor a secondary teacher – this being new because of our success.
- £100 per month (£1200 year) to sponsor a child to attend 2ndary school- part board or travel.
We, and especially the pupils and teachers, would greatly benefit from relationships developed with sponsors with students to help with writing skills encouragement with you, your peer group etc.
Remember what we see as a given opportunity is something that is still a dream for most of these children and their families, so you can truly make a difference and help make their dreams, however great or small, a reality.
Donations will be augmented by 25% with Gift Aid as soon as the charity commission gives us a number. Don’t forget to claim back tax on any donations.