Hello! Thank you for visiting the Mwana Hope Zambia blog and thank you for your interest in child sponsorship! We discovered that the more information we posted here on the blog, the harder the information became to find. We’re working on a more user-friendly website, and will launch it as soon as it’s ready. In the mean time we’ve tried to put a summary of relevant information here, and provide you links to entries where you can find more information if you like.
If you have questions that are not answered here, please let us know. You can join our Yahoo group, called “childhopezambia” at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/childhopezambia. This group allows us to share the latest news and efficiently answer questions. You may also contact Heather, our Sponsorship Coordinator, at macandmic@gmail.com.
Thank you!!
Respectfully,
Sara (aka Treasurer)
Q: What is “CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA”?
CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA (CHZ) is a non profit, non governmental organization registered in 1999 under the Society Act of Zambia. The group’s overall aim is to work towards attaining rural child survival, alleviating poverty, and reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS, which has left many children orphans. CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA operates in the Southern Province of Zambia in Mazabuka, Monze and Choma districts. The child sponsorship program is only one of the organization’s many programs designed to improve life for the poorest members of Zambia’s community.
More information can be found in these posts:
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-to-know-child-hope-zambia.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/04/mission-and-purpose-of-child-hope.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-child-hope-came-to-be.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/04/3-areas-helped-by-child-hope.html
Q: What is “Mwana Hope Zambia”?
Mwana Hope Zambia is the United States-based organization that partnered with Zambia-based CHZ to run the child sponsorship program. For boring legal reasons, checks and correspondence on the U.S. side must be handled in the name of Mwana Hope Zambia instead of CHZ.
Q: How can I help?
You can sponsor a child through the Mwana Hope Zambia program for a monthly rate (more details in the questions and answers below). If you do not want to become a sponsor, there are many other ways to help as well. Child Hope Zambia has a feeding program. The children in all areas of schooling (early learning, primary and secondary) enjoy breakfast and lunch every school day courtesy of CHZ. In order to keep the monthly sponsorship fees low, it was determined that it was best to take separate donations for the feeding program apart from the school assistance. This doesn't mean that the assistance isn't needed. The feeding program is what brings many children to school, and were it not for the school, they wouldn't get a meal. This keeps them alive and healthy.
You can also purchase books for the schools, purchase livestock for the families, or provide funds for children to get a medical check-up. A full list of things people have provided in the past, and prices, can be found here: http://www.makeachangenow.org/CHZ_pages/chz_gifts.aspx. You’re also welcome to make a donation and tell the program to apply it to the most pressing need at the time.
Payment may be sent by check or online. If paying by check please make the check out to "Mwana Hope Zambia" and send it to:
Mwana Hope Zambia
P O Box 847
Anna, TX 75409
Payment can also be made online through Google or Paypal. We've had some difficulty with Paypal, so we are trying to send payments through other means when possible. For additional instructions on online payment contact Heather at macandmic@gmail.com.
Q: Who are the children in the MHZ Program?
The children available for sponsorship range in age from 1 year old to about 20 years old. They are in an early learning program, primary school, or secondary school (up through 9th grade).
Q: How do I sponsor a child through Mwana Hope Zambia?
Pictures and basic information on the children available for sponsorship are/is available using the links at right. If you’re looking for a child that meets specific criteria (certain medical condition, birthday, etc) contact us and we can easily search our database for you.
Once you find a child you are interested in, contact us via email at macandmic@gmail.com to make sure the child you want to sponsor is still available for sponsorship. Please be sure to include the child’s full name and identification number to avoid confusion. Once it is verified that the child is still available, you can mail a check or money order to the address above or using an online method as explained above. You may pay monthly, or pay several months in advance.
Q: How much does sponsorship cost?
Children in the early learning program or in primary school (grades 1 through 7) can be sponsored for $9 a month. Secondary students (8th and 9th grade) can be sponsored at one of two rates. They can be sponsored for $15 a month or $9 a month. The difference between the two rates is that children sponsored at the discount rate receive a few less gifts (details below). The children are grateful to be sponsored, even at the lower rate.
Q: What does a sponsored child receive?
Children sponsored through the MHZ program receive many educational, medical, and health benefits. Benefits are shown by the child’s education level below. In months that the child does not receive a gift, the money is saved and put towards the following gift.
Early learning child: In month two the child will receive school supplies and shoes. In month four, the child will receive a set of learning books. In month six she or he will receive a hygiene kit to help stay healthy and clean. In month eight, the child receives educational items for the classroom such as blocks, paints, and wall charts. In months ten and twelve, school tuition is paid so the child can continue his or her education.
Primary student: In month two the child will receive a school uniform. In month four he or she will receive a hygiene kit that will help stay healthy and keep clean. In month six the child will get school supplies and a school bag to keep them in. In month eight, school fees are paid. In month twelve the child will receive socks and a nice pair of shoes.
Secondary student ($15 dollars a month): In month two, the student will receive a hygiene kit with towels, soap and other items to stay healthy and clean. In month four the child will receive a uniform for school. In month six, he or she will receive school supplies and a school bag to keep them in. In month eight, the first third of the student's school fees are paid. In month ten, the student receives socks and a nice pair of shoes. Dues for months eleven and twelve are used to pay the remaining 2/3 of school fees for the student.
Secondary students (discounted $9 a month rate): In month two, the student will receive a pair of shoes. In moth four, one third of the student's yearly tuition is paid. In month sx, medicines are bought for the child. In month eight another third of the tuition is paid. In month ten a hygiene kit is bought for the child. In month 12 the last third of the annual school fees are paid.
Q: When is payment due?
If you sponsor a child, sponsorship dues are due by the 20th day of the month. This is the day we send information to Zambia about which children will participate in gift distribution. If we do not receive dues in time then we may need to postpone the child’s gift until the following month.
Q: When does gift distribution occur?
We try to do gift distribution the final week of each month. The availability of goods in Zambia and the Zambian team’s schedule sometimes requires flexibility and patience on the part of sponsors. Pictures of the children who participate in distribution are posted on our blog as soon as they are available (usually one to three days after distribution, because the Zambia team must return to the office from remote areas before they are able to email out the pictures).
Q: Who am I working with?
We have two staffs, a volunteer staff in the United States, Germany and various other countries, and a professional staff on-site in Zambia. Salaries for the professional staff do NOT come from sponsorship dues; sponsorship dues are used entirely to benefit the children and the program.
In Zambia:
-- the National Coordinator is Chim, http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/meet-chim-mvula.html
-- the administrative assistant is Charity, http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/meet-crity-minsula.html
-- the treasurer is Manyando, http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/meet-kaumba-manyando.html
-- and the person in charge of child sponsorship is Solomon, http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/meet-mweeba-solomon.html
In the United States, Germany, Etc:
-- Heather McLaughlin- Sponsorship Coordinator- the main person for contact about the program and communication to Zambia. If you want to sponsor a child, this is who you contact (macandmic@gmail.com).
-- Sara - Treasurer- the main person for all things money related
-- Maureen- Admin support
-- John - IT and web designer
-- Katja - the group lead over the German yahoo group
-- And many, many other volunteers who help with just about every task imaginable. Thank you!!!
Q: Can I write to my sponsored child?
Absolutely! The letters can be sent directly to Zambia using the address below. Postage from the United States is approximately a dollar.
THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR
CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA
P.O.BOX 39481
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
OR, you can send an electronic letter. To do this, put the letter in a word document titled with the child’s full name and identification number. Send the letter to Heather at macandmic@gmail.com. If you use this method, please consider donating the money you saved on postage to help cover the cost of printing and internet on the Zambian side. The Zambia team sends us loads of pictures and videos each month; the expense of doing so is not covered by our sponsorship dues.
Q: Will my child write to me?
Yes!! Most children will send four or more letters a year. They are welcome to write more often if they want. MHZ gives the younger children templates that help get them started with letter ideas; it's hard to know what to talk about when writing to an unknown adult in an unfamiliar culture.
Q: What happens to students after the 9th grade?
You may maintain contact with the student, if you desire to do so. A sponsor can volunteer to continue paying part or all of the student's tuition if the student tests well enough to continue their education. The cost of tuition varies by program, but is often around $200 a year. Such tuition assistance is not expected, but is always welcome.
Q: What is life like for people in the areas where CHZ works?
People in MHZ’s area of operations live tough lives compared to what most of us are used to. Here are some of the posts we’ve made that speak to specific issues:
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/getting-to-know-mazabuka.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/04/zambian-orphans-raising-themselves.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/grandparents-raising-children-for-2nd.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-money-is-short-education-is-first.html
-- http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/food-vs-books.html
Q: Other than sponsorship, what services does CHZ provide in Zambia’s impoverished communities?
CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA:
-- Provides Fresh Water: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/where-does-your-drinking-water-come.html
-- Provides Livestock to help families become self-sufficient: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/out-until-goats-come-home.html
-- Provides Training to help families become self-sufficient: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/helping-them-help-themselves.html
-- Provides Medical Assistance: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/child-hope-brings-hope-to-sick-in.html
-- Sets up Preschool Opportunities for young children: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/05/early-childhood-education-program.html
-- Educates the Public on issues such as HIV/AIDS: http://childhopezambia.blogspot.com/2010/06/educating-community-about-hivaids.html
