June Distribution 2010-Part 5

Little Dorice, above, is wearing the uniform with the white collar. It is these type uniforms that are currently out of stock. Because the uniforms are out of stock, they will not be available until some time Tuesday. Once the staff is able to pick them up, they will have distribution on Wednesday.

By the way, we have an additional 5 children whose sponsorship is pending, which means that the sponsor will be sending money for them shortly. Since I know that these sponsors are completely reliable and will be sending in the sponsorship fees within the next few days, I have chosen my 8th child-Dorice!! I do not have her bio information yet, but she is in the 1st grade.

We now have a total of 65 children sponsored!! Ya'll rock!!! Thanks for helping these needy children! We are going to change their world!

Meet Ashes Munyumbwe #10

This is my sponsor child Ashes Munyumbwe. He is 13 years old and in the 6th grade. It is amazing how video changes the child so much. He looked quiet and reserved in his photo and even quite young. Now he looks out-going and like a young man! Wow!

Education in Zambia

The education system in Zambia consists of 7 years of primary schooling and 5 years of secondary schooling before students can enter university, college, or other institutions of higher learning. The following is the breakdown:

Primary School:
* Grades one to seven.
Secondary School:
* Phase 1: grades eight and nine (also known as Junior Secondary)
* Phase 2: grades ten to twelve (also known as Upper Secondary)

The academic year in Zambia runs from January to December. It has three month school terms which are broken up by a roughly one month holiday prior to each term. This translates to about 40 weeks of school per year.

The minimum entrance age to the first year of primary school, known as Grade 1, is 7 years old. Thus a child is expected to enter his/her first year of high school (Form 1) at 14 years old. These were government established standards. Schools, particularly private schools, are very liberal in applying them. Their priority is largely on the performance of each child. It’s thus common to find children of varying age groups throughout the schooling years.

Primary languages: English as the language of instruction and one Zambian language assigned by each provincial district.

Sponsoring a Secondary Student

These young women and men are all in Junior Secondary school. More details on the Zambian school system will come a little later. For now I want to focus on just how it pertains to our sponsorship program. The Junior Secondary grades are considered grade levels 8 and 9. Depending on which age the student started school, a child in Junior Secondary school could be age 13 or above.

This sponsorship program is bringing hope to many families. Most of these families are quite large. If you look at the bios of the children, they usually have a lot of brothers and sisters. Even if they have a small family, it is highly likely that their parents or caretaker are, also, caring for other children in the home. How does this effect the children and their education? It is extremely difficult for parents already living in extreme poverty to pay the school fees, buy the uniforms, etc for so many children!

The good news is that Child Hope is now providing the children with HOPE of a future! They will be able to stay in school, with the help of sponsorship. I can tell you that the children are very aware of what is in store for them. When the staff went out to take pictures and get information, the response was overwhelming and receptive. I am excited for them because I can picture the smile they will have on their face when they get news that they have a sponsor!! These children have never been sponsored before, so I am sure they will be surprised by the letters of support and little things you can stick inside the envelope for them such as stickers, bookmarks (and we have several children whose favorite pastime is reading!), etc.

Now, on with the details of how to sponsor a junior secondary student:

*How much does it cost? $15 a month/ $45 per trimester/ $180 per year- You choose how often you want to pay, it all comes out to $15 a month.

*What do the children receive from the program? A LOT!

Health support which includes anti ring worms, malaria treatment, and several other treatments as needed

School uniform (shirt and trousers for young men and blouse and skirt for young women)

School shoes

School bag

School Socks

Exercise books

Pencil, eraser, and ruler

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Soap

Body towel

Washing detergent

Tissue

Vaseline

And 3 separate term School fees!

*How is sponsorship paid? Paypal is the only payment option at this time. To verify that the child you would like to sponsor has not been taken, send me an e-mail at macandmic@gmail.com Once it is verified that the child is still available, you can click on the subscribe button in the upper left hand side of this blog- That will allow the sponsorship fee to automatically be taken out every month. Or, let me know how much you would like to pay upfront, and I will send you an invoice. Make sure to click on "Sponsor a Secondary Student" if you are sponsoring a child through this program.

*Can I write to my child? Absolutely! The letters can be sent directly to Zambia:


THE NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR
CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA
P.O.BOX 39481
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

*How do I know if the child is in junior secondary school? The junior secondary students are on the left hand side of the blog listed as "young woman" and "young man".

*Can the child have more than one sponsor? That is up to you! If you would like to share the child sponsorship with a friend, you would only pay $7.50 per month- or between 3 people- only $5 a month (yearly breakdown when shared between 2 sponsors is $90, and $60 per year when split between 3 people). However, we have to have all of the sponsors signed up at the same time or else there will not be enough funds to provide the child with all of the items and support mentioned above.

*What happens after the 9th grade? You may maintain contact with the student, if you desire to do so. No further support is expected- However, students can always use a mentor!

One last note, you will see that every child has a number. When requesting a child for sponsorship and sending letters, please include the child's full name and child number. Thank you for helping these wonderful children!

Sponsoring a Primary Student

These sweet children are all in Primary school. More details on the Zambian school system will come a little later. For now I want to focus on just how it pertains to our sponsorship program. The Primary grades are considered grade levels 1 to 7. Depending on which age the student started school, a child in primary school could be age 7 or above.

This sponsorship program is bringing hope to many families. Most of these families are quite large. If you look at the bios of the children, they usually have a lot of brothers and sisters. Even if they have a small family, it is highly likely that their parents or caretaker are, also, caring for other children in the home. How does this effect the children and their education? It is extremely difficult for parents already living in extreme poverty to pay the school fees, buy the uniforms, etc for so many children!

The good news is that Child Hope is now providing the children with HOPE of a future! They will be able to stay in school, with the help of sponsorship. I can tell you that the children are very aware of what is in store for them. When the staff went out to take pictures and get information, the response was overwhelming and receptive. I am excited for them because I can picture the smile they will have on their face when they get news that they have a sponsor!! These children have never been sponsored before, so I am sure they will be surprised by the letters of support and little things you can stick inside the envelope for them such as stickers, bookmarks (and we have several children whose favorite pastime is reading!), etc.
Now, on with the details of how to sponsor a primary student:

*How much does it cost? $9 a month/ $27 per trimester/ $108 per year- You choose how often you want to pay, it all comes out to $9 a month.

*What do the children receive from the program? A LOT!

Health support which includes anti ring worms, malaria treatment, and several other treatments as needed

School uniform

School shoes

School bag

School Socks

Exercise books

Pencil, eraser, and ruler

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Soap

Body towel

Washing detergent

Tissue

Vaseline

School fees

and more!

*How is sponsorship paid? First, you need to make sure the child you want to sponsor is still available for sponsorship. To verify that the child you would like to sponsor has not been taken, send an e-mail to macandmic@gmail.com Once it is verified that the child is still available, you will mail your check or money order to (you may pay monthly, or pay several months in advance):

Make a Change

P O Box 847

Anna, TX 75409

USA

*Can I write to my child? Absolutely! The letters can be sent directly to Zambia:

THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR
CHILDHOPE-ZAMBIA
P.O.BOX 39481
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

*How do I know if the child is in primary school? The primary students are on the left hand side of the blog listed as "boy" and "girl".

*Can the child have more than one sponsor? That is up to you! If you would like to share the child sponsorship with a friend, you would only pay $4.50 per month- or between 3 people- only $3 a month (yearly breakdown when shared between 2 sponsors is $54, and $36 per year when split between 3 people). However, we have to have all of the sponsors signed up at the same time or else there will not be enough funds to provide the child with all of the items and support mentioned above.

One last note, you will see that every child has a number. When requesting a child for sponsorship and sending letters, please include the child's full name and child number. Thank you for helping these wonderful children!

Follow Us~ And Help Us Change the World!

Today is the official launch day of Child Hope Zambia's blog! Mrs. Heather McLaughlin (in the USA) has come together with Mr. Chim Mvula (in Zambia) to help children and families that need our help. Stay tuned for more information, and I can't wait until the launch of the sponsorship program! We will be on a journey that will allow us to not only help some wonderful people but to build lifetime bonds and relationships with these sweet children! Thank you for joining us!