In Sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of children are not in school. Of the children who enter into and remain in school through grade 12, less than 1/3 can demonstrate an understanding of their course material. This means that the majority of students enter the labour market with sub-standard lieracy and numeracy skills, which hinders their ability to find well-paid jobs.
Our Response
The student sponsorship programme strives to eliminate barriers to schooling for students with high academic potential who would otherwise not be able to afford quality education. Once accepted to our sponsorship programme, we prioritize enrolment, retention and completion of secondary school at well-reputed boarding schools, where the educational resources are far greater than those found at government day schools. Thereafter, we aim to see 85% of our sponsored students retained through secondary school and qualify for government bursaries to attend university.
In 2020, we are sponsoring 102 students in secondary school and college, 75% of whom attend some of the best boarding schools in their provinces. As a result of the investment in their children’s education, 230 parents directly benefit from the sponsorship programme with an additional 1,700 residents positively impacted through their relationship to our sponsored students and through delivery of goods and services.