Child Sponsorship
Information Pack
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Hello there!
Thank you for taking an interest in sponsoring a child through JENGA.
We hope that this pack tells you everything you need to know about
JENGA’s work with children and how you can help.
You will find an overview of how schooling in Uganda works, what
JENGA does and what is involved with sponsoring a child. A relatively
small commitment on your part will make a huge difference, not only for
the child, but for Uganda’s future as a whole.
We have included all of our contact details so feel free to get in touch if
you have any more questions. We promise we won’t make you sign on
any dotted line unless you are absolutely happy!
Big Thanks and Blessings
Robby Keen
Executive Director
JENGA CDO
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Contents
3.
Welcome to JENGA CDO
4.
JENGA’s work with children
6.
The education system in Uganda
10. What’s involved in sponsoring a child? FAQ’s
12. How to sponsor a child with JENGA
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Welcome to JENGA CDO
JENGA is a pioneering Christian charity based in Mbale, Uganda, East Africa. Established in 2005, JENGA focuses on providing the essentials of life such as water, sanitation, health and education to the most needy communities and targets women,
children and orphans.
Vision Statement
“Sustainable development through educated and empowered communities, inspired by the knowledge and transforming power of God”
Foundational Scripture
“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
Mission Statement
“To improve the quality of life of the vulnerable and disadvantaged in the poorest of communities by demonstrating the love of God through word and deed”
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JENGA’s work with children
Children’s Bible Clubs
JENGA strongly believes in partnering with local churches and ministries to effectively reach the communities in which we work. A key outcome of these vital partnerships has been the Children‟s Bible Club Ministry, which was started in 2005. As of 2009, there are 10 clubs that provide a safe place for over 1200 children to learn, play and gain a sense of worth and significance. The clubs meet every Saturday afternoon and are run in association with 9 local churches and street children ministry, CRO. The clubs are incredibly important as they bring together children of
different tribes, areas and faiths to teach them love, respect and basic Christian values.
Bible Club Stores
In every club there is a point reward system that runs for the children. Points can be earned for regular attendance, correct answers to questions, participation in sessions and good behaviour. At the end of each term these points are then converted into monetary value, where children can “buy” items such as shoes, clothes, soap, school materials and bibles
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Alpha Programme
Alpha is a pioneering tool that helps people to grow in their Christian faith. In Spring 2009, JENGA started running Youth Alpha Courses in the Bible Clubs, with Alpha Uganda providing new bibles for every child that completes the course.
Child Restoration Outreach (CRO)
In January 2008, JENGA began a new ministry partnership with the largest street children‟s outreach programme in Mbale, Child Restoration Outreach (CRO), which cares for up to 600 needy street children. JENGA works alongside CRO staff, assisting with the spiritual care, support and counselling of the children.
In the last year, JENGA has introduced a Youth Alpha Course and a Bible Club for the younger children, both of which are now thriving. JENGA has recently employed a new member of staff specifically to develop this vital work at CRO. Activities with the children include sports, evangelism and bible teaching.
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Children’s Education
Since many local schools are poorly funded and inadequately run, JENGA works closely with the more reputable Government
institutions as well as a number of private Christian primary schools in and around Mbale. This ensures that all sponsored children are receiving a reliable education. JENGA finds donors who are willing to sponsor children through their primary & secondary education. JENGA currently has 122 primary school and 16 secondary school children sponsored. Sponsorship pays for school and examination fees, scholastic materials, a uniform, shoes and one main meal per day.
By western standards it is comparatively inexpensive to pay for students to go to school; just £10* (primary)/ £25* per month (secondary) to give a child the hope of a brighter future.
Extra Curricular Support
In addition to providing for these essential school requirements, JENGA provides monthly training sessions where the secondary students meet together to receive lifestyle support in areas such as sexuality, personal hygiene and adolescent health, among others. This also gives the students opportunity to share personal stories, challenges and experiences with one another - a much needed time as many have little or no chance to share elsewhere.
School Partnerships
In 2007, a partnership was formed between Musoto Baptist Primary School, Mbale, and Bodium Primary School, East Sussex, UK. This facilitates 100 children to go to school to receive vital primary level education. Without this partnership, these children would not afford to attend such a school.
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The Education System in Uganda
Primary School
In theory all children in Uganda are entitled to „Universal Primary Education‟, a Government run initiative providing free education. However in reality,
supplementary fees still need to be paid and so many children are unable to attend school at all. As well as needing to pay school fees, children must also provide their own scholastic materials, uniforms and other miscellaneous items that all schools demand. For those who can just about manage to pay such costs, the only option is often a poorly funded and poorly run
Government school where class sizes regularly reach over 100 pupils. There are a number of private primary schools which provide a higher level of education, generally with smaller class sizes. This however comes at a very high price and most families cannot afford to support their children through such systems.
In many places in Uganda children have to walk very long distances to school - often up to three or four miles, and then back home. Some city schools have private means of transporting their children to and from school but these are few as the large majority of Ugandans live in rural areas.
The School Year
There are three school terms in Uganda with students sitting their exams at the end of the final term which they must pass in order to progress to the next year. A school term lasts approximately 12 weeks, followed by a three week holiday and similar to the UK, the break at the end of the third term is eight weeks in length. The school year begins in February and ends in December (the hottest time of the year).
The School Day
The school day starts from as early as 7:00am and all children are expected to be on time. They must present themselves in a clean and tidy manner and before lessons start, they must ensure that the classrooms and the school compound are clean and tidy. Most of the primary schools finish between 3:30pm and 5:00pm.
Curriculum
The curriculum in most primary schools across Uganda consists of lessons in Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies. There are also a number of practical skills programmes in Music, Art and Agriculture which most children are taught. When they reach secondary school, the children are then introduced to more subjects.
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Classes
Class sizes in Uganda are large compared with the western world, ranging from 80 to 150 children in most Government run primary schools. In private schools the numbers can be smaller, but are often much the same. In classes this large children who are slower learners are often neglected and left behind in their education.
Lessons are in English, which is a challenge for local children from smaller communities and different tribes where a variety of other first languages are spoken.
The children sit on benches with a work table in the middle although poorer schools do not have such good facilities and children have to sit and write on the floor.
Uniform
Pupils must wear a school uniform with the school badge on it. Different schools will usually have different colours and styles of uniform. Boys normally wear a shirt and a pair of shorts and girls will wear a dress. Most of the children in rural areas do not wear shoes but just walk around bare footed, sometimes even playing football and other games without shoes.
Secondary School
Most Ugandans consider secondary education to be unattainable as often only wealthy citizens can afford to send their children to secondary school. Many parents and guardians simply cannot afford to pay the school fees for their children to go to
secondary school.
Secondary education is much more expensive than primary education as the Government does not subsidise any of the school fees. Therefore far fewer children are able to broaden their tuition. Approximately 40% of children who have a primary education do not go on to secondary school or any further education.
On top of tuition fees, parents/guardians must pay supplementary expenses to buy items such as school uniforms, text and exercise books, scholastic materials and examination fees. These and other miscellaneous costs are often too expensive for most rural families. In addition to the already substantial financial pressure, competition for prime school places is fierce and therefore those who are seen to be able to pay the school fees on time are given priority over poorer families.
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School Accommodation
In general, students have to travel long distances from their home in order to receive secondary education. Therefore, many secondary schools are either boarding schools or provide safe local hostels for the students to live in during term time. However, as the child is away from home this seriously increases the cost of the schooling. Most parents cannot afford the exorbitant school fees, let alone the additional cost of living expenses.
Government Schools
In Government secondary schools, the Government pays for buildings, classroom equipment, teacher salaries and maintenance of the school although in reality it cannot afford to maintain this in all schools. As a result, children receive a lower level of education compared to the private secondary schools as classrooms are often badly equipped and poorly maintained. Even in private schools administration is often so poor that teachers sometimes go for months without being paid and this can impact children‟s learning.
Curriculum
Secondary school curriculum includes lessons in:-
Mathematics English Chemistry Physics History Geography
French Literature Political
Education
Commerce Biology Religious
Studies
General education courses are taken during the first two years of secondary school and in the third year students begin to specialise in certain subjects, such as a second language. Additional languages offered may include:
Luganda Swahili Urdu Gujarati German
Practical lessons have been introduced into many schools to meet the demands of a labour market that must absorb over 50% of O-Level students who do not carry on their studies to A-Levels. These include subjects such as:-
Home Economics Art Agriculture Woodwork Metal Work
All schools have extra-curricular activities and students are encouraged to take part in numerous sports and cultural activities such as school plays and music concerts. All lessons are taught in English to put students on an equal footing as many different languages are spoken throughout Uganda.
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Exams & what’s next?
Students have to take internal examinations to progress to the next year. If they fail to pass they will normally have to re-sit the entire year.
Admission to secondary school depends upon students passing the Primary Leaving
Examination (PLE) with high scores. Students who do not pass with high scores may choose to retake the year or enter a technical college with more vocational training rather than pursue an academic secondary school education.
Upon successful completion of four years of O‟ Level secondary education, students take the Uganda Certificate of Education examination, only 20% of graduates earn scores high enough to progress to A‟ Level education. Tragically, over half the students who finish and graduate from O‟ Levels and enter the job market are unable to find employment that is in line with their education.
A‟ Level education takes a further two years and upon completion, students sit the Advanced Uganda Certificate of Education examinations. These exams determine selection for
university education, national teachers colleges and Government employment. In a recent report, A.B. Kasozi, Executive Director for the National Council for Higher Education, stated that „In Uganda only 0.004% of O‟ Level students are able to enrol in any kind of post secondary studies- public or private, and only 0.002% of A‟ Level students are able enter University studies‟.
Further Education
While it is not common to progress to further education, there are options beyond
Secondary Education. If money allows, students have the option to take vocational courses in subjects such as Nursing, Brick Making, Hairdressing, Tailoring, Carpentry, Catering & Secretarial Skills. Some of these courses can be taken after O‟ Level as an alternative to A‟ Levels but a higher cost is incurred.
University courses can be studied on campus but many will stay in their home town and study from a distance. This is mainly for cost reasons as staying at University is so expensive. Most of the larger universities have „Distance Learning Branches‟ situated in towns all over Uganda and so students can access the University course nearer to home. Lectures are held in these branches as well as registration, course seminars etc.
Universities vary enormously but students may take Diploma or Degree courses in a wide range of subjects and the cost will depend on the University and course. Generally speaking, scientific subjects are much more costly than subjects like Social Work or Education.
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What is involved in sponsoring a child?
So… now you know more about JENGA and about the education system here in Uganda, what next? What is involved with child sponsorship? What can you expect? More information will follow when the application process gets going but for now here are some questions you might be asking...
How does JENGA choose who to sponsor? JENGA strongly believes that all children
have the right to an education. As you can see from this pack, tragically, many children in Uganda simply cannot afford to go to school. While we would love to be able to offer every child in our communities support for education, our resources only go so far. The number of children we can help depends on the number of willing donors.
How does a child qualify for sponsorship? Specific children are often brought to our attention by local families and church leaders. When we find a potential child to sponsor, a member of JENGA staff will interview the child and their family. Some simple questions will be asked to qualify whether it is appropriate to sponsor. While there are exceptions a child will normally fall into the following criteria:
They will be orphaned from at least one parent and/or disowned from the family.
They will be from a family in need from a deprived community.
They will show an aptitude for learning. Since there are so many in need it is
important that the child demonstrates a desire to learn and a committed attitude that will honour the sponsorship programme.
Does JENGA choose the child’s school? If a child has already started in a school but is unable to continue for financial reasons, sponsorship would enable them to remain where they begun if appropriate. In some situations we will move the child into one of our link schools. For those children who have not yet had the opportunity to go to school at all, JENGA will always seek to put them in the most appropriate place whether that be Government or private school.
Can I just sponsor a young person through Further Education? At the moment
JENGA does not have a programme to take new young people for sponsorship of Further Education. However if a sponsor has already been supporting a child through their
Secondary Education they can choose to continue the support. Each case will be looked at individually and no secondary student will ever be promised such support without their sponsor‟s written consent to JENGA.
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Sponsoring a child continued...
How long do I have to commit to sponsoring a child? - Well that‟s totally up to you.
You could sponsor a child for anything from a year to their entire school career. We ask for a minimum of an annual commitment so that we can guarantee that the child will be able to complete their year‟s studies. However we do appreciate that your home circumstances change and so if you feel unable to renew your annual sponsorship just let us know!
Where does my money go? - JENGA will make sure that your money will cover
everything that is required for your sponsored child to go school: school fees, examination fees, uniform, shoes, essential equipment, books, and a main meal at school
How do I pay? You can either set up a monthly standing order or pay an annual lump
sum, whichever is the most convenient for you. Please see the next page for the full explanation of your options.
You’ve said that prices can change, what happens then? - While we do our best to
accommodate local markets in annual budgeting, there are sometimes increases beyond our control. Inevitably we have to review each year to make sure everything is covered. We will let you know 3 months in advance if anything significantly changes and you will always be able to stop sponsoring if you feel unable to accommodate the extra increase.
What happens when my child finishes primary/secondary school? - We will
contact you in good time to let you know that they are approaching the end of that part of school life to ask if you would like to continue supporting to the next stage. This will mean a cost increase and so there is absolutely no obligation to do this- the choice is yours.
What will I receive to tell me about my sponsored child? - You will get a JENGA
Student Information Card that will tell you all about your sponsored child, their family situation, where they live etc. It also includes a photo.
Will I hear from my sponsored child directly? - Yes and no! What we mean is all
correspondence is directed through JENGA and the content checked to ensure it is
appropriate. Your sponsored child will write to you about twice a year and we will send it on to you.
Can I write back? - Absolutely! In fact we would love it if you would. Receiving a letter from a sponsor will literally make a child‟s year. If you would like to write a letter or
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How to sponsor a child with JENGA
There are two ways to get in touch with JENGA if you wish to sponsor a
child:
Set up a monthly standing order
1. On the JENGA website (www.jengauganda.org) go to “Support” along the tabs at the top of the page. Click on „Supporting the work‟
2. Go down to the bottom of the page, go to UK supporters and click on „Download here‟ to download a form. Fill in the form clearly stating in the „Yes I want to support box‟ at the top that you wish to support a Primary/Secondary Child in Education.
3. Fill in the necessary details. Just to remind you, each month sponsorship costs £10* (primary)/ £25* per month (secondary.)
Or
To pay in one lump sum, use the JENGA Trading Centre
1. Under the “Support” tab on the JENGA website, click on the Trading Centre and then “Education” under categories on the left hand side of the page.
2. Select the „Annual Sponsorship of Primary/Secondary School Student‟ item.
3. Follow the easy Trading Centre instructions to process your request.
(If you are new to the Trading Centre, you will need to register your details)
We want that this process to be as simple and straight forward as possible. Once JENGA has received your application, a team member from JENGA Uganda will contact you.
There will be some simple forms for you to fill in and return and then we will link you with a child to sponsor.
PS! If you know someone who may be interested in sponsoring a child but does not have online facilities do encourage them to give us a call!
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UK:
JENGA CDO(UK)
PO BOX 1196,
Hemel Hempstead,
Herts, HP1 9FF
England.
info@jengauk.org
Uganda
JENGA CDO
PO BOX 993,
Mbale, Uganda.
Tel. +256 39294 7516
contact@jengauganda.org
Australia
JENGA CDO
PO BOX 700,
Belgrave 3160,
Victoria, Australia.
Tel: +61 3 9754 4744
Please get in touch!
Registered Non Government Organisation (NGO 5518) JENGA CDO (UK) is a UK registered Charity No. 1117877
