Current Projects

Each year the Charity adopts a list of projects for which it raises money but the nature of the changing priorities in Swaziland means that often we have to alter our list of urgent needs to respond to local circumstances. For example, the recent edict that it was compulsory for all children eligible for grades 1, 2 and 3 (usually aged 6, 7 and 8) to attend school and that this would be supported by some government and EU money meant that all of a sudden, many additional children arrived at some schools leading to problems with insufficient accommodation or teachers’ houses.

Bursaries Fund
Only if these children receive an education will they have any chance of escaping poverty.

Fees have to be paid for all children attending school (except orphans) and the bursaries help the poorest. The Swazi government pays all the teachers' salaries, so the fees are for things such as books, administration, electricity and school meals. The fees are the equivalent of about £45 a year (primary) and £300 a year (secondary). If the fees are not paid the children are not allowed to attend school.

There are signs that the government is starting to put more money into the education system but the Charity will need to continue to raise money for bursaries for many more years.

The Charity sends £7000 each January which pays half the bursaries for about 200 children at 31 schools –  family members have to raise the other half. In this way, the “value” of the education is appreciated and children are encouraged to actively learn.

Other projects which are planned for 2011/12 include:

Teachers’ houses at Luhhumaneni School

At the more remote schools, teachers tend to live on site in houses built by the Charity. This saves teachers having to spend several hours each day travelling to and from school. Luhhumaneni Primary School is miles from a tarmac road and almost unreachable by vehicle. Children walk for miles, across the mountains, to reach the school and there is a shortage of teachers as it would be impossible for them to travel to and from school on a daily basis. The Charity has built houses on site in the past and two more are urgently needed so that the school may recruit more teachers. The cost is £8950.

Equipment and Resources
The benefits to the schools and local communities in providing equipment and educational resources is huge. Children learn valuable practical skills and some adults have been helped to gain employment by taking lessons at their local school.  As an example, a woman learned to sew at the school and became so good that she was allowed to take the old hand sewing machine home. She made clothes and sold them in the markets and has now been able to build her own small house.

The cost of sending crates containing second hand computers, sewing machines and material for sewing has increased so much that the Charity has recently decided that this is no longer value for money. Instead, the Charity will purchase in Swaziland various items that are urgently needed by schools to assist their day to day running. This might be books, desks, chairs, computer or sewing equipment, fabrics and other resources. In this way, local businesses are also being supported. Cost about £3000 each year.

Water tank at Luhhumaneni Primary school
One additional 5,000 litre water tank is needed at the remote Luhhumaneni Primary School as there is currently only one tank which regularly runs out of water.

Hawane Primary school
At this school we want to build a Life Skills Unit similar to those recently built at St Andrew’s and Nkhaba schools. In the unit children will be taught about nutrition, growing vegetables, cooking, sewing  and washing clothes – real life skills to help them survive.