Why school matters

How we help children in our care stay in school, and why it changes everything.

For a child who has lost a parent, school is often the first thing to go. Even where tuition is free, families still face the cost of uniforms, books, exam fees and lunch. When money is short, children stay at home, and many never go back.

That is why school is at the heart of our orphan care. For the children in our care, we pay school fees and provide uniforms, books and the other things they need to take part in class alongside everyone else, from exercise books and pencils to toilet paper.

What a difference school makes

When we first met this boy, he was sitting barefoot against a wall in a torn shirt. Today he goes to school in his own uniform, socks and shoes.

Before

After

A door to the future

Education gives children choices. It opens the door to skilled work, to further study and to a future where they can one day care for their own families. Just as importantly, a child in school has a safe place to be every day, friends of their own age and adults who notice how they are doing.

If you would like to help keep a child in school, the best way is to sponsor a child. You are giving far more than school fees. You are telling a child that their future matters.

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