Grants made to the Orphanage
ZOA and SOA acknowledge the significant contributions made to the orphanage by various benefactors, and offers an accountability of how these grants were spent:
1) ECIS Grant 2015 ('helping an African orphanage towards self-sustainability')
On the advice of the Orphanage Management team, to provide up to 40% of the annual running costs of the orphanage, it was decided to build a guest-house in Serenje for local travellers. The profits generated from this small 10 room facility will be directed to the orphanage. Opportunities for older children to gain work experience in managing the guesthouse is another aspect of this project. The ECIS awarded £3000 to the SOA charity group at Collège du Léman (CDL) in Geneva, Switzerland.
2) ECIS Grant 2013 ('providing furniture to encourage homework study')
At the request of the Orphanage Managing Director, the SOA team of Collège du Léman (CDL) submitted an application to provide suitable tables and chairs so that the children could have more suitable, and more private, areas to do their homework and additional study. Some £2000 was provided courtesy of the ECIS, with the balance of the funds provided through the Collège du Léman (CDL) fundraising. One of the goals of the July 2014 CDL trip to Zambia incorporated an analysis of whether there has been any improvement in the education at the orphanage as a result of this grant - there was no doubt that the improved study furniture has assisted the children to complete homework and study.
3) ECIS Grant 2012 ('providing warm water for orphans washing' )
As the SOA CdL group took their leave of the orphanage in July 2012, the 13 students took a collection amongst themselves towards the purchase of hot water geysers so that the orphanage children could have hot water for their showers in the cold winters. To this US$500, the ECIS added £2000 so that all the dormitories at the site may have hot water piped to them. Full implementation of this grant is described with accompanying photos in theApril 2013 Newsletter.
4) Ustinov Foundation Grant 2011 ('education support project')
This grant allowed increased education support for the children at the orphanage through a concentrated reading and writing effort over about a month by the July 2012 ZOA trips to Serenje by ZOA Geneva and ZOA Roma. Following this initial incentive, the impetus was maintained for several years through a regular evening supervised reading program at the orphanage.
5) ECIS Grant 2010 ('a fish farm')
This grant has allowed construction of a large fish pond on the orphanage site from which trout fish are to be 'farmed' - this will provide valuable protein for the children, as well as being an income generator through sale of surplus fish. For the latest details of implementation, see: January 2011 Newsletter and October 2011 Newsletter
6) Ustinov Foundation Grant 2009 ('community playgrounds')
This grant was used by the ZOA St George's group on their trip to Zambia in July 2010 to construct a playground for the local Serenje Community School which had few resources and which catered for many disadvantaged local children. The Ustinov Foundation awards its grants in an effort to reduce prejudice against children and women.
7) Ustinov Foundation Grant 2008 ('laundry')
This grant was awarded to ZOA St George's in Rome so that a laundry could be constructed at the orphanage. The building was completed early in 2010 and is now still in use. Please follow the link and read the two Newsletters from the orphanage in which there are photos of the new building under construction and now finished: the 2009 Annual Report ; February 2010 Newsletter
8) FAO 'Telefood' Grant 2007 ('a water furrow')
The outcome of this grant has been the construction of a water furrow (August 2010) which allows a perennial flow of water from a stream to pass through the orphanage land, allowing irrigation to a vegetable garden as well as the installation of a pond(s) for fish farming. A description of the progress of this grant may be gleaned from reading the following Newsletter from the orphanage: October 2009 Newsletter - the construction unfortunately ground to a halt in March 2010 because of a large rock barrier through which the water course will run, however in July 2010, the rock was overcome and water was delivered to the orphanage vegetable garden and fish pond through the furrow (see June/July 2010 Newsletter for details). Unfortunately, in 2018 the water furrow was broken and funds are currently being raised by ZOA Rome to fix it early in 2019.
9) ECIS Grant 2007 ('various projects implemented on a school visit')
This grant was awarded to ZOA St George's in Rome to assist with various projects that were subsequently carried out on the July 2008 visit to the orphanage. Please click on the following link to see how these funds were spent: July 2008 Orphanage Visit