I wrote just before Christmas about an amazing woman, Georgette Butera and the charity she set up to help orphans in Burundi. Wars and diseases have destroyed Burundi but with the determination of those involved in the charity, ACTS, the Herridge Technical School opened in September 2007, with the aim to give hope to surviving orphans and destitute children. The following information is from Georgette:
The school currently has 93 pupils 65 boys and 28 girls. It is still difficult for girls to access school as they have to stay at home caring for siblings or parents. We educate all the children who come to our school regardless of their background but we give priority to orphans and the most vulnerable children. We put an emphasis on reconciliation and believe that through education these young people from different tribes will learn to live together, respect and value each other. We hope and trust that this will help them to overcome the terrible legacy of hatred between the two main tribes left by the devastating wars. These 93 pupils are educated, fed and clothed through the generosity of the British public. People can help us by giving regular donations. It costs about £30 per child to pay salaries for 10 teachers, to buy basic school equipment, a school uniform and to give one meal a day to each child. Most orphans are child-headed families and depend on that one meal to survive. If we could have 100 generous people committed to give between £20 and £30 per month we will be able meet basic immediate needs of these children and improve the quality of their lives. At the moment we have 20 generous donors mainly giving between £35 and £10. Every month we have a shortfall of £1800 that is sometimes compensated by fund raising events and one off donations we receive from friends. We encourage friends of our school to organise fund raising events such as coffee mornings and offering their skills. Schools here could, for example, organise a non school uniform day that would raise awareness of the plight of children less fortunate than they are by raising money for a specific cause in our school. We are looking for an accounts auditor and someone to help us with communication. In UK, we all work for ACTS free of charge so that all donations are used solely for the school. Further information can be obtained from the web http://acts.ijuru.com.
School running costs
To keep the school going, we need approximately £35,000 per year. After Y10 next September we are planning to start vocational training for those who might not get the required grades to access higher education after a national at the end of Y10. Without this special school, those children even most of those who will get the results would simply drop out through lack of fees. We would like to help more children and equip them with skills that will enable them to earn a living. Please help us if you can, any amount is greatly appreciated. Giving a regular amount is one sure way of journeying with us. We have people giving three pounds a month because that’s all they can afford.
Fundraising for a specific target
1) Equipment for the sciences laboratory, approx. £3000.
2) A vehicle for the school, to fetch food from the market and to take sick pupils to hospital, approx. £6000. One died of typhoid last year because he could not get to hospital in time.
3) Completion of the school canteen and IT building, approx. £9000
4) Equipment for Canteen, approx. £15000.
The two vocational sections we are hoping to offer, catering and IT, both need a reliable source of electricity. A small generator would be a great help.
If you feel you would like to help in some way, check out the link here.
