GVI CT Sponsorship Program
Mkwiro Village
December 2010
Table of Contents
1.0 Background Information
1.1 History and Logistics
1.2 Orphans
1.3 Staff
1.4 Description of current facilities
2.0 GVI and Sponsorships
1.0 Background Information
1.1 History and Logistics
Mkwiro has a population of approximately 1400, with around 250 children attending Mkwiro Primary School, and now over 43 resident boys and girls in the Al-Hanan Orphanage. The village remains a relatively isolated and very traditional rural Islamic community, with a mainly sedentary population. Traditional fishing is essentially still the main form of economic income, but is supplemented by seasonal small scale arable farming, livestock keeping and other small scale activities such as traditional woven crafts and supplying the shell trade. With the creation of the KMMPA, the community lost many of their fishing rights within the area, and the perception amongst the community is that they have yet to see the compensatory economic benefit from tourism.
The population remains largely dependent on traditional fishing, limited subsistence farming and exploration of forest resources. The average family size ranges from five to eleven members usually entirely depend upon fishing as their livelihood.
On the island of Wasini, there is a small Orphanage called ‘The Al Hanan Orphans Home’ which was established in 2002 by Mbaruku Mohamed, Muhdhari Mohamed and Mbeta Omar. All individuals associated with the orphanage volunteer their time and services for free, and include committee members, cooks, watchmen, carers and teachers.
Food is provided by volunteers from the wider Muslim community as far away as Mombasa on a rotational basis every three months. Specific people have been regularly donating money for food, however sometimes it takes 5 or 6 months to obtain these funds. When no funds are available, or the present funds have run out, the committee approaches the village to ask for donations of food from Mkwiro families.
1.2 Orphans
The term ‘Orphan’ is used to include those whose fathers have died, but mothers remain alive, because the income for the family has been lost. It also refers to children who are ‘orphans’ in the truer sense of the word, where both parents are deceased. At the Mkwiro Al Hanan Orphanage, it may also refer to pupils whose families are extremely poor, and are unable to provide for their children.
There are currently 43 orphans (boys and girls), although 39 are enrolled, the remaining 4 have finished primary school and moved to secondary school or employment. The overall aim is to provide support for 100 children including those who come from poor families, as well as those with one or more parent deceased. The orphans come from families where bereavements were caused by a range of factors including but not restricted to HIV/Aids.
The children are not only from Mkwiro village, but from around Kwale District. The Al Hanan Orphanage has already gained a good reputation, and Mkwiro Village has a particularly good reputation for being both safe and protected from outside influences.
1.3 Staff
The Orphanage Committee currently consists of a Chairman (Ali Vuyaa), Treasurer & Secretary (Idrissa Makame), committee members (5 women - Fatuma Mbeta, Hafsa Rashid, Mwamize Omar, Atuni Bwatumu, Mwamkasi Baraza and 2 cooks – Tima Mohamed and Mwajuma Nga’nya)
Teachers and Caregivers include Mbaruku Mohamed, Muhdhari Mohamed, Suleiman Neema.
Watchmen include Ali Mbaruku.
1.4 Description of current facilities
Current facilities have been funded by the wider Muslim Community around Mombasa and along the coast.
- The dormitory has 5 rooms, 2 have concrete floors, 3 are un-concreted, none are plastered inside or outside. All rooms are planned for sleeping quarters. 20 boys per room.
- The Kitchen is partly built, roofed but not concreted or plastered.
- There are 3 rooms intended for Islamic Education, they have concrete floors and plastered inside, but not outside.
- The Toilets are not plastered outside, but are plastered inside and have concrete floors inside.
- The playing area is very uneven ground and mostly consists of sharp protruding coral rag.
2.0 GVI and Sponsorships
GVI Charitable Trust (GVI CT) is a registered charity created to effectively manage all donations from both volunteers and external donors.
Every year, GVI CT support the top students from Mkwiro Primary School in sponsoring them to further their education at Secondary School institutions. We provide direct support and guidance to all students in the pursuit of employment and a brighter future.
The standard 8 students sit their exams in December and then in January the marks are released. Students with high scores are offered places in Secondary School. The government chooses the secondary school dependant on marks and then the secondary school will send the students a letter stating the fees and equipment needed to start.
Students spend 4years at secondary school; From 1 – Form 4. Each form has three terms, the terms lasting 3 months with a 2/3 week holiday at the end of term.
At the end of each term the students sit their exams and get a report card. GVI sponsor children to attend Shimoni Secondary School which costs 18,000ksh a year (roughly one hundred and eighty pounds). The reason being Shimoni Secondary is close enough for students to still stay with their own families but also GVI teach within this school – providing an opportunity to monitor the students and provide direct support, guidance and feedback.
The sponsorships process
In January Mr Abdul (the headmaster of Mkwiro Primary School) submits a list of students who have been offered places at Secondary Schools to GVI. Sometimes other organizations or individuals will sponsor children at Mkwiro but this is very rare. If GVI has found a willing sponsor then they will take the student with the highest exam marks who has not yet been sponsored.
Students are selected from the list by their exam marks. Their family income is not taken into account when selecting a student. This system is used because it is the fairest and easiest to asses (there is no accurate way of determining how much money a family has access to on Mkwiro). Gaining access to GVI Sponsorship is open to any gifted student regardless of how much money their family has.
To start the process we need some details from both the sponsor and the student. From the sponsor we need; their name, email address and postal address. From the student we need; name, name of school, acceptance letter and a copy of the school fees. We should also take a photo of the student to send to their sponsor.
The sponsors
The sponsors are normally GVI volunteers or members of their families who agree to sponsor children for a specific period of time (either 2 -4 years). They receive a letter every term letting them know how their student is doing alongside their reports cards and any other additional information.
The students
At the end of term the students write a letter to their sponsor talking about what they have done during the past three months together with a copy of their report card. So the sponsors receive a letter every three-four months letting them know how their student is doing. Of course this can be done more frequently if requested by both student and sponsor.
Every day qualifying students are denied the opportunity to further their education due to financial hardship. This has a devastating effect on the both the socio-economic status of the small village of Mkwiro and also the qualifying students and families.
Sponsoring a child for four years to complete their secondary education costs on average 400GBP. Sponsors will receive detailed school reports on the child’s performance including exam results and quarterly letters of appreciation from both student and their family
By sponsoring a child, you are part of the solution by ensuring that these students are given the opportunities and choices about their future which they would not otherwise have.
All you have to do is log onto our GVI CT website and donate the set amount of money. As previously stated, you can donate money for the full 4years of Secondary School education or you may want to just pay for 1year right now and pay the following year nearer the time.
What is crucial when you donate is you state:
a) What the money is for i.e Mkwiro Sponsorship Fund, Kenya, South Coast Project
b) How much money it is – i.e This is for one year’s sponsorship
c) How long you wish to sponsor a child for
This is link you need to click on to take you through to the donations page:
- Click on the ‘donate now’ button
- Donations can be made online or by post
- As you go through the steps – it’s very simple. Please remember to state the aforementioned. (What the money is going towards etc).
