A Guide to Pupil Sponsorship 2013

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How do you decide who’s sponsored? Queuing for sponsorship at the offi ce door 6 Since 2011 we have concentrated on helping secondary level rather than primary pupils. Schooling is free until the end of primary education and it is at grade 8, when fees become payable, that many kids stop going to school. Some families struggle and manage to keep their kids at school until the end of grade 9 but then, as schooling gets more expensive, they fail to fi nd the money for fees and other school necessities. Our sponsorship program is based on academic potential and fi nancial need. To apply pupils visit our offi ce to write an application letter and complete a form detailing their circumstances. They must also bring at least two end of term reports or their Grade 7 or 9 exam certifi cates. Pupils must show good grades, aptitude and sound fi nancial reasons for their application. We interview the child, research their circumstances, and occasionally consult with their teacher before a decision is made about accepting them for sponsorship. Pupils also need to show that they have a good grasp of written and spoken English as all school lessons at secondary level are taught in are in English. We will never be able to help everyone - but by balancing academic potential and home and family circumstances we try to make a decision about whom we should try to help.
I want to sponsor a girl . . . why are there so few ? At primary level the number of boys and girls in a class is just about equal. In grades 8 and 9 there are fewer girls than boys and by grade 10 they make up about 25% of the pupils. By the fi nal year, grade 12, the fi gure has dropped to around 10%. The reasons for this are many and complex and relate to the traditions and culture in rural areas of Zambia, as well as the economy. Traditionally girls will do more household chores than boys. Just like their mothers, they will be the ones who make several trips to the borehole each day for water. They cook, keep the area surrounding the house well swept, do the washing up and look after their younger siblings. Boys may also do this but it is more often the job of the girls. When a family is short of money they usually chose to educate a boy rather than a girl and this can make sense when jobs are few and mostly for men. Once girls reach puberty they may only attend school three weeks out of every four due to little or no access to sanitary wear. This means they miss 25% of lessons. There is a lot of pressure put on some girls to get married early - even as early as 14. If a family is very poor sometimes it is one way of having one less mouth to feed. Early pregnancies are another reason for girls dropping out of school and another is abuse or even just pressure for sex. Orphaned girls staying with the extended family may be put under pressure from family members and girls at school have to withstand advances from boys and occasionally even teachers. But a bigger reason than all of the above is that rural girls often have low self esteem. They are expected not to do so well and sometimes expect little of themselves. We are very concerned about this disparity in numbers between boys and girls at school and are developing various programmes to help girls. However there is no quick fi x so unfortunately in the mean time there are fewer girls coming forward for sponsorship. 7
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Page 3 and 4: All About Education in Zambia www.p
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Page 9 and 10: www.projectluangwa.org/sponsorship
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A Guide to Pupil Sponsorship 2013

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