changing communities through sport for 500 kids

Urgent Needs Summary

To continue and expand our services, HIS urgently requires:

• Feeding Program Funding: We have shelved plans to do 2 meals per day and are seeing support to complete a week at a time, doing 1 meal per day
• Laundry Program Resources: Funding to resume the Thursday laundry program with an emphasis on integrating life-skill training for children. We have still not found any extra resources to get this going
• Sports Equipment and Coaches: Resources to purchase sports equipment, access facilities, and train coaches to develop a structured sports program.
• Educational Sponsorships: We need a new wave of funding to cater to school fees. We have started a little school for the orphaned and vulnerable children (a High school). We need to raise funds to pay the teaching staff and keep them motivated.
• Digital Literacy Facilities: Support to establish a digital learning space and library, essential for the children’s access to digital literacy and educational resources. Through the new school, we want to establish a center for digital literacy open to primary school kids as well as the larger community on a mobile digital library basis.

These needs continue to persist as we keep seeking ways to enhance our modes of intervention. These needs are being carried over from the last report.

1. Feeding Program

We have continued with a meal a day for the children, but due to shortages of resources, we are looking for ways to prune the program to keep it relevant and effective. This means we will have to do another round of assessments and cater only to those children who absolutely can't afford a meal.

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2. Laundry Program

We have still not restarted this on a fuller scale. We are only attending to a very few kids.   

3. Sports Program

Currently, sports activities at HIS are informal, limited to Saturday games. But we hope to have a sports day in April. This will give the children the opportunity to showcase their varying sporting talents.

4. Life Skills Camp

Owing to inadequate resources, we have shelved all life skills camps for 2025. We will regroup year year-end and push afresh in 2026

5. School and Scholarship Support

We continue to work with a local primary school to help the children we support get a decent education. We have 17 children we are sending to primary school.

In high school, we have 13 children in our new school project.

The project needs.

1. Textbooks
2. Computers
3. A printer
4. A photocopier
5. Stationery
6. Sporting equipment

6. Relocation Program and Future Planning

The first structure, which is part of the school and skills center for orphaned and vulnerable children, has now been roofed. Progress at last!

We need windows, doors, flooring, plastering then the whole plumbing to sort out toilets and bathrooms.

We now have water as a borehole was sunk too!

We are hoping to accelerate the completion of this hostel and move on to a second and third one. Once there is adequate space, we will start our relocation program.

7. Digital Literacy and Mobile Library Initiative.

This has now become 2 pronged. Equipping the high school and setting up a program in the Mount Hampden community.

Acknowledgements

We want to appreciate all the support we have continued to receive month in and month out. It has certainly made our load lighter! Yes, much still needs to be done, but your giving has created a perfect springboard for growth and excellence. Thank you!

Summary

Our work has continued to grow, albeit with limited funding and resources. But the steps undertaken are very encouraging. We hope to find new partners to help us get a proper high school up and running. To finish the skills centre in Darwendale and relocate all the children in critical need.

It is winter right now and the glaring need for blankets and warm clothes has come to the fore!