FORGOTTEN VOICES INTERNATIONAL

REQUEST: $2,415 to provide 20 bicycles for students in rural communities who walk long distances to get to school and 25 solar lamps to help students study at night.

Zambia

Zambia, Lusaka Region

  • Population: 17,425,623

  • Languages: Bemba, Tonga, Chewa

  • Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic

  • Median Age: 16.9 years

FORGOTTEN VOICES INTERNATIONAL

Forgotten Voices International demonstrates the love of Jesus Christ by partnering with local churches in Southern Africa to empower families and caregivers to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities. Our orphan care model is based on the principle of listening and empowering local church leaders to meet the children’s needs through sustainable solutions in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Education is an important ingredient to launch children into healthy adulthood, especially for orphans and vulnerable children in poor rural communities who are faced with many extra barriers to success. A significant challenge for children in rural Zambian communities is the long distance from their homes to secondary school (grades 9-12). Chinkuli rural community, outside Lusaka, has only one secondary school for the 19 villages that surround it. Children walk up to 16 kilometers to reach school; some students spend up to 4 hours a day walking to and from school. Every year, over 90 students from these remote villages graduate from junior school, hoping to advance their education, but instead drop out because of the distance and perils of commuting. Without finishing their education, opportunities for the future are very limited, especially for girls who are more vulnerable to abuse, early pregnancy and young marriage.

Success in school is made even more difficult for these children because the lack of electricity means they don’t have adequate lighting to do their homework after the long journey from school.

Bicycles can significantly reduce the time students spend commuting back and forth to school. This will reduce the risk of drop out, increase safety, because they leave later and arrive home earlier, and give them more time to complete school work while still participating in family life. Solar lamps provide light to help children complete schoolwork regardless of the time of day, and ensure a renewable light source that can benefit the whole family.

Our church partners in Chinkuli have identified 20 orphans and vulnerable children in our program who will most benefit from a bicycle, and 25 households that will benefit from a solar lamp to help them succeed in secondary school.

Stella with her bicycle at her home

Stella, in front left with her fellow pupils who are on the praise team at Chainda Secondary School

Stella, Story of Hope

Stella is in grade 11 at Chainda Secondary School which is located about 10 kilometers from her home in Kabulongo village. After her daily walk home, Stella was exhausted, but still had to do homework, wash her uniform in preparation for the next day, and help with household chores. Stella was struggling in school and wondered if she could finish her education.

Stella received a bicycle that she uses to get to school. It now takes less than half the time for her to get back and forth to school, giving her time to participate in church and school activities. She is a hardworking and committed young woman, excelling in class and in church activities. She loves soccer and poetry. She recently represented her school in a competition of poems on different topics, such as campaigns against female abuse, early marriage, and environmental care. At church, she is on the praise team and teaches children in Sunday School.

HEALTH / HYGIENE

FAMILY / COMMUNITY CARE

FOOD

THEOLOGY

EDUCATION / TRAINING

INFORMATION / RESEARCH

EQUIPMENT / TOOLS

MATERIALS

RENOVATION / MAINTENANCE

ADMINISTRATION

TRAVEL

OTHER

* Highlighted budget icons apply to this grant

Budget

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Description Cost
Bicycle (20 students x $65) $1,300
Bicycle pumps/puncture kits (20 kits x $12) $240
Solar lamps (25 x $30) $750
Transport expenses – 1 truck hire $125
Total Budget Requested: $2,415

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