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The World Mission Project for 2002 is to support Ekwendeni Hospital AIDS Programme - Bursary Scheme. [more details below] [photographs]
Carol Finlay, a former mission partner in Ekwendeni, and now secretary of the Board of World Mission Local Involvement Group, spoke at the World Mission AIDS Briefing on 
2 February about those who have benefited from this scheme.  This is just one small way in which we might help to alleviate the problems faced by those affected by HIV/AIDS.  The project also seems very appropriate in the Year of the Child.

At the April meeting, Presbytery encouraged all congregations to respond generously to the project.

Contributions should be sent by 31st December 2002 to the Presbytery Treasurer:

Mr Alan Sharp
Presbytery Office
Mastrick Parish Church
Greenfern Road
Aberdeen
AB16 6TR

Damalisi : Orphan supported by programme at Ekwendeni Girls Secondary School and now at Ekwendeni Lay Training Centre doing Commerce. She also has an artificial leg after being bitten by a snake at the age of 12 years.

HIV/AIDS Education session in the village.

Esther Lupafya, HIV/AIDS Programme Co-ordinator at Ekwendeni with Gogo NyamNyirenda, a grandmother who looks after 6 orphans and 2 of the children.

Rebbekah and Beauty - 2 of Gogo Nyamyirenda's grandchildren who are being supported by the Bursary programme at Bwengu Community Day Secondary School and Nkhamenya Girls Secondary School.

Vocational training is given to older orphans to help support families and to give a purpose to life. Some are trained in tailoring and start small businesses out in the community.

Children attending one of the 128 nursery schools in the Ekwendeni Hospital Catchment area run by the AIDS project by community volunteers. Children are around 50% orphans - mixed with non-orphans for integration into community.

Ekwendeni Hospital AIDS Programme - Bursary Scheme.

The Bursary Scheme was set up to help orphan children receive secondary and tertiary education. Education in Malawi is free at Primary Level, there are 8 years of Primary School.
In the North of the country there is over 80% enrolment at Standard 1, by standard 5 only 50% of these children remain in school. Those children who sit and pass the Primary Leaving Certificate at standard 8 are then selected to Secondary School. Only I in 17 of those who pass get a place at a Secondary School. These would be Boarding or Day Schools. They may be Government Schools or Church Schools who are part funded by Government.

To be selected is therefore an important milestone in any child's life, yet many children are unable to take up the awarded place because they have become orphaned - mainly by HIV/AIDS. Many live with aged grandparents or with elder siblings. The Bursary Scheme is awarded to children who live within Ekwendeni catchment Area, who have been orphaned and their guardians are unable to financially support them through school. The scheme pays school fees, travel expenses if necessary, uniform and pocket money. These children are helped in a way which keeps them in line with the majority of students. This helps them be integrated into the pupil network. The cost of funding one pupil for one term is approximately £60. Secondary school lasts for 4 years and so 4 x 3 x 60 = £720 would be the total cost of funding a student through secondary school. Of those that do well in Malawi School Certificate of Education and get selected to University (approx I %) they can then apply for a Government loan for fees, to be paid back by the individual over the 10 years after completion of studies. This means continuing help from the bursary scheme would be minimal - for pocket money and travel.

The benefit of education is not only an advantage for the pupil but for the whole family as they then take on the support of the others after finishing their education and beginning work.

These two hotographs courtesy of Dr Michael J. Passmore BSc MD Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who did an Student Elective at Ekwendni Hospital in 1998.  You can read his account of the hospital on his webpage: http://is2.dal.ca/~passmore/ekreport.html

World Mission Report to General Assembly 2000
Press Release calling on members to respond to AIDS Pandemic

World Church Project 2001 (St Luke's Hospital, Nablus)

Back to World Mission Page

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