basic needs program

Basic needs are things that are so essential to daily life that it may seem unimaginable to function without them. Our Basic Needs Program strives to meet the basic needs of our students so that they can fully focus on their education, instead of worrying about how they will obtain items such as sanitary pads, notebooks, or school uniforms. Through our conversations with the community, we learned that many students that stayed home during school hours did so because they couldn’t afford these basic needs. Learn more about each project below.

student sponsorship program

Each academic year, Story Time pairs 20 to 30 students with their own individual donor. These students are among the 10% most in need of financial assistance at Nsondole CDSS. We identify students by asking who is most at risk of dropping out of school if their school fees are not paid.

This program is currently expanding to include school materials for the students we sponsor. We continue to provide room and board fees for the students in testing grades (sophomores and seniors). This additional support allows them be close to school for after-hours test preparation.

Community Needs Program

The Community Needs Program specifically targets increasing the quality of students’ education and decreasing the amount of time students are exposed to compromising conditions. The time it takes for students in Malawi to travel to school varies greatly. Some students may have a travel time of one minute, while others may have a three-hour, one-way trek.

Given the current adversities, these projects work to provide things such as improved infrastructure and nutrition.

Skills, Training, & Retention Program

The Skills, Training, & Retention Program aims to increase the skills of the communities, and mobilize the schools and individuals we partner with. We provide such training in a way that allows individuals and communities to retain the skills required to overcome adversity and create sustainable change.