Ephraim's schooling and more about sponsorship in general

We began sponsoring Ephraim in April of 2005, when he was 9 years old, shortly after Children International first began operating in Zambia. He will turn 14 this April. He lives in Lusaka, Zambia with his mother and older sister. They have a concrete block house with a concrete floor and corrugated metal roof. They sleep on mats on the floor and have a coal stove for cooking. They have no electricity and water must be carried from community faucets. There is a latrine separate from the house. Ephraim loves to play soccer. His favorite school subjects are Social Studies, Math, English and Reading. He speaks Nyanja and Bemba.

Zambia is by far the poorest county in which Children International operates. Many children there are orphans due to the AIDS epidemic in much of Africa. Ephraim is fortunate to have one parent still alive. His mother is a street vendor and brings in about $23 a month.

I recently learned that in Zambia the Education system works like this:
Primary Grades 1-7 (ages 7 - 13) have free education
Basic School Grades 8-9 (ages 14 -15) Costs $24 per year
High School Grades 10-12 (ages 16 - 18) Costs $40 - $75 a year
Boarding School Grades 8 - 12 (ages 14 - 18) Costs $160 - $240 a year

I don't know if Lusaka has any school higher than Primary. If there is no school in their area children can live with relatives near a school to attend as day students or attend boarding school. Most people are so poor that they cannot send their children to Basic School. Many do not even finish Primary School as they are needed to help their parents with the work of earning a living. Boarding School gives the best quality education available in Zambia. I know that Ephraim is soon reaching the end of his free Primary School. I have sent a Special Needs gift to help him stay in school. I will be contacting CI to see what we can do for him and what more he needs to continue his education.

More about sponsorship.
When you sponsor a child through Children International you agree to provide $22 a month to help support that child. Children International provides the following to each sponsored child:

• Health care and medicine
• Dental care
• Malnutrition screenings and nutritional support
• Sturdy clothing and shoes
• School supplies and improved access to education

You can learn more here: http://www2.children.org

In addition to your monthly amount you will be sent reminders of birthdays and other holidays when you may choose to give additional amounts for gifts. All children receive Birthday, Christmas, Easter and Special Hug Day Gifts regardless of whether their sponsors were able to send additional donations for them. Easter is always new shoes, Christmas in usually clothing and maybe a small toy for younger kids. Special Hug Day is a day for receiving things the household needs such as dishes, pot and pans, blankets, sheets etc. Birthday gifts can be what ever the child needs, sometimes clothing that the child gets to choose for themselves. You may also send a Special Needs donation for your child or children any time you wish. More about Special Needs Gifts next time.