Orphanage Report
by Kathryn Howard Wilkes
Submitted July 29, 2005
Program History
In the mid and late 1990’s an overwhelming number of children flooded into Kamina, DRC. Due to violence in the country and the disease and poverty faced by displaced persons, these children and thousands like them were orphaned. Often following the death of parents, children are taken in by other family members. Unfortunately the speed and quantity of children orphaned at this time was more than the community could absorb. Hundreds of children in Kamina alone were left without parents or means of survival. In 1997 the United Methodist Church in the North Katanga District responded to this need by opening an orphaned children’s home. It began with one woman bringing six children into her home and by 2000 had become a full facility. Widowed women from the community cared for the 40 children seen to be the most at risk. Along with the orphanage, the church worked to place other children into homes in the community. Extended families agreed to take them in with the promise that the church in partnership with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) would help cover their food.
Last fall construction was completed that increased the capacity of the orphanage to 160 children. Currently there are 47 children living at the orphanage with many more who desire to be in the program. The goal this year is to increase that number. A fundraising campaign is underway to secure commitments from churches in the United States to sponsor additional children.
Along with the internal orphanage program the staff also coordinates an external feeding program. At its inception the program provided meals to 295 children three times per week. The majority of these children were orphans living with extended relatives or children who have lost one of their parents, but a few were other children who demonstrated great need. The church coordinated this and UMCOR provided shipments of food. As the majority of displaced persons began to return to their communities, the UMCOR food supplies ceased. Since that time funding has been inconsistent and therefore the program has been unable to function at its full capacity. Generally the program functions as usual, but there have been gaps in meals provided. At this time there is a commitment to develop and sustain the program on a consistent basis.
Current Situation and Future Plans
Currently there are 47 children living at the orphanage. These children are fully in the care of the United Methodist Church. This body is responsible for the educational, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of these children. There are also 295 children in the external feeding program who are being fed one meal per week. The goal of this program has always been to keep children in homes with their families by aiding with food costs. Currently these children are only being fed one meal per due to lack of finances. Our goal is to increase this to three days per week.
All funds to run the orphanage and external feeding program are currently coming through the Episcopal Office from the Episcopal Office Operating Budget, Council of Bishops. This money is insufficient to cover all the costs and was only intended to be a short term solution. The goal is to secure partnerships with churches who will agree to sponsor a bed at the orphanage or sponsor a week or month of the feeding program.
Constraints
We have sought to create as accurate a picture as currently possible of the cost to care for one child for a day. There were several hindrances to providing an accurate, exact number. First, the cost to purchase food locally produced varies greatly throughout the year. The major cause of this is the rainy and dry season fluctuations. The price of certain products can increase as much as 400% in just one month’s time. Second, the price and availability of imported products and products dependent on those imports, such as gas to run the flour grinder, vary greatly and unpredictably. One of the paramount obstacles to development in Kamina is transportation. The cargo train from Lubumbashi has an irregular schedule, and it may take a few days or a few months for items put on a train car to arrive in Kamina. School fees, maintenance costs, and other needs vary according to need and the exchange rate with the dollar. Third, there has not been the kind of record keeping necessarily to calculate the exact amount spent on food for each child each day. Fourth, the children have never been cared for at the level the church desires due to lack of funds.
With these constraints in mind we set out to create an honest picture of the needs of the children. The orphanage is switching to a new financial reporting system that will break down the expenditures and contain line items for food, medical, education, etc.
Costs
Internal program
The total cost to care for one child in the orphanage for one year is $500. This number includes $100 to be put into a scholarship fund for when the children reach the age of higher education. The goal is to have churches make a long-term commitment to sponsor one or more children at the orphanage. The following is the breakdown of expenses.
Figures Represent the Approximate Cost for One Child for One Year:
Educational Needs:
School Fees: $18
School Uniforms: $5
School Supplies: $10
Higher Education Scholarships: $100
Physical Needs:
Food: $125 (minimalist but nutritional diet)
Clothing: $12
Shoes: $6
Toiletries: $18
Recreation: $3.50
Medical Needs:
Doctor’s Physical with tests 2x per year: $2
Medicine: $5
Facility:
Cleaning Supplies: $6.5
Utilities: $2
Maintenance: $17
Salaries: $140
Cooking Supplies: $8
Contingency: $20
External Program
The cost to feed the $295 children in the external feeding program is $50 per meal.
The goal is to increase this program to three meals per week thus increasing the weekly
cost to $150 and the monthly cost to $600. If each church, group, or family who sponsors
one child at the orphanage also pledged to sponsor one week of the external program then
all the weeks of the year would be covered.
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