December 2020 Fortune Learners Centre Update
Fortune Learners Centre | Kayole, Kenya
by Charles Owino
Grade four pupils with the news books
I will always say that 2020 was a year of mixed fortune, but for the orphans at Fortune I can say that it was the best year in their lives. Since 2006, when I opened my heart to the plight of orphans, I have been praying to engage people who can help impact the lives of these children positively. Then in January 2020 through Global Orphans Relief my prayers were answered. They say experience is the best teacher and my experience growing-up as an orphan taught me much, and as it is now, I believe that education is the only way to get the orphans and vulnerable children out of poverty.
Photo of grade four pupils enjoying their porridge today
Fortune was receiving the orphans and vulnerable children before the partnership with GO!, but we could not provide them all that was needed so it was an incomplete story. The children couldn’t learn from an empty stomach and our teachers were struggling because we lacked the resources to properly compensate them. I can say we were not settled because the landlady was always threatening us to close down the school for late rent payment, and the learning environment was not conducive, but all these changed in 2020 with the partnership with GO! which has grown over the year from 33 orphaned children to 57. In addition, our other 98 vulnerable children and 12 members of our staff have benefited from this partnership.
Part of the sponsored children having lunch and getitng ready for the pastoral service
The impact have been felt even among the families of the orphaned children more so at their time of need during the Covid-19 pandemic where food packages were distributed to 50 orphans families -impacting close to 300 people in total. The GO! scholarships have provided tuition fee as well as feeding of the orphans at school. We have also been able to support a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene initiative at the school that was essential in combating the deadly Corona Virus. GO!’s support ensures that we have clean water for domestic use in the school, hand washing stations, soap, sanitizers, and water storage tanks. We have also been supported by GO! to acquire a cart which will ensure that we have water even when the water from the council is not available, and this will directly impact 170 children and members of staff.
One of several storage tanks.
Hand washing stations,storage tanks and other cleaning
We have seen the health of the orphans improve drastically over the year with the provision of a nutritious cup of porridge every day and a hot balanced diet for lunch which serves as the only meal of the day for some of these children. There is also improved performance on academics among the orphaned children. Absenteeism among this group has been eliminated as they now attend school every day. In addition, their caregivers are reporting reduced hospital visits in the last twelve months.
Fortune Learners Centre is now in an improved position to assure teachers their needed support. Most importantly, GO! has walked with us through the pandemic by providing the rent for the school building which is needed for our existence.
We now have three classes taking their studies at Fortune with the partial reopening of schools while the others continue with their home schooling in small groups which was started in August 2020 when the governmental response to the pandemic wouldn’t allow normal learning in schools worldwide.
Today, n partnership with Fortune Learners Centre (FLC), Global Orphan Relief supports 54 orphaned children that attend this school, 98 vulnerable children that are beneficiaries of our WASH initiative at the school, and another 3 orphaned children that have moved on from FLC that attend Kenyan secondary schools.
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As of December 2020, 409 students attend school in DR Congo, Kenya, and Zambia, based on our Scholarship Initiative. 36 sponsors at $30 per month will allow us to continue providing this critical element of care for over 400 students in 2021. Education last a life time and is critically important for breaking the cycle of poverty.
You may send support or other correspondence to Global Orphan Relief, 16352 Prairie Farm Cir, Parker, CO 80134 or you may give also give electronically at 2021 Scholarship Fund.
Movement of FAITH | Voice of HOPE | Act of LOVE
Global Orphan Relief is a Christian relief agency serving Orphans in need and a recognized U.S. public charity, tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.