Most orphaned children are caught in a vicious cycle – orphaned when very young, left to be cared for by relatives or neighbors whose resources are already overstretched, and consequently dropping out of school. It's difficult for extended families to keep children in school without outside assistance, especially in Uganda and Zambia where government-funded education lasts through sixth grade.
Therefore, a high school education is an ideal that many children in Africa cannot attain, which makes education one of the most significant and enduring gifts we can give to our children.
For this reason Covenant Mercies has developed two school projects: New Life School in Uganda and Lighthouse Christian School in Zambia.
Now you can take a role in helping children attain the ideal of a quality Christian education. Giving them hope for a productive, self-sufficient adulthood.
Their desire was to bring children from Ndola’s middle class together in the same classrooms with children from two sprawling slums on the outskirts of town.
However, there was one problem; only the middle class parents could afford the tuition fees necessary to keep the school running. The problem was solved through Covenant Mercies and our generous sponsors.
As Covenant Mercies came into the picture sponsored children living in Ndola’s slums and shanty villages were enabled to attend Lighthouse. Of approximately 220 children presently sponsored in our Zambia program there are 160 receiving their education through Lighthouse Christian School.
As the school has grown over the years the need for a well-equipped educational facility has become increasingly urgent. Consequently, Covenant Mercies funded construction of a new classroom building, which opened in January 2012. Future plans for the campus include construction of an administrative building and computer labs.
For this reason Covenant Mercies decided to make a direct investment into our children’s education. So, we established New Life School in the Nagongera region in September 2008.
Construction began with the establishment of three buildings (two classrooms and one administrative), then girls and boys dormitories, science labs, a library, a kitchen with a dining hall, and a playing field. The total cost when it’s all said and done? Approximately $500,000.
Classes began on campus in 2010, and the student population grew to 140 in 2011(of the total 140 New Life students in 2011, 106 were our sponsored kids.)
Our long-term goal is to develop the school’s infrastructure to accommodate about 500 students per school year. This will provide the advantage of quality Christian education not only for our own sponsored children, but for the broader community as well.