EROGA supports Roma Girls by carrying out different fund raising activities. Projects which EROGA has been involved with include:
The Empowerment Fund - set up in 2006 to support girls at Roma Girls identified as vulnerable because of difficutlies in paying school fees. Erogans from USA, Canada, UK, S.Africa & Zambia rallied round making individual monetary donations to the fund.
Building of a new class room block at the school was supported by fund raising activities carried out by EROGA Zambia. The additional classroom block has since been completed and is now in use, allowing for a third stream of grades 10, 11 and 12. This now allows more girls to complete their secondary school through Roma, rather than lose them to other schools or elsewhere. Roma received additional funding from the Beit Trust towards this project.
Six computers were sent to the school in a project spearheaded by Yvonne Mubanga, UK resulting in the establishment of the first computer classroom. Since then, the new classroom block now includes a computer suite with 26 PC's.
Giving to Roma
If you would like to make a monthlydonation to EROGA, you can do so by setting up a direct debit or standing order. Please contact any of the EROGA treasurers listed below. If you are based in the UK, you can also request a standing order form to be sent you you, by sending an email with your postal address to roma_girls@eroga.org.
If you would like to make a one off donation, you can do so by cheque. Please contact any of the EROGA treasurers listed below for more details
Listen to Sr Kieran's video message to all EROGAN's following her meeting with Yvonne Mubanga and Inutu Shampande in London on May 31 2009
Projects for 2009
Roma Girls is seeking donations for the following:
1. Purchase of a new school mini bus
2. Financial support for Grade 12 students struggling or unable to pay school fees with the knock on effect of results being withheld
3. Replacement of text books
4. Renovation of the school chapel
Donations can be made by sending an email to one of the EROGA representatives listed below
Mini bus Project Fund raising is already in process, at a cost of K150 million. So far K19 million has been raised.
There are a lot of initiatives being carried out by the school to prepare the girls for the working world by involving them in inter-schools debates, career fairs and various other activities outside the school. This requires transport, etc, and is recognised and encouraged as a huge part of the overall education package that should be provided.
Although it will be the school PTA to maintain this bus, the running costs of it will be high.
It has been suggested that girls be asked to contribute K100, 000.00 towards the cost of the bus. Sr Kiren believes only 10% of the girls in the school can afford this.
The school has had no funding from GRZ since March, they do not know when they will get any funding either. This is money they normally use to pay for basics such as water and electricity, and now they have to juggle various pots and funding sources to maintain these as the school could not be run without these basic utilities. This appears to be a direct consequence of the current financial markets where donor funds towards education are not forthcoming
Fee support for Grade 12 Girls
Girls currently pay K200, 000.00 per term otherwise they get turned away. Sr Kieran takes it upon herself to find money for those she knows would not afford the fees, if only to keep them till they complete. She prioritises the Grade 12s as these have their results withheld by the examination board if all fees are not settled in full. Sr really just wants them to have a solid footing for their lives and at least leave with their results, if they are to have any hope for a future. This is where some of our contributions could go towards.
New text books for Roma The fact that Roma is now a day school has its implications. Text books are lost and a lot of money is spent replacing these. Books are taken home, lent to siblings who go to schools that may not have the text books- and eventually lost! Sr. Still does replace these- because the girls need them, particularly the science texts which cost up to K93,000.00 each (8 subjects per class and one for each). Besides this, the curriculum changes and the whole lot need to be replaced anyway. The binding is weak and so the books easily fall apart and cannot be used for so long anyway. Sr presented all these issues with a great sense of humour- I guess one has to!; Everyday issues which she somehow manages, but could do so much more easily with financial help
Chapel Renovations There are plans to give the Chapel a facelift
