Spring 2012

contents

Return to Tanzania 2Sponsorship News 4Christmas Present Time 4New Sponsors 5How we spend your gift aid 6R.I.P. Maximillion 7Fundraising News 8-9

Nearly there...all 11 standard 7 children due to graduate from primary school later this year.L to R: Michelle, Edimunde Sande, Emanuel Losijac, Nico Samweli, Kelivn Juma, Denis Yacobi, Ashrafu Iddy, Teresia Anthony, Jacklin Pamphili, Mary Patrik, Veronica Macrobe, Josephine Godphrey

News

In January I was excited to visit Tanzania for the first time since the birth of my baby in 2010. Although the visit was short, just 9 days, it was amazing to be back.... Running the charity can at times be challenging, but catching up with the children to see just how they have come makes it all worth it. Many of them live in poverty that we could not imagine. Yet they just get on with it. Some need a little bit of extra support, which we lend in the form of our after school programme, but the inner strength of the children is truly inspirational. Some of the children are really excelling at school. While others are still struggling like in any school environment, but the mix of private education coupled with the support of the after school programme has given them the lift to slowly improve and to achieve grades

not possible in the struggling governmental school system.

Much of my visit was focussed on developing a strategy for the future of the sponsorship programme and next steps for the children due to leave primary education at the end of 2012. When we started the sponsorship programme in 2006, we had no idea it would grow to be what it is today. The focus was to get as many children into quality private education to give them the best chance for the future. Forward to 2012 and here we are supporting over 90 children in that same sponsorship programme. Thanks to

the commitment and continued support of our child sponsors, we are now in the amazing position of seeing many of the children from that first year of the programme due to graduate from primary school later this year.

During my visit I spent an afternoon in the company of the standard 7 children chatting about their plans for the future. We filmed some interviews will the children and they will soon be available view on our website...watch this space....

Return To Tanzania

Jordan Jonas in class

Jubleth Focus (l) & Neema Kilusu (r)

What happens to Shika sponsor children after completion of their primary education?

For children to stand any real chance of decent employment opportunities in the future they need to have completed secondary school. However, in Tanzania only 13% of children receive a secondary education, due to a lack of schools and resources. A tiny proportion of this figure are poor and vulnerable children as they are least likely to have received the necessary primary school grades to qualify for secondary education. In the struggling governmental school system it is very difficult for all but the most gifted children achieve the good grades needed to secure a secondary school place. This is why a quality primary education is so important, so as to give the children the best chance of achieving the grades needed for secondary education. Your sponsorship has enabled these children to receive

private primary education and hence the best possible chance of going to secondary school.

Shika’s secondary school sponsorship programme

In July, I will contact those sponsors of children sitting their national examination in summer 2012. It is hoped that these children will achieve the grades necessary to enrol in secondary school. Secondary school applications will be made in a joint effort from the primary school and Shika Tanzania staff to the appropriate schools. School places will be awarded due to exam performance, with the highest achiever having the pick of the best schools etc. When we have clarification of school places in September 2012 we will write again to inform you of the sponsorship fees. We are envisaging these will be the around the same sponsorship fee structure as you are currently paying, so no big shock there. Again your

sponsorship fee will cover books, uniforms and school materials.

A Massive Achievement!!!

2012 is a very exciting time for the children, the charity and the sponsors. This year we are due our first crop of primary school graduates and secondary school enrollers, this is a huge accomplishment. It was always our dream for the children and thanks to you for sticking with the sponsorship programme we believe in so strongly. We really should all give each other a jolly good pat on the back!

Our all new website... Please do go to www.shika.org.uk to visit our new website. It is nearly complete! Look out for our new members area, coming soon, with up to date sponsor news....

Standard 7‘s Edimunde Sande

oh so Shika’s new collection

We wrote in the last newsletter about our income generation tailoring programme. We work with a small group of women to produce clothing which we sell in the UK under the label oh so Shika. This generates income for our educational programmes. We are working exclusively with Brighton based ethical boutique “Fair”, to produce and sell a stunning new range of African print dresses for Spring Summer 2012. All the dresses are limited editions have just hit the shop floor and if you want to bag yourself a seasonal ‘must have’ hurry to Fair, 21 Queens Rd, Brighton, BN1 3XA. Tel: 01273 723215

Shika Sponsorship News: Christmas gifts from abroad

Thanks to everyone who sent Christmas gifts to their sponsor children last year. We had many to distribute and it was quite a challenge, especially as customs had already opened the package and unwrapped some of the presents, leaving them loose at the bottom of the package. We did our best to distribute the presents correctly, so most children received their correct presents or variations of them.... ;) You certainly put smiles on their faces. By now you should have received a photo of them receiving the pressies and I know your letters from the children are in the post! Sorry for the delay, the first term of each school year is always busy! Don’t worry even if you couldn’t get to the post office every child received a small Christmas gift from Shika!!

Hadijah Shaban

Asha Hamisi (l) and Roda Emanuel (r)

Always on the look out for new sponsors....

As you know we like to promote the Shika sponsorship scheme as a be a long term commitment to those who join it, to ensure that your sponsor child will complete their education. Unfortunately, each year, for mostly financial reasons, some sponsors have to leave the scheme. We then find ourselves appealing for new sponsors to come to the rescue and step in and cover any unsponsored children.

We currently have around 7 children without sponsors, so if you know of anyone able to step in do ask them to get in touch: michelle@shika.org.uk

You know who

you are... We would also like to say a massive thank you to one of our biggest supporters who has very kindly made a large donation to help us cover the cost of sponsorship for the remaining children without sponsorship this year.

Karibu to our new sponsors

We would like to say a massive thank you and extend a warm “Karibu” (Ki-Swahili for welcome) to our newest Shika sponsors. We are so happy for you to be part of something so special...

You are: Darren Abrahams, Mark Henderson, Niall Brennan, Anthea Falk, Patrick Allen, Marilyn Wiggers, Claire Thornhill, Jane Brumsen and Sue Upton.

We are still looking for a sponsor for Jarithan

Diana (l) and Gloria (r) both need new sponsors

After school tuition for standard 4 and 7s

When you tick that little box to say your donation is Gift Aidable, (eligible for Shika to claim the tax relief on your donation), do you ever wonder where that money goes? Aside for paying the the operational costs of the sponsorship scheme, we try to use any surplus to invest in the children’s education with extra tuition. For primary school children in Tanzania, standards 4 & 7 are important years. These are the years of the national examinations, and it is vital that the children perform to the best of their ability. In order to improve their performance, the school runs daily after school study sessions at a fee of around £4 per child, per month. This fee is out of reach to families of the children we

support, so we do our best to cover this expense....with the tax relief we earn through the Gift Aid scheme. It would not be possible for us to do this without the Gift Aid as the general sponsorship fee does not allow for such extravagances, but we do our best to find the school fees needed with any excess money generated by the Gift Aid.

Why not follow us on Twitter @shikacharity...or join our Facebook group Shika for all the latest news and activities from Tanzania.

Gift Aid: How we use your allowance - extra tuition

Sharifa Juma in class

Damaris Grustaf

Our devastating loss

In October last year, we received the heartbreaking news that one of the children we support at the after school centre had passed away. We wanted to write a tribute to a brave little boy, who fought hard to the end.

Max was one of 6 children. Life was hard for this family, they battled with ill health while living in extreme poverty. Things worsened in February 2010 when Max’s father passed away with malaria. Unable to look after her children alone, Mama Max made the difficult decision to send all her children, but Max, to live with their grandparents in the bush. Max’s mother wanted to look Max as they were both living with HIV. She felt she understood the illness and could look after him best. Max got on with life well, despite his condition, but last year

developed meningitis and was admitted to hospital. Hospitals in Tanzania are a world away from those in the west. You must provide your own food, buy your own medicine before being treated, and wait long periods of time to see a doctor. Thankfully we were able to support Mama Max during this difficult time. Max made a brief recovery before being taken ill again and sadly passed away in hospital in October.

Max was a very quiet young man but he had the biggest smile that would light up any room. Despite being unwell, Max was a happy boy and always worked hard in the classroom. He was well like by all the children, his best friends being Steven and Jackson.

Max we all miss you and are happy to have known you x

This item replaces the Shika child profile we had planned for this issue... this will feature in next issue.

R.I.P. Maximillion

Max at the after school centre in 2011. His brilliant smile would light up any room.....

Fundraising News From knitting to Christmas cards, Valentine cakes and cuppa’s, people have been doing some wonderful things to help us generate funds for Shika!

Special Mention... Chris’s Knits!Special mention must go to Chris Scott for taking up her knitting needles in an effort to clothes some of the poorest children in Tanzania. Chris hand knits the most amazing children’s woollies from her forever diminishing stock of wool ends. We sell her beautiful kid’s woolen’s for £5 sell, any left overs are sent out to Africa and donated to needy children there!

Share the love for Shika - Shika trustee Laura Falk and friend Holly Marsh held a “Share the Love for Shika” alternative Valentine date on Sunday at 12th February in Chiswick. The afternoon was a roaring success, with people paying £15 a head to feast on as much tea, sandwiches and hand made cakes as you would care to eat. There was also a raffle and bingo. The afternoon raised a massive £850 towards the after school centre programme. A huge thank you to Holly, in particular, who spent hours in the kitchen baking some of the most extra ordinarily delicious cakes I have tasted in ages!!!

Christmas Card Money...Thanks also to Dawn Massie and her team at Legal and General who raised over £50 for Shika instead of sending Christmas cards. With Royal Mail increasing their postage rates this is the way to go....

Chris’s knits prove popular with vulnerable children in Arusha!

Can you fundraise for Shika ?Things are tough for small charities such as Shika and every penny counts. If you could undertake any fundraising activity for Shika, however small, please do get in touch. Contact: michelle@shika.org.uk

Climb Kili for Shika....Have the experience of a lifetime while raising funds to support Shika’s educational programmes! We can arrange for you to climb all 5895m of Mount Kilimanjaro, the largest freestanding mountain in the world. As part of your trip you will also be able to come and meet your sponsor child and see how the money you raise is helping the children build a themselves a sound future. Email: info@shika.org.uk

Well done Varndean School! A huge pat on the back to the Varndean students involved in the CHOCS programme in 2011. All their fundraising efforts resulted in a massive annual total of £4472 towards the after school centre running costs. The students were thrilled to receive personal thank yous from the children in Tanzania in a film played at the presentation ceremony.

Access Varndean our new CHOCS partner!

We are thrilled to be working with a great group of students at Access Varndean as our new CHOCS fundraising partner. The CHOCS trio is complete with business Family Investment. The Brighton based company mentor the students in business skills to support their fundraising efforts, while teaching them transferable skills that the students can take to the job market.

The students have been busy arranging all sorts of events from discos to car boot sales to raise money. The picture left shows a small group of them at a car boot sale in Brighton. Good Luck !

For enquiries of any

nature:

info@shika.org.uk

Sponsorship

Volunteering Tanzania

Fundraising

After School Programme

Volunteering UK

oh so Shika

CHOCS

Press Enquiries

Schools

Tel +44 (0) 1273 779292Mobile +44 (0) 7900 996916Email michelle@shika.org.uk37 St Heliers Ave, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 5RE

www.shika.org.uk