We have an exciting update for you, as well as a heartwarming story from two of EKARI's students. We started construction on the Father Joseph Makina home, which will support students' studies by providing them with access to nutrition, sanitation, tutoring programs, and electricity for homework--all of which they can't access without EKARI. Construction began in early March of this year, and it employed 32 people from the community of Phalombe who benefited from the wages they received at each stage of the project, including laying the foundation, building the walls, completing the roof, and installing electricity. This home will allow EKARI students to maintain a supportive environment with quality nutrition and adequate space to do homework, without having to travel long distances from school to their families' homes, thus supporting the 3 Meals a Day and Tutoring Programs that you have so generously contributed to.
Two students, Chisomo and Carolyn both attend Phalombe secondary school, but their families live hours away. The girls said the new home will be beneficial especially during times when school is not in session, such as holidays, because the existing home was congested and overcrowded. In the existing EKARI home, they were not able to sleep on a bed because the beds took up too much space, thus they slept on mattresses on the floor so that there would be enough room for everyone to sleep. Additionally, the house was so congested, hygiene and sanitation were difficult to implement. The new home will also help prevent students from being distracted by familial and societal pressures, such as pressure to not return to school and to stay in their home villages to make money for their families. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of June / early July.
We are so grateful to you, our donors, for continuing to support the 3 Meals a Day and Tutoring Programs, which have now been reinforced with the additional resource of providing a safe space for EKARI students to focus on their studies and graduate from secondary school.
Zikomo/Thank you!
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