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A Word from Kriek on another struggle

 

I have another pile of school fee receipts waiting in front for me ….. and I am dreading going through it. Here in Swaziland another school year has just started and with it came the almost unbearable demand and desperate pleas for SCHOOL FEES. It feels like a huge mountain in our way. The poor D-team is almost too afraid to go to the carepoints; they are so overwhelmed by the requests from the kids for school fees.

Let me explain a little. Most schools are government schools, but the kids still have to pay. And it’s not just the school fees; they also have to pay for books, stationary and uniforms. (And some of the schools just changed their complete uniforms!) In the past the government has helped to pay for orphans and vulnerable children, but it was just announced that the government will no longer pay for the vulnerable kids; they will only help the orphans. (Not sure if they will pay the full amount though.) School fees can be anything between $50 and $600 for a year. To you and me this does not sound like a lot, but in a country where the average person lives on less than $2 a day, this is almost impossible to pay!

At this stage we are seeing less leniency from head teachers at schools as more and more kids are being chased away because they cannot pay school fees. Schools are even chasing orphans away. Their reason: the government has not paid the kids’ school fees yet! Most of these kids who get chased, are too ashamed to even come to the carepoints and they would rather stay away. This breaks my heart.

It also breaks my heart to know that I am about to tell a bunch of really bright and cute kids at one of our carepoints that they can no longer go to school, because we can no longer pay for their school fees. We had a donor paying for them to go to a slightly nicer school, but now the donor can no longer pay. And I am the one having to face them and tell them this news. I don’t want them to leave this school! They can speak better English than all of the other kids their age; even better than a lot of the older kids! They have potential, and they have the opportunity to become something / somebody ……. but right now I feel like their futures are in my hands …. and I am about to cut the string.

I don’t want them to disappear in the stream of hopelessness; believing that they are nothing and nobody. I want them to become people of integrity, people of influence. Kids who exceeds their circumstances … because somebody cared enough to believe in them and to help them!
 

11 Comments

  1. Jumbo and Kriek: We completely understand. We KNOW the feeling, it seems as if the entire harvest field is in exactly the same spot. Unfortunately we too are the “pigs in the middle”, the “bearers of bad tidings”, but FORTUNATELY we are assured of the fact that we are in the service of the King of Kings. We are NOT paupers, and we WILL trust our Heavenly Father – together with you – to supply not only our every need, but also the needs of the children and students for whom we have taken responsibility.
    Be assured of our love, and prayers for you. Please pray for us.

  2. Kriek! How can we help? Is there a certain way to donate to ensure that it goes directly to this concern? Let me know and Derrick and I would love to help!

  3. My husband and I want to help, Kriek. We’ll send as much as we can, just tell us where to send it so it will be sure to get to the children.
    Love ya,
    Judie

  4. This breaks my heart for these children and for you, to be put in such a disheartening situtation. We do serve a big God, and I, along with others will be praying and watching with anticipation to see how He is going to work. Please post and let us know how we can be a vessel, used by God, to help.

  5. Breaks my heart too. You guys are heroes and we want to help.

    With the situation changing like this, I wonder if the government would be more open to us offering schooling to children?

    If so, I’d like to see if we could recruit teachers to go over and begin holding classes. Maybe we could brainstorm with others who want to help about possible solutions. Here’s a model that is particularly efficient that we could experiment with: http://www.escuelanueva.org/pagina/index.php?codmenu=0&idioma=2

  7. Hey everyone, I sent Kriek a message on facebook about giving to the education fund through Children’s HopeChests website. If anyone is interested in giving this was her response:

    “Yes, the money will get here! Thanks! If they ask for a reference, just type in ‘Swaziland school fees’. Then just let me know how much you gave and we can make double sure that the money goes for the payment of school fees.
    Thanks! You are awesome!”

    HopeChest’s Website for Giving: http://www.hopechest.org/give/

    Hope this helps!

  8. Thank you, Kriek, for doing what you can to help with this situation. We are praying for you and seeking ways to be able to help more. I’d like to share this blog post on my blog and if if there is ever anything else you think we can do to help, please let me know!

    Bless you!!!!
    Elysa

  9. Okay, so how do we do this? How do we change this? What can we do now? I can’t pay for them all, but I can pay for one.

    xo

  11. Kriek – does the Swazi Education fund still exist??? If so, then all these people who want to help could give there! (through AIM – and write on in the memo of the check Swazi Education Fund).

    Or online, could they give to this link – https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=swazi&multi=

    Choose “SWAZI ORPHAN FUND” and then write SCHOOL FEES in the note?!? Kriek – you will have to say if that would work, I am not in the loop with this anymore – but maybe you can reply to some of these people wanting to help with that info!

    Praying for PROVISION for these children!!!

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