Help Orphan Sandra Chilombo Go to School

Please meet Sandra Chilombo, age 8, from Malawi in south-central Africa. Sandra went to school at Bakhita Girls Primary School in Malawi, where she was one of the top students in her class in Standard 2 (the equivalent of Grade 2).

Last year both her parents died in a vehicle accident. She returned to her village of Malindi, where she lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother is impoverished and does not have the funds to support her, even at the local village school. Sandra dropped out of school and is understandably traumatized.

As a bit of background, Aaron lived in Malindi from age 4-6 while his parents were medical volunteers. Malawi is in south-central Africa and has been described as "the world's poorest peaceful country."

In October, Sandra met Aaron’s friend of 40 years, James Akimu, who, after talking with her, took on a role as a guardian along with his wife, Sarah. With our support, James enrolled Sandra in a private school near his home in Mangochi. While she is grateful to be back in school, she hopes to return to her original Bakhita school to continue her education.

In Sandra's own words:

We asked James why she needed to go to a private school – Aaron has fond memories of attending Standard 1 at the public school in Malindi and thought it might be better for her to live with her grandmother. James talked with her grandmother, who expressed concern about the current quality of education in Malindi, the difficult social situation in the village, and the lack of resources to look after her. The grandmother would need funds similar to the cost of tuition at her old school to support her in Malindi.

You might wonder why we don’t continue to support her, which is a complicated question. With Aaron's parents and family, we have put several kids through school and continue to support several families. We’re working with James and another childhood friend to set up more sustainable funding for education in Malindi. We think it would be best if Sandra had a long-term commitment from someone or a group of people interested in following her progress and helping her become an independent adult.

Sandra needs about 170,000 Malawi Kwacha for each term, which includes tuition, boarding, transportation, and supplies, or approximately $235 CAD/term. There are three terms in a year, so she needs roughly $750/year, including incidentals. We're asking for $800, to also cover currency transaction costs and fees. James will handle the financial/logistic aspects in Malawi. James is retired now (former teacher and principal), is dedicated to helping the Malindi community, and is diligent, honest, and a good communicator. Other than deducting his travel expenses, all funds will go to Sandra. Any excess funds from this year will be used for Sandra's future tuition.

If you feel you would like to become part of Sandra’s life, please let us know.

Here is where Sandra wants to return to school: https://goo.gl/maps/MmD4Tygk1YN97Mfm9

The primary school does not have a webpage, but its sister secondary school does: http://www.bakhitasecondaryschool.com/

Kind regards,

Aaron Gunson and Melania Cannon