This year Lubasi's funding has improved. We received a grant from the Conrad Hilton Fund for Sisters which will cover most of our salaries for a year. This is a tremendous help. We have increased salaries this year but they are still very low even by local standards and all our staff have now signed volunteer contracts, to recognise that we are not able to pay full time salaries and allowances and do not have permanent funding. They are all dedicated to the care of the children and work very hard.
We have also just received nine months' funding for education from the Global Fund, which stopped funding in the second quarter of last year due to shortage of international contributions. This will cover some of the school fees and expenses we had to find from other funds last year. Also in December we received a grant from The Father Werenfried Foundation in Poland, for education and health.
We still receive many individual donations through Global Partners for Health and other local and foreign contributions in cash and kind, so Lubasi now has funds in the bank for over 3 months' running expenses, a much healthier position than last year. We need to keep raising funds to maintain this position. We have about 40 children in residence and another 25 whom we support with their education after they leave Lubasi to stay with relatives.
Friday, 2 March 2012
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Funding crisis
Through the ten years since Lubasi Home opened, generous donors have provided all the needs and we have usually had reserve funds to cover several months. But in the last year, the flow of funds has slowed, resulting in a serious shortage and we now have less than one month's running costs in the bank.
We have reduced staffing and economised wherever possible. The number of permanent resident children is down to 31, with another 12 who have been reintegrated with families while we pay for their education.
But we have had 26 Congolese children with us for various periods and last week we were given 10 Zambian children who were found in an illegal boarding house in Livingstone in very unsatisfactory conditions. They have families, but had to be accommodated while the case is processed. The government department responsible has no funds to assist with these cases so we depend on our donors.
Another problem is that the grant for education from the Global Fund was halved in the second quarter this year and there is no news of the third quarter grant. We are committed to paying school fees and buying uniforms and books for 43 children, 3 of whom are in boarding school.
We thank all those who have continued to support us in cash or in kind and appeal to everyone for more help to keep Lubasi Home caring for children in need.
How to help
We have reduced staffing and economised wherever possible. The number of permanent resident children is down to 31, with another 12 who have been reintegrated with families while we pay for their education.
But we have had 26 Congolese children with us for various periods and last week we were given 10 Zambian children who were found in an illegal boarding house in Livingstone in very unsatisfactory conditions. They have families, but had to be accommodated while the case is processed. The government department responsible has no funds to assist with these cases so we depend on our donors.
Another problem is that the grant for education from the Global Fund was halved in the second quarter this year and there is no news of the third quarter grant. We are committed to paying school fees and buying uniforms and books for 43 children, 3 of whom are in boarding school.
We thank all those who have continued to support us in cash or in kind and appeal to everyone for more help to keep Lubasi Home caring for children in need.
How to help
Monday, 20 June 2011
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