Hope Sparked began with a desire to make a difference, a commitment to help those who need it most, and very little resources. We have slowly built this organization with the generous donations of people who share our belief that every child should have the opportunity to get an education, and those of us blessed with that opportunity have the privilege of helping others achieve it. Every year we've been able to make a bigger impact than the last thanks to your help. Once you've learned about what we do, the goals below will tell you how we hope to expand in the future as the Spark of Hope continues to grow.
1. Make long-term commitments to keep our current students in school.
We are currently supporting 25 students in various schools around Mabulu. Many of them have attended school only sporadically in the past, sometimes having to drop out after a few weeks when their families can't pay the school fees. The continual disappointment leads to a loss of hope and motivation in an entire neighborhood. We want to make long-term commitments to each of our students that will allow them to finish their primary and secondary education so they can have the hope, confidence, and skills they need to be successful. It costs about $250 per student in primary school to pay for the entire year of tuition and provide two school uniforms and basic school supplies. Fees increase in secondary school and costs for older students are about $400 a year. In addition, we have one regular tutor at a cost of $100 a month throughout the year, including the summer, to make sure the students are well prepared to re-enter school and keep up. We ask families to provide whatever support they can, but need to have a base of recurring donors to support these children when their families can't come up with enough. Our primary goal is to raise enough funds to support these returning students so can look forward with hope to graduating.
2. Expand our classes of student every year.
There are dozens of children in Mabulu who have little hope of a better future. We want to expand our classes of students, but also want to make sure we don't overextend and fall short on our commitments. We are excited to grow our program quickly with your support, and have many children eagerly awaiting their chance to get back in school.
3. Fund a school and community center.
The only school in this neighborhood (shown below) receives no funding and is completely inadequate. Classes are held only when people in the community can come up with funds to pay a teacher, which is rare. We would like to build and fund a school in this area that can bring hope to the whole community instead of just a select few. We plan to extend educational opportunities to the adult community as well, providing health and employment services that can truly break the cycle of poverty. A suitable property has already been identified, and we have commissioned plans for a building which would provide multiple class rooms and a community services for hundreds of people. While this is an ambitious goal, we are eagerly looking for donors to help us achieve it. We will continue to fund students in local schools, but believe we can have the greatest impact when we can provide education to the entire community rather than a select few.
4. Expand these projects throughout other regions of Kinshasa and the DRC.
We are beginning our efforts in the shanty town of Mabulu. This small community is full of people living with little hope or opportunity, and their are dozen of communities just like it throughout Kinshasa and the DRC. Our goal is to ignite a Spark of Hope first in Mabulu, then throughout this country of such great need and promise.
