Page 35 - Oct-Dec 2024 Edition
P. 35
CHARITY FOR HOPE FEATURE
We have a combined total of 356 students within
our nursery, primary and secondary schools,
21 of whom are part of our special needs class.
Additionally, we support 81 more students who
are either attending vocational trainings or
boarding type facilities due to their exceptional
circumstances at home. Among these are the
school for the deaf, where our students are taught
essential skills like Sign Language, ensuring
they are given the same opportunities to excel
academically and socially as their peers.
Furthermore, some of the “other institutions” we
work with include specialised mother-baby units
designed for survivors of sexual abuse. These
units provide a safe and supportive environment
for young mothers who were compelled to
continue with their pregnancies under challenging
circumstances. In these facilities, the girls
receive not only education but also counselling,
healthcare, and parenting support, helping
them to rebuild their lives and secure a brighter
future for themselves and their children. These
programmes are crucial in empowering these
young mothers, offering them a chance to
continue their education while receiving the care
and resources they need to heal and thrive.
Every day we provide 874 nutritious meals,
serving breakfast and lunch to all children who
attend our schools, as well as those who attend
our partner organisations, totalling over 4,300
meals every week. By nourishing their bodies
as well as their minds, we help to create stable
environments where children can thrive both
academically and personally. However, to ensure
our support is as impactful as possible and
reaches the poorest of the poor/ most vulnerable,
we use a thorough six-step process to identify
families most in need given our limited resources.
The assessment process:
Identification: Our social workers actively patrol
the community identifying children who are alone/
roaming the slum, or houses that look so bad its
shocking to see someone lives in them.
Initial visit: A social worker visits the family home
to interview potential beneficiaries, assessing their
living conditions, income, family situation etc.
Verification: If the social worker determines a
family meets the criteria then a second social
All images were taken by worker conducts a follow-up assessment to verify
Joseph Cummiskey details.
33
33
