> faq

As and when you ask us questions we will try our best to answer them and post them up on this site to help others.

> Why are some children older than they should be for the grade that they are in?
> How much does it cost to sponsor a girl?
> How do you ensure accountability and ensure that the money is spent how it is said to be spent in Zambia?
> Who is your contact in Zambia?
> How do you pick the girls?
> How do I pay?

Why are some children older than they should be for the grade that they are in?
Some children don’t attend any school at all until they are older than the usual entry age, sometimes because parents have been unable to afford to send them. This is why children’s ages do not have to correspond with a particular grade.

How much does it cost to sponsor a girl?
One year's schooling costs approximately £300 GBP a year and girls also receive a uniform, books, stationary and some extracurricular activities.

This equates to a total of only £25.00 per month for you, the sponsor. Or why not think about sponsoring a child with a friend so that you can share the cost. Or perhaps you could commit to sponsoring ‘half a child’ this would also really help us to ensure that all girls will be able to attend school, you can do this for £12.50 a month.

Each Year each girl will need:
School fees each term (x3)
School shoes
School bag
Uniform (full initially, then new sizes or replacement items as necessary)
Stationary (exercise books, pens and pencils)

There are always ongoing costs with the project such as school transport costs, extracurricular trips, books, further tuition, stationary and project administration. Donations are always needed to cover these expenses, so if you feel that you would like to help please email us at: girlchild_uk@yahoo.co.uk

How do you ensure accountability and ensure that the money is spent how it is said to be spent in Zambia?
I am working with Ann Phiri - a woman who i feel that i know well and can trust. She is an expat who has been living in Zambia for approx 40 years. She has been a school teacher for many years and is devoted to ensuring better education for the children. She is personally delivering the money to the school for fees, uniforms and transport and collecting all receipts. She then sends these to me.

The children's reports each term will confirm whether or not they have been attending. Some sponsors have asked if they can go in to the school to visit and this of course is very welcome. It is also good for individuals to feel confident and to know that the children are attending and have uniforms etc.

All money is processed and monitored through internet banking. Money either goes directly to the school or to Mrs Phiri through the Girl Child bank accounts.

All accounts and bank statements on request. Annual accounts are produced in the Girl Child Annual Report which is oublished and circulated each year.

Who is your contact in Zambia?
The contact, as mentioned above, is Ann Phiri. However, since September 2007 we have also taken on Kachingwe Dambo. Kachingwe used to work with Alice at ACP when she was living in Zambia. He has worked with young and vulnerable children for most of his working life, and has lots of contacts with the local NGOs and agencies in Lusaka. Kachingwe has also spent 18 months living and working in both Germany and the UK.

How do you pick the girls?
Initially, all the girls we were working with lived at the ACP project, where I did my VSO placement. This is because that is where my inspiration came from. I had seen the poor facilities and standards of the local government schools. I was also obviously aware of all the extra teaching that I had to do at ACP but know that I can no longer can be there to do that for them.

However, since the project closed down early in 2007, several of the girls went back to the villages where their extended family lived. Unfortunately, in most cases we are not able to continue to sponsor them. Since the trip to Zambia in the summer of 2007 we have set up relationships with several other projects based in Lusaka. At the current time 14 of the girls we sponsor come from the Every Orphan's Hope project which is in Kalingalinga and only down the road from the school.

How do I pay?
You can set up a standing order each month to sponsor either half a girl at £12.50 per month or a whole girl at £25.00 per month. Details will be sent to you if you are interested. Please contact Girl Child through the link on the right hand side.