.: Racecourse Community School Fundraising Initiative :.

Hello all!  This will be the first of three newsletters that I plan to send out in 2010 to keep you all informed about what is happening at the Racecourse Community School (RCS) for orphans and vulnerable children in Kitwe, Zambia and what is happening with our efforts to raise funds and awareness here in Canada.

If you don’t get a chance to read over the entire newsletter please make sure to take note of our April 17th annual fundraising dinner.  We will once again have wonderful African food and drumming.  However, this year we will hold the dinner in the basement of our host church St. Paul’s United (11526 76 Avenue).  Tickets can be reserved through me for $25 (children under 12 are $10) so please send me an e-mail or give me a call if you’d like to reserve – heather@racecourseschool.com or (780)498-2322.

This newsletter will include:

1) A Racecourse School Update

1. a. Teacher’s and student wellbeing
2. b. Plans for the new school block
3. c. Hopes for the future

2) An Initiative Update

1. a. An overview of 2009
2. b. Exciting connection with former Racecourse resident!
3. c. Plans, transfers and changes for 2010
4. d. 6^th Annual Fundraising Dinner, April 17 2010

Please note that donations and contributions of time and energy are welcome any time.  Please make cheques out to St. Paul’s United Church and put ‘Racecourse School’ in the memo.  Send donations to 11526 76 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta.

And now, a little more detail:

1) A Racecourse School Update

1. a. Teacher’s and student wellbeing

The teachers and students at the RCS continue to do quite well.  We have reports that the grade sevens once again performed incredibly well on their year-end government exams.  This is a testament to both the students and teachers who put in countless extra hours on weekends, holidays and after school to make all of this possible.

The teacher’s monthly allowances were increased in 2009 by the school Board to around $100CAD/month. Though the teachers are very happy about this, these allowances still fall well below what the teachers need to make ends meet and so many teachers continue to run small businesses and find sponsors to supplement their income as they can.

The children have their school supplies given to them as the School Board can provide, but some of the children continue to be undernourished and many of the younger ones are also underdressed.  The Board hopes to someday implement a food program and provide clothing to the children most in need…as funds allow.

1. b. Plans for the new school block

Plans are well underway for the second new school block.  As was announced in 2009, a generous family in Calgary donated $50 000CAD for the construction of this block and the Livia Stoyke Foundation has committed an additional $5000CAD in 2010 to put towards this block.  These funds will be enough to construct a 2 classroom block and there are plans in place to eventually expand this block into 4 classrooms and a second office.  The School Board has decided to use a formal company for the construction of this block, and the company anticipates completing the 2 classrooms this year.

We are now collecting funds to put towards the expansion, and if you would like to run a project – specific fundraiser and send these funds to us for this purpose, please feel free!

1. Hopes for the future

We received the 2010 budget from the Racecourse School Board and are using that to direct our funds this year.  The budget was accompanied by some important notes on the Board’s hopes for the future that I thought I would pass on to you all. Rev. Sikazwe (the Board Chair) writes:

“It is important that our partners begin to think with us in terms of the following future plans

1. Employing of permanent teachers at least five (5). This has financial implications.

2. Library and computer technology (new or secondhand)

3. School mini-bus and sinking of a bore-hole

4. Establishment of viable income generating projects”

We look forward to working with the Board on meeting their Budget requirements (as best we can) and planning our fundraising with their future plans in mind.

2) An Initiative Update

1. a. A financial overview of 2009

In 2009 we once again attained our goal of raising and transferring over $20 000 CAD in operating funds to the Racecourse Community School Board. We also managed to raise an additional $50 000 for a special one-time-only project – the construction of the second new block.  Thanks to all of the amazing people and communities that made this possible!

Some of our Funding Partners in Canada this year included:

The $20 000CAD in funds for the operational expenses of the school are typically directed to things such as:

• teacher allowances/training
• student requisites (i.e. pencils/paper)
• office supplies
• desks and chalk boards
• school maintenance
• costs associated with water and land
• sponsorship of graduates as they carry on in government schools

1. b. Exciting connection with former Racecourse resident!

A former resident of the Racecourse Community, a Mr. Gilbert Kalonde, recently contacted us.  He and his brother spent part of their childhood in the Racecourse Community and subsequently came to North America to settle.  He writes:

“Hello, I am just wondering if I am dreaming or it is reality? Is this the Racecourse in Kitwe that I lived in before becoming a teacher and eventually moving [to] the USA? Please give me a link to any of the teachers [so] that way I can also find a way to contribute in a small way. I feel really touched. I left Racecourse in 1983 after completing high school at Kitwe Boys’ and did courses at Evelyn Hone. I became a teacher at Mukuba High School but did not stay long as I got a scholarship to come to USA. We decided to remain here but my heart is always in Racecourse. My young brother who is in Canada (Prince Rupert) and myself we always feel that God blessed us to manage to be were we are despite the poverty in Racecourse but emerging out of it and working on my PhD seems like a miracle…

I was in Racecourse late 1960s when I was just a baby but we moved to Bulangililo for some years. Got back to Racecourse in 1978 until I finished high school in 1983 (Kitwe Boys’ Secondary School). That time when I was there during my high school time, we were less than 10 kids who were going to high school and I remember very vividly that when I was in grade 12, we were only two kids in grade 12 coming from that area…

I found Racecourse [the website] when I was looking for some lost friends. For your information we still have our structure still there. With regard to where I am in the US, I am in Illinois pushing for a PhD but my residence is in California…

I really enjoyed the photos on your website. I did that same night forward them to my young brother in Canada. (He is a Hospital Biomedical Scientist – trained in England/Bradford University) his wife is a nurse… The truth is that I feel God blessed us tremendously to have gotten this far considering the poverty and the economical conditions that prevailed in the area.”

I hope you all enjoyed reading these e-mails as much as I did!  We have also received correspondence and are enhancing our connection with Caversham Methodist Church and Maiden Erlegh School in the UK. Both have been supporters of the school for a number of years but our connection with them is new!

1. c. Plans, transfers and changes for 2010

In terms of fundraising, in 2010 our goal is to raise another $20 000CAD for operational expenses of the school, we also plan to transfer the funds necessary for the construction of the first 2 classrooms in the new school block, and hope to raise as much as possible to contribute to the completion of 2 more classes of the new school block in future years.

In terms of raising awareness, in 2010 we hope to continue giving presentations to various church/school/community groups about the school and the issues affecting the students and teachers at the school.  We also hope to raise awareness about the Community School Movement more broadly.

In the last week of January we transferred our first instalment of $10 000 for 2010.  These funds were directed to grade 8-12 graduate sponsorship, teacher allowances/training (as needed), student school requisites (as needed), and other operational expenses.  We have received confirmation that the funds were received and are being put to work.  We will make our first transfer of approximately $20 000 for the first phase of the new school block in the weeks to come and anticipate transferring the remaining $10 000 for operating expenses in June or July.

In the fall of 2009 members of St. Paul’s Board attended an information session hosted by the Canadian Revenue Agency for charities operating abroad.  As a result of what these members learned and after a thorough analysis of the rules and regulations for charities operating abroad, we are undergoing a number of administrative changes in 2010.  Bill Halford (CA) and I have been working with the St. Paul’s United Church Board and the Social Action Team at St. Paul’s to put in place the necessary procedures.  Some of the steps that we have taken to ensure compliance are:

1)    Formalizing the role, responsibilities and reporting required from the Project Manager of this initiative (read: me) to the Social Action Team

2)    Formalizing our partnership with the Racecourse School Board who act as an ‘intermediary’ to carry out our work with the school

3)    Formalizing the procedure and record keeping involved in the transfer and receiving of funds

4)    Being more clear in our communications that we are an outreach activity of St. Paul’s United Church

5)    Enhancing the communication that is occurring between the initiative and the St. Paul’s Board and general members of St. Paul’s United Church

If you would like to learn more about the process we have gone through and some of the changes that are taking place as a result, please do not hesitate to contact me.

1. d. 6^th Annual Fundraising Dinner – April 17, 2010

We hope you can join us for this special annual event!  We will once again have wonderful African food and drumming.  This year, Mebrat (of Mebrat Eritrean Café on 107ave and 106street) will once again be providing her amazing Eritrean Vegetarian cuisine, and we hope to also prepare some Zambian food for you to sample.

Please note the change of venue: We will hold the dinner this year in the basement of our host church, St. Paul’s United (11526 76 Avenue) at 6pm (doors open at 5:30).

Tickets can be reserved through me for $25 (children under 12 are $10) so please send me an e-mail or give me a call if you’d like to reserve – heather@racecourseschool.com or (780)498-2322.  I will also be selling tickets at St. Paul’s United Church throughout the month of April.

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