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This is a project run for orphans and vulnerable children in a group of schools in and around the Ndumo area. At the present moment thirteen (13) schools are included in the project and over a thousand orphans and vulnerable children benefit from the project. It is envisaged that the project will be catering for seventeen schools in the near future. The project was initiated by a group of headmasters of the schools in the Ndumo area under the guidance of the late Bishop Michael O’Shea OSM and  Fr Camillus Mcgrane OSM in the year 2000.  

Geographical Allocation  

Ndumo area falls under the Vicariate of Ingwavuma in the Umkhanyakude district under the Jozini local municipality. It is in a deep rural area and indeed very much poverty stricken as a large number of people are unemployed. The schools in the area have to function like any other schools in the Obonjeni District.  

Historical Background

It happened at the beginning of the year 2000 at St Philips Primary School that the principal, the teaching staff, the SGB and the parents took a decision that all the learners of St Philips Primary School should have paid their school fees and bought their school uniform by the end of March that year. It was agreed that those who would fail to do so would be sent home at the beginning of April.

April came and still a great number of learners neither had paid their school fees nor bought school uniform. According to the stipulation, those who had not co-operated were sent back home. The same learners kept on being sent home for the whole week without any improvement. Eventually the headmaster of the school, Mr N.D.Mthembu summoned them to his office to find out as to why they did not want to co-operate.

It was so shocking to find out that they could not pay or buy school uniform due to fact that they had lost their both parents and most of them had no one to support them. Mr Mthembu then informed the Bishop Michael O’Shea about the matter that more than fifty learners at St Philips were orphans and more others were vulnerable children. The Bishop suggested that before he could seek any help for them, Mr Mthembu should consult other Catholic headmasters in their areas to find out if they did have the same problem.

Indeed the other eight schools headed by Catholic teachers shared the same problem. From then the headmasters met and even formed a committee. The Bishop and Fr Camillus McGrane met with them and eventually organised that Mr Viljoen and Mr Hector Raketsi (a team) from the Southern African Catholic Bishop Conference (SACBC) visit Ndumo for fact finding .

They advised the headmasters to established a name for the project as well as constitution. It is then that the project formed and was known as Ndumo Schools Orphans Project. From then the SACBC through FHI funded the project which was aimed buying food parcels for the 300 learners in the nine schools. So each month end the committee would buy food parcels for each of the 300 learners. This went on for four years until 2005.   

In 2006 the following new services were introduced: psycho-social support, shelter, general education, child protection, economic support, clinical nutrition and health. The project had to have a project co-ordinator. Mr Bheki Mthembu was appointed to run the project, assisted by caregivers who were to visit homes for the various schools. A Catholic nun, Sr Lydia Danyluk  OPcame in as social worker helping to get birth certificates for the orphans who did not have them as well as helping them to get social grants. For now the project is run well under Bheki Mthembu the project co-ordinator.

Achievements

Challenges 

Future plans