Deep Roots Scholarship Fund

Deep Roots Zambia - established 2000

Deep Roots Zambia (DRZ) supports primary, basic and secondary school children in the rural areas around Monze and Kalomo in the Southern Province of Zambia. Going to school is the best chance Zambian children have to take control of their lives; an educated population is the best chance Zambia has to combat AIDS, gender inequality, and the overwhelming problems of poverty. Yet an education is out of the reach of many children. More than 20% of adults are illiterate. A mere 67 % of primary school aged children are actually attending school and less than a quarter make it to secondary school (according to The Official Summary of The State of the World's Children 2004, as quoted from www.unicef.org). The numbers are even worse for orphans.

DRZ is working to change that picture by providing financial and moral support to orphans and other children in need, who show promise in school but would otherwise have to abandon their education prematurely. DRZ sponsorships come in three parts: financial aid, counseling, and cultural exchange.

In addition to paying for school fees, supplies and uniforms, DRZ provides each new child in its program with a young goat to generate income for other expenses.
DRZ also recognizes the importance of encouragement, especially for children whose guardians or parents are not educated themselves. Thus, each child is visited regularly by a staff-member to check on her or his progress and living situation.
Sponsors of children in grades 8 and up are given the option to be linked one-on-one with a specific child. While providing the opportunity for an education to the children is the primary goal, DRZ facilitates the exchange of letters, pictures and drawings between the children and their sponsors.

DRZ works in cooperation with the Zambian non-profit organization DAPP (Development Aid from People to People). DAPP works with small-scale community-based development projects to improve health, education and the environment. It has been a long-time partner of UNICEF, USAID and other groups in Southern Zambia. DAPP handles everything from paying school fees and distributing school supplies to organizing the periodic visits to each of the children in DRZ's scholarship program. Community committees charged with tracking and helping orphans and supported by DAPP also play a key role in the selection process.

Deep Roots Zambia was created when the independent program Adopt a Kid In Need (AKIN) was absorbed into DR's operations.

PRIMARY SCHOOL

In early 2003, the Zambian government abolished all school fees for primary schools (grades 1-7). In response, DRZ has shifted its focus to the more expensive basic and secondary schools. However, we continue to sponsor those primary school students already in the program, so that they will continue to benefit from the financial support for supplies and clothes as well as from the periodic visits and the established cultural links with sponsors overseas. The total yearly cost for a primary school scholarship is approximately $28. In 2005 DRZ is supporting 25 children in primary schools.

BASIC SCHOOL

Basic school offers grades 8 and 9 for those children whose results on the national exams at the end of grade 7 did not allow them to continue straight to secondary school. The vast majority of kids do not make the cut for secondary school; many are not even allowed to progress to basic school; and of those who pass their exams a large proportion nonetheless drops out of school, because they cannot afford the school fees.

This is where DRZ steps in. DRZ pays for school and exam fees, school supplies and a uniform, and provides support through home visits to ensure that talented children do not have to spend their days herding cattle or working the fields. The yearly cost for a basic school scholarship is approximately $78. In 2005 DRZ is sponsoring 42 children in basic schools.

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Secondary schools are significantly more expensive than the lower grades, partially because there aren't any in the rural areas, and the pupils have to travel to the nearest town (or one further away, depending on their assignment) to attend boarding schools. In addition to room and board, the school fees are quite a lot higher. In exchange, students have access - for the first time in their schooling - to labs and other specialized equipment. Most rural schools have neither electricity nor telephone connections, let alone computers and internet access.

A DRZ scholarship pays for all the relevant fees, supplies, a uniform and a blanket, plus transportation costs and a small stipend to pay for hygiene and similar needs. DRZ's in-country partner DAPP also assists children in the DRZ program to secure places in near-by and high-quality schools. The total cost for one year at secondary school is approximately $370. (Compare this to the gross national per capita income of $900!) Thanks to our donors, in 2005 DRZ is able to support 22 students in secondary schools.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

While DRZ's focus is on enabling Zambian youth to attend grades 1 - 12, in some cases we also support post-secondary education. When a DRZ scholar graduates from grade 12 and has plans for further education, she or he has the opportunity to apply for special funding from DRZ. Typically, such an application is approved if the past sponsor agrees to continue the sponsorship or if another donor specifically agrees to provide the necessary funds. Currently, DRZ is funding the teacher training of 1 student.