DORMITORIES
Dormitories at Maisha Academy – Building a Refuge
The vision of Maisha Academy is to provide quality education and train well-adjusted children to live and prosper in their environment. Children at Maisha are matched with sponsors who invest in their education, allowing them to attend and concentrate fully on school. As a result, the quality of education and growth in the children’s lives has increased substantially. Now, to realize the fullness of the vision, shelter and a safe environment must be provided for at-risk students at the academy.
Maisha child sponsorships operate on a community based care model which keeps children in the homes of caregivers where they learn cultural traditions and develop skills that are vital to their future. Caregivers may be grandparents, extended relations or widows in the community. Frequently, a child is identified as “vulnerable” or “partial orphan,” meaning one or both parents are living but are unable to feed the child or send them to school despite working full time. Sponsors step in to invest in the child’s education and remedy this. Keeping children in these homes is ideal, but sometimes factors make this an unsuitable option.
Some of the Children at Maisha Academy live in stable homes, but some of the children live in unsafe or compromised situations. The homes that are supposed to shelter them become the threat. A child’s home environment has significant effect on learning and school performance.
In order to address this issue, dormitories are being built at Maisha Academy to house students identified as at-risk in their homes. This will give them not only a safe home, but directly increase their ability to focus and learn. Children in the dormitories will receive three meals a day, ensuring proper nutrition. Living on campus also eliminates the long walk to and from school which brings a whole new set of dangers. Because the need for safe housing for girls is so great, we began with building the girls dormitory, which was completed in 2017, with an expected move-in spring of 2018.
Now, we are asking you to partner with us in building the at-risk boys of Maisha Academy a safe place to live while they receive an outstanding education. Make an investment in the well-being and safety of the children of Maisha Academy at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/TheMaishaProject_1/dorms.html.