More Than Just A School

Nelson Mandela once said,

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

We agree whole heartedly, which is why we strive to offer children in our sponsorship program and in the Debre Zeyit community a school of quality and excellence. We do this through the BCI Academy which serves grades K – 8. We founded the BCI Academy four years ago, because of the lack of quality schools in the area. Government schools have 70 – 90 children per classroom; can you imagine that?

The BCI Academy is not just a school; the BCI Academy is also the home of the feeding program, after school programs, training programs for the single mothers and additional activities like the English Competition, Soccer Tournament, Drawing contest, etc. (See below for pictures of just a few of our programs)

Students at the BCI Academy

As September draws near, so does the opening of the BCI Academy for the 2013/2014 school year.

Struggling to maintain a work of excellence in a third world country is a constant challenge, but this is what sets us apart… so we must persist.

In continuing our mission for excellence, there are several things that are needed to open the doors of the BCI Academy this year, allowing it to maintain its quality.

The needed items are:

BCI Academy Bus Repair	$504
Basic School Maintenance	$611
School Uniforms	$7,900
Government & Land Taxes	$2,284

The BCI Academy offers each student the opportunity to ride the bus to school for a very reasonable fee of a quarter a day, regardless of their location or distance from the school. This minimal cost barely covers the expense of gas for the bus, let alone the routine maintenance to keep the bus running. The necessary repair to get the bus up and running for the coming 2013/2014 school year is $504.

As with any building that is frequently used (especially by children!) there is basic maintenance that is needed to keep the building looking it best. For the BCI Academy this includes; a fresh coat of paint, re-varnishing, replacing/repairing some desks and chairs, repairs in the bathrooms and replacing some window and door locks. The total cost for this basic maintenance is $611.

All schools in Ethiopia, government and private, require their students to wear school uniforms. They are generally plain and very poor quality. The BCI Academy has taken uniforms to a new level of excellence by providing our students with quality uniforms with a BCI Academy logo. We have found a factory that will sell us uniforms at a discounted rate, if we buy in bulk. The minimum number to purchase is 1,000 – which equals a three year supply for the BCI Academy. The total cost needed to purchase three years supply of uniforms is $7,900.

The final need for the BCI Academy to open its doors next month is the taxes. Land in Ethiopia is not purchased outright, it is leased. The cost for this year’s lease is $1,196. In addition to the lease amount, we need to renew our school license to continue operating; this is an additional $1,088.

Would you consider making a donation towards these very pressing needs? You’ll not only be investing in a school but also into the lives of hundreds of children. We need the funds by September, in order to send them on to Ethiopia to meet these needs. If you are unable to help, is there someone you can share this need with?

To make a donation, you can visit the BCI donate page, be sure to mark your donation “BCI Academy”.
http://www.blessingthechildren.org/Donate/index.html

You can also give Melissa a call/email to make a donation or for any questions:
Ph. 989-667-8850 | Melissa@BlessingtheChildren.org