The aim of the New Day Children’s Centre is to provide support to disadvantaged children enabling them to continue school.    In Ethiopia students attend school in half day shifts – one week in the morning, and the following week in the afternoon. While they are not at school the centre provides them with a safe and pleasant place to spend their time, where they receive two meals a day and additional tuition from the centre teacher, as well as having the opportunity to wash themselves and their clothes and socialise with their friends. They follow a programme of study that is primarily aimed at improving their English as it is vital that they are able to read and write English to a good standard if they are to do well at school. Our aim is for each student to complete their education through to grade 12 when we hope they will do well in their final exams and go on to university.

 

The centres are run by Ethiopians and as well as providing them with employment we also encourage them to continue with their education too. If they wish the continue their education this is funded by the project too.

 

Students are recommended to the centre by the local school and they join us when they are in grade 7 (this is the equivalent to year 8 in the UK). The choice is made on the students’ circumstances and their commitment to education. Most of the children have lost their parents and have been fending for themselves for a considerable time. Finding time to earn enough money to live as well as going to school is very difficult for them, and often they reluctantly drop out of school to spend more time with such jobs as shining shoes. The New Day Children’s Centre aims to take away the need for these children to work and allowing  them to concentrate on their education.

 

There are currently 42 children attending the centre and our aim is to continue to offer places to a new cohort of grade 7 students each year. It is encouraging to see the impact the Centres have had on these children who are now happy, confident and healthy young people, however we are also fully aware that there are so many more children who would benefit from such support. It is with help from volunteers and supporters such as yourself that we might be able to help more in the future.

 

      On the 18th July 2010 several other students from Ryton Comprehensive School and I are travelling to Ethiopia for three weeks along with some teachers in order to help the New Day Centre.  We have hopes of building a new part of the New Day Centre if we can purchase a plot of land but this isn't confirmed yet.  We rely on donations to pay for our travel costs in order to make it out to Africa, please donate anything you can.

 

The charity has a website which can be found at http://www.ryton2ethiopia.org/  this contains any more information you may require.