The Oasis Foundation
Grace Village
Ethiopia

Childcare Activities

Goal and Objectives

Goal:   To provide Childcare to orphans and abandoned children

Objectives:

• To ensure quality education/skills training to each child at Grace Village to the maximum of their learning potential up to undergraduate level.
• To nurture each child at Grace Village physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
• To create an environment wherein each child at Grace Village will develop into a valuable independent member of his/her society.
• To support target community children in order to promote school attendance.
• To mobilize social interaction between the various children’s groups.
• To give food and clothing when available and when required.
• To assist with medical care when needed on a case-by-case basis and according to available funding.

Strategy and Implementation

Grace Village is situated eight kilometers from Shire Town. The village is made up of dwellings wherein housemothers care for the needs of the children, providing mothering as well as food, clothing and shelter. The children are taught at various levels from kindergarten through twelfth grade and will be sponsored through to undergraduate level at tertiary educational level.

There is a counselor who is responsible for oversight of the homes and a purchaser who ensures adequate provisions for each home. The children are assisted with their homework by responsible adults to whom the child can also go if having difficulty with his/her schoolwork.

Children are awarded for good work at school and at the village by taking them on trips at year's end. Troubled children may be observed and housed with a team leader for closer observation and to endeavor to resolve the matter of conflict or concern.

There are plans to develop a Vocational School on site at Grace Village for children unable to reach University level whereby they can be trained to be useful citizens of the society.

Every effort is made to take the children of Grace Village to meet other children, and for this reason they attend local schools in Shire and in Mydemo. The children are encouraged to interact with the children of these schools and other communities.

In order to keep children as much as possible with their families and familiar neighbors, the sponsoring of orphans within the community is taking on a new proportion. As much as is possible this is the line being taken by The Oasis Foundation and only in extreme conditions are children brought to Grace Village.

The community children are supported in order that they are able to attend school. A monthly stipend is given to the child or supporter, which will provide the basic necessities and releasing the child from obligation to the carer for ‘in-kind’ services and facilitate him/her to attend school. Monthly visits enable the organization to check that in fact this is effective.

Regular meetings for play or other forms of social interaction are organized on a regular basis where games can be played, and the various groups can meet with each other to exchange ideas and friendships.

There are occasions when the target children are so poor that clothing and/or treatment may be needed to enable the child to attend school; this too should be provided when funds are available.