New Hope

Stephen made it through to 8^th grade in Primary school but Secondary schooling seemed elusive as his brother was diagnosed with diabetes and required medical treatment. His parents could only afford to send the first born to school and even he had to drop out of school as medical bills rose. Stephen had no option but to find casual work to help with the family needs.

Stephen had a thirst for education though and he was misled into thinking that someone was going to pay his school fees. When this did not materialise he felt that his life had no meaning and tried to commit suicide. Thankfully, his mother found him and told him not to give up. Someone heard of his story and directed him to New Hope. Here, he was given hope. New Hope took Stephen through secondary school; all they asked of him was that he worked hard which he was keen to do. Stephen completed secondary school and was then able to proceed on to study nursing thanks to the generous support of a Hand in Hand donor. Now a fully trained nurse with responsibilities of managing the night shift team Stephen goes on to work hard doing further studies and assisting his family, New Hope and others whenever he can. His life has truly been transformed and is transforming others.

Hand in Hand's relationship with New Hope Children’s Home in the Uplands region began the year of its conception (2000). Throughout this time, we have seen New Hope transform the lives of children that once had little hope into young adults who can support themselves and care for their own families. The work of New Hope reaches beyond the walls of the compound into the community assisting struggling families caring for their children.

New Hope are always looking to respond to the current needs and directives from the government. In 2019 the development of Oakridge School of Excellence for primary school children started on site to respond to the need for quality primary education. Since that time it has continued to develop and now In August 2024 Oakridge was providing primary and secondary education for 217 children. They managed to come 5th in the local area after completing exams.

http://www.newhopeuplands.org/

Uplands is a rural area where farming is the leading industry. Access to education and medical help is challenging. Local schools struggle to cope with large numbers where there are sometimes as many as 60 students in a classroom. Children lose parents not only through HIV but also illnesses considered relatively easy to cure by more developed regions.

New Hope mainly serves as a home for vulnerable and orphaned boys and girls who have just been born or are nearing the end of their secondary school education.

Sponsorship is not only the privilege of children staying at the home but also for the neediest in the surrounding community.

As well as helping children with their school fees, New Hope now runs an onsite nursery, primary and secondary school onsite called Oakridge School of Excellence. The school is the most recent addition to their services.

The Mother and Baby unit has its very own building on the home’s compound and offers shelter and support to new mothers and orphaned babies.

At the instigation of New Hope, three villages have been raised up providing homes for over 65 grandmothers with orphaned grandchildren.

The home is continually looking for income opportunities so it can decrease its dependence on donors. A large part of the children's diet consists of fruit and vegetables grown on the land. Also in 2005, supporters provided a borehole so the home could save money on its water supply.