The History of The Unique School Child Care Project

Mbonweh WDA is a child centred organisation, which believes that human development through education and training will greatly help to combat poverty and all the other accompanying ills. The worst aspect of poverty does not only reflect low income, but also malnutrition, diseases, ignorance, illiteracy, and child delinquency. The Unique school project was initiated in 2001 with the following objectives To provide early childhood care and education in the west coast; Batoke and surrounding rural fishing villages of Sokolo, Ngeme, Bobende, Bakingili, Idenau. To give hope, love and good quality education to vulnerable, poor village children and orphans. Eliminate gender disparities by encouraging the village girl child to stay in school and achieve education. To lay down the ground work of subsequent academic pursuits. To build a centre for the initiation of youths into the use of locality available resources and talents to earn a living. To transform the society through the child.

British High Commissioner in the opening ceremony of the Unique School in 2004.

MBONWEH WDA solely provided funding for this initial part of the project with the assistance of the local community. The village chief provided the land in 2002 and the construction of the first six classrooms and library was started.

In 2003 Mbonweh WDA solicited the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Germany and through their Small Grants Scheme was awarded for the completion of the first building.

In 2004 Mbonweh again solicited and was awarded a grant from the British High Commission for the construction of the Nursery classrooms including the Office, kitchen and toilets.

The project has also received assistance form ETM and CART of England in form of equipment books and cloths.

International Volunteers come each year from Europe and USA to teach or improve on the program in various ways. The most important impact has been created through the Unique Child Sponsorship program, which was initiated in 2006 by Wendy Drake, a British volunteer and given a great leap by Merit Hietanen, a Finnish Volunteer in 2007. Presently in September 2009, the enrolment stands at 406 children with 16 full time employees.

Katrien was a Belgian volunteer teacher in the Unique school and she taught French.

The Unique School Child Care Project is a comprehensive daily childhood care and special educational institution, created for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged rural children, homeless children, orphans, poor children. Most importantly it is an attempt to eliminate gender disparities in education in these villages, with a focus on ensuring girls full and equal access to an achievement in essential life skills. It offers free access to quality education through the Unique Child Sponsorship program and special computer literacy programs for youths in the community.

The project is not only helping to improve social welfare in giving hope to hopeless children, curbing crimes, reducing child abuse, prostitution, and the spread of HIV/AIDS in these very primitive villages but also forming a springboard for community development.

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