About The Samaritan Trust

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

The Trust aims at promoting the protection and welfare of street children on the streets of Blantyre . These aims are achieved through the following objectives:

	To identify and provide moral and financial support to street children, and children in difficult circumstances.
	To implement literacy and skills programmes essential to the successful re-integration of the street child.
	To integrate the street child back into the family unit and community structure.
	To assist with family empowerment and so prevent the need for the children to return to the streets.
	Defend the rights of Street Children.

TARGET GROUP

The target groups of The Samaritan Trust are girls and boys between 4 and 20 years, who are begging and/or living in the streets of Blantyre . The families of these children will also be indirect beneficiaries, as the program will work to focus on re-uniting the children with their families and communities and assist with family empowerment.

HISTORY

The Samaritan Trust was founded in 1993 by Mr. Jervase Chakumodzi.

In 1998 the Blantyre City Assembly donated land in Bangwe Township , near Limbe to the Trust.

With the help of the British High Commission a building comprising an office, a kitchen, an ablution block and dormitories was constructed and given the name Chitolera House . The name originates from the Chichewa verb Kutola meaning to pick. The noun Chitolera means someone who picks - in this case the Samaritan Trust who 'picks the children from the streets'.

By June 2003, 50 children (14 girls, 36 boys) were being helped daily at this centre. All children are registered in the government schools. The main activities at this centre are remedial teaching, life skills training, agriculture, sports and arts and crafts.

With the help of a British organisation called The Warm Heart, a British/Malawian organisation called The Nchima Trust and the St. Maartens College in cooperation with Wilde Ganzen from The Netherlands, a matron's house with girls' dormitory has been constructed, which was opened in February 2003.

Chitolera House has six staff members to guarantee 24-hour care  - a qualified teacher, two caregivers, a matron, a cook and a watchman.

The unavoidable has happened... Blantyre centre is no more. After years the Blantyre Synod (CCAP) requested us to vacate the place. For all this years the Synod informed us that the use of their land is temporarily and it was in July that we had to leave the place. We can only be grateful for the assistance the CCAP has rendered us all these years.

In July 2003 lots of hands helped to bring all tents down and all materials were removed to the other centres. Though the facilities of this centre were very basic, the centre had many strong elements. Its location was ideal, near Blantyre City Centre and in between the bus depot and the high density Ndirande township.

Instead of searching for a new location, The Trust decided to strengthen the Social Work Department and focus on re-integration of children.

The Skills Training Centre is situated within a kilometre of the southern boundary of the city of Blantyre . The centre occupies an area of 8.2 hectares. It started as part of the Ana a Malawi project, funded by DANIDA, supervised by ADRA Malawi.

Beside the skills training facilities, the centre also accommodates the head office of the Samaritan Trust and some income generating projects.

The Skills Training Centre trains young people in carpentry, bricklaying, cane furniture making and agriculture. Literacy classes are given for the school dropouts who, due to their age, cannot join or re-join a primary school.

This includes reading, writing and basic numeracy education.

Entrepreneur training prepares the students in running their own business.

Life skills training and HIV Aids prevention classes are other topics which guide the youth in being responsible citizens of Malawi .

Sports and games complete the daily activities.

After being trained the Trust helps the youth with seeking a job or starting a business as well as finding a place where to stay.

Currently there are eleven members of staff working at the Skills Training Centre being:

a skills centre manager, instructors for carpentry, bricklaying, basic education, agriculture and cane furniture, two care givers, (one for day and one for night) and three watchman. As of July 2006 there are 45 boys, aged between 14 to 20, who all reside at the centre.

The programmes offered by The Samaritan Trust are designed to achieve the ultimate target:

the full re-integration of the street child into main stream society

To achieve this target The Samaritan Trust has developed a number of programmes. These can be grouped into three phases:

	relationship building
	reforming behavior
	reintegration in practice

Relationship Building

This phase involves the social workers going out onto the streets to chat with the street children. Their aim is to develop a relationship with the children by informing them, of The Samaritans and other organizations working for their welfare and in time offering them assistance.

Social contacts are made day and night.  Night is the best time to work with the child because the social worker can know that the child is genuinely living on the streets and not there for fun or to earn a little pocket money.

Reformation

The Samaritan Trust Centres can be seen as "half-way" centres or transit homes and learning environments for the all-important process of re-integration. They offer the street child a temporary home environment that is stable and free from the uncertainties that prevail on the street. The full re-integration of the street child into main stream society is the main aim of the Trust. To achieve this the Samaritan Trust assistance and support for the child must always be viewed as transitory.

Re-integration

While the children are in the centres, the social workers start making visits to the family/guardian and try to get the "other side of the story" Together with the family and the child a plan is made for reintegration. After reintegration the social workers monitor if the agreements made are followed by all parties.

One of the reasons why children run away and live on the streets is that the family has failed to provide the basic necessities: food, clothing and educational opportunity. For the child to return and reintegrate fully into home life the Samaritan Trust must work at empowering the family to ensure that these basic necessities of life are available at the home.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Samaritan Trust is headed by a board of Trustees. The Board employs a Director who is responsible for the daily running of the Trust. The Director is assisted by an accountant and a secretary.

Samaritan Trust has a Finance Committee and a Fundraising Committee.

Each centre has a manager who runs the centre. In Bangwe the manager is assisted by a teacher, 2 care-givers, a cook & security guards.

The Skills Centre employs several instructors for skills & basic education, 4 care givers & security guards.

Social workers are responsible for street work, home assessment, life skills and Counselling & re-integration.

FUNDING

The Samaritan Trust has local Malawian & international donors & various income generating activities.