International (MNN) — In a time when many overseas ministries are looking for outside support, school associated with Worldwide Christian Schools International are looking for ways to be self sufficient. Worldwide’s Dale Dieleman says, “Many of our partners are beginning to come up with ideas of income generation for their own school programs.” He says, “One of the things we’re really interested in is providing seed money for income generation streams for their own schools.”
Dieleman says they provided $10,000 to a school in rural Uganda. “With that money they started a poultry farm. So, they’re able to feed the children eggs and an occasional chicken, but also sell the eggs in the local community,” says Dieleman. He says, “And, with that money, plus the minimal tuition they’re able to keep that school running, pay the teachers salaries and the maintenance and everything else.”
The end goal is seeing young people come to Christ. Dieleman says without these types of programs many of these schools would be closed or would have limited effectiveness. “At this juncture,” says Dieleman, “These income generation streams and ideas are something that really helps the holistic approach in terms of providing for physical as well as spiritual as well as academic needs of the children.”
Funding is needed to help facilitate more of these types of programs around the world.
