We live in a generation where connections are key. We as individuals, communities and schools are more connected than ever before in history. Through air travel and social media, time and distance has seemingly shrunk and we are now able to connect with almost anyone, anywhere in the world. Yet, most of these connections happen without real relationship.

At Beyond Ourselves we believe in not only connecting your school with a community in Zambia, but offering you the opportunity to build relationship with them too. It has been our experience that when a school decides to engage with a Zambian community, they not only make a difference in Zambia but there is also a positive impact on the school back in the UK.

We are offering your school an invitation to make a lasting connection in a way that makes a difference to you, to your school and to each and every individual in the community you are involved with.

CONNECT YOUR SCHOOL

WAYS TO CONNECT YOUR SCHOOL

Beyond Ourselves believes in connecting schools to enable real relationships to spark between classes and individuals. We believe in shared learning and the opportunity for both Zambian and British children to learn about each other.

CONNECT YOUR SCHOOL

Beyond Ourselves is committed to offering education to Zambia’s orphaned and vulnerable children who otherwise may not be

able to go to school.

Beyond Ourselves is an invitation for all people to live their lives in a way that makes a difference to the world around them; to live life for a cause greater than oneself. To live Beyond Ourselves.

Beyond Ourselves is working in partnership with local Zambians, helping to build and develop community schools in the Copperbelt region of the country. We believe that with the help of this style of education, children’s futures will be bright and hopeful and those employed through the building and running of these schools will also benefit.

We offer the opportunity for people to invest in and get involved with schools in Zambia as well as build relationship with

local Zambians, to help transform communities and change lives.

OPPO

RTUN

ITY

EDUCATIONWe are passionate about encouraging children in the UK to learn about Zambia as well as facilitating shared learning between British and Zambian children. We believe in the importance of children in both countries learning from one another and creating meaningful links with their schools. Here are some of the opportunities for your school.

INVOLVEMENTThere are many ways you and your staff and students can get invovled and help children in Zambia. Here are just a few ideas...

The Children: We have seen a huge difference in the children at Janna School who are receiving this care – their BMI has increased, their general health has improved, and their attention span and therefore school work improved (e.g. 26 out of the 28 Grade 7’s passed their national exams).

A Cook: Evelyn, the head cook at Janna School, has been employed since May 2010 when the sponsorship programme was launched. She has said her life has changed tremendously in the past year and this job has brought much joy to her life. There is food on the table, there are new clothes on her children, she is building an extension to her house so that she can have her own bedroom for the very first time in her life, and perhaps most importantly there are smiles on everyone’s faces!

The Community: Word spread very quickly when the programme began at Janna School and it has been so good to see the knock-on effect this has on the local people who are genuinely touched by what their school is doing for their community; enabling orphans and vulnerable children to receive free quality education, employing local widows, feeding their children, and so much more!ST

ORIES

OF C

HANG

ED LI

VES

Zambian children looking at portraits done by Our Lady of

Lourdes School in London. These children drew portraits of their

own and then shared them with Our Lady of Lourdes.

RELATIONSHIPIn addition to the education and involvement opportunities Beyond Ourselves has for your school, there are opportunities to connect in relationship with local Zambians. There is nothing like going to Zambia and seeing first hand the impact of the community schools we are partnering with. Meeting the leadership teams, staff and children is a life changing experience, one which we would love as many people as possible to have.

If you would like to come to Zambia please let us know! We send several teams each year and would happily arrange for you to come on an upcoming team.

Come and meet the children. Come and work alongside local Zambians. Come and make a difference.

Sponsoring a child for only £12.50 a month provides for a heathly meal each school day, a new school uniform, paying teachers’ and cooks’ salaries and basic medical care.

Beyond Ourselves was born out of a desire by a Christian family to use their business’ time, skill and profit to make a difference in the communities they find themselves a part of, and to encourage others to be generous with their lives too.

In 2008, after meeting several Pastors in Zambia who were running free community schools out of their church buildings, we sent our first team over to build some much needed classrooms. Since then we have developed our relationships with these Pastors, their churches and schools. In May 2010 we began a child sponsorship programme to help develop and resource these schools further.

Our vision is to meet the immediate need of the orphans and vulnerable children in these communities through child sponsorship and feeding programmes at each of the community schools and in time set up businesses in the surrounding area so that each project becomes self sustaining.

The team at Beyond Ourselves are all Christians, and this is what drives their passion to see lives changed. Although Beyond Ourselves is faith based it is not faith biased and works with all people where appropriate.

OUR STORY

Over recent years we have developed a model that is straightforward and effective. We begin by building relationship with an existing community school, often run out of a local church in the community. We then offer to partner with the school, which will help to resource them in the following ways:

• Building a classroom block, a toilet block and a kitchen area• Running a child sponsorship programme in the UK that provides the finance for:

- a feeding programme that feeds the children every school day- cooks to run the feeding programme- a new uniform - school resources- teachers’ salaries - a nurse who visits the school once a week

As we are committed to these children receiving a high standard of education we are also investing in training all the teachers to Diploma level.

We know that long-term aid is not a solution to the problems facing these communities so we are also setting up income generating businesses around each school, creating local employment and economy, and ensuring that in time each school can become self-sustainable. OU

R WOR

K

Connecting with a community in Zambia gives your school the opportunity to make a lasting difference to people in desperate need. By investing in these schools you will be facilitating positive change and will be changing lives and in turn transforming a community.

As your school engages with sponsoring children from a particular area, there is a deeper connection with that school and their children.

As your school visits Zambia and meets the children and families, lives are changed, both there and here.

As your school gives alternative gifts, there is a sense of giving families a gift that is life changing.

As events are put together to raise awareness and funds, there is the knowledge that your school is coming together to help produce transformation in a community.

If you want your school to take up the opportunity to connect with a community in Zambia please get in touch with our office. We would be delighted to visit you to talk about how you can make a difference and help your school go beyond...

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Blackson Banda is one of the cooks at Janna School. As a widow and father of three, Blackson has known the difficulties of poverty. The Banda family’s lives have changed significantly through the partnership Janna has with Beyond Ourselves. All of Blackson’s boys are getting healthy meals each school day, enabling them to learn and study better. Blackson now has a full time employment which gives him the joy of providing for his family.

For more information about Beyond Ourselves please visit: www.beyondourselves.co.uk

If you would like more information about connecting with Beyond Ourselves and a community in Zambia please

email info@beyondourselves.co.uk or call 0208 345 8300.

Beyond Ourselves is a registered charity with the Charity Commission in England.

Charity registration number: 802107