Hírlevél
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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WHAT RESULTS HAS FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA ACHIEVED IN AFRICA?
The Foundation’s achievements in Africa are in the fields of education, healthcare and social work, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our main activity is the maintanance and development of the Othniel Primary and Secondary School in Kinshasa, which is attended by more than 700 children.
The Foundation has established an orphanage, where it takes care of 11 children. Since 2009 It collaborates with other organsiations as well. With the help of the Foundation, food and medicine distributions regularly take place in numerous African hospitals.
You can read more about our achievements here .
IN WHICH AFRICAN COUNTRIES DOES FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA WORK?
Since its establishment in the spring of 2002, Foundation for Africa has been running its projects primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a view to further extend its activities, it has led a research trip in the Maasai orphanage in Tanzania in the spring of 2009. Since then, we successfully work together with Maasai Foundation.
WHY ARE THESE COUNTRIES WHERE YOU WORK?
Many factors have determined the choice of our project countries.
The Director of the Foundation, France Mutombo Tshimuanga was born in Mbuji-Mayi, a city in the south-central of DR Congo. He arrived at Hungary about ten years ago to do his graduate studies at the College of Theology. In 1999 he participated in a humanitarian mission organised by Steps to Life, an American humanitarian organisation, in DR Congo. The indescribable poverty and distress in every walks of life that he had experienced and his local knowledge inspired him to help his home country and the continent in an organised way. The Foundation has launched therefore its first activities in DR Congo.
However, the Foundation has the objective of extending its work in the long-run to other African countries as well - as its name also suggests. There we co-operate with Maasai Foundation in Tanzania.
HOW MUCH IS A SUPPORT OF 2900 HUF WORTH TO A CHILD IN CONGO?
This amount enables a child in Congo to attend a well-run education establishment for free or at reduced tuition fee, subject to his or her social circumstances. Those who are extremely disadvantaged, receive the school supplies and textbooks always for free.
A child who attends our school, gains basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as learns a specialism or a trade. This provides him with a hands-on knowledge that he can widely apply in different areas in his adult life.
These are all essential to one's life. And we shall not forget: granting a child the opportunity to study enables him to enjoy one of his fundamental human rights, the right to education.
WHY ARE THE AVAILABLE FORMS OF SUPPORT DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE CHILD?
Our Student and Orphan Sponsorship Programme consists of two main parts: you can support only the education of students studying in College Othniel while the orphans of La Providence Orphanage can be sponsored in one of the following ways: you can provide support for their education, meals (2 parts), housing, clothing, healthcare, leisure time. Other means include the provision of social support, a contribution to the start of their independent life, or a contribution to the operational costs of the orphanage.
Furthermore it can also happen that somebody else also sponsors the child you wish to support in one of the above mentioned ways. In this case only those children and forms of support appear in your list which are available to you. Read more about our Student and Orphan Sponsorship Programme here .
HOW CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT THE SPONSORED STUDENTS DO RECEIVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT?
Your donation never goes directly to your sponsored child or to his family. It is always transferred to the Othniel College, built and maintained by the Foundation. The guarantee is the successful functioning of the school itself, with over a thousand students enrolled at reduced or for no tuition fee. It is also important to know that the only source of funding available for the school is the donations and sponsor monies we receive from Hungary. In DR Congo, public education is not subsidised by the state, the institutions are run solely from tuition fees. As the amount of the tuition fee is usually very high, poorer families can rarely afford sending their children to school.
The great distance and the lack of personal contacts render it difficult to provide full transparency and visibility of our projects and activities. As a compensation, we regularly publish reports on our work and the progress we have made, as well as inform our sponsors on a regular basis both on our website and in our monthly newsletters. On the website, you can also read the personal accounts of our "humanitarian tourists", who have visited our projects in DR Congo and Ethiopia.
Further, to ensure that the donations are administered and used properly, we have a permanent representative in Kinshasa - currently, the Director of the Foundation, France and his wife, Angelika personally.
A nagy távolság és a személyes kapcsolat hiánya nehezíti az alapítvány munkájának hitelesítését, de ezek kompenzációjaként folyamatosan törekszünk beszámolók közzétételére, s támogatóink folyamatos informálására - mind honlapunkon, mind hírleveleinkben. Emellett Kongóban, illetve Tanzániában járt humanitárius turistáink (link) személyes élménybeszámolóit is olvashatják.
Mindez kulcsfontossságú a jövője szempontjából. Ne feledjük, ha egy gyermek lehetőséget kap a tanulásra, máris a minden gyermeket megillető, alapvető jogok egyikében részesül.
I AM SPONSORING A CHILD, BUT HIS GRADES ARE NOT GOOD. WHY?
The skills of a child do not depend on the amount of sponsorship he or she receives. Some children are more gifted and some are less. Less talented children also deserve to be given the same chances to earn knowledge and develop to their full potential. They may have more difficulties in school than others, but after completing their studies they will have much better chances in their later life than those who have not received any formal education.
WHY DOES THE CHILD DROP OUT OF SCHOOL, IF I AM SPONSORING HIM?
Despite the financial support, there may be circumstances or happen unexpected events that force children to abandon school. This may be a family reason, illness and in many cases children also have to take employment in order to contribute to the family's livelihood. However, in some cases there is no tragic reason of abandonment at all: children only change school or simply, they play truant. Sometimes, the family moves to another place to seek a better living. Often, poor families place their child(ren) at other family members who can provide them with shelter and food every day, even if they get this way far away from home. If this distance is bigger than 10 kms, the child does not have the chance any longer to attend our school.
All these events and circumstances are unfortunately beyond the Foundation's control.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT THE CHILD I SUPPORT HAS PERMANENTLY ABANDONED THE SCHOOL?
It is always only in the first term of the following school year when we can firmly establish whether the child has permanently abandoned our school or only temporarily. It has already occured, for instance, that for family reasons a child has dropped out of school during the year, but in the following year he registered again. If this is the case, you can continue supporting your child. Once we ascertain that the child will never return to our school, we inform you and you will have the opportunity to choose another student you wish to support.
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY MONEY, IF THE CHILD I AM SPONSORING IS NOT ATTENDING THE SCHOOL ANYMORE?
The Foundation does not divert any student sponsorship money to fund other projects. If the child whom you support, does not attend the school anymore for some reason, the amount is allocated to boost the schools' funds, thus it is anonymously supporting another child in need.
Mindez kulcsfontossságú a jövője szempontjából. Ne feledjük, ha egy gyermek lehetőséget kap a tanulásra, máris a minden gyermeket megillető, alapvető jogok egyikében részesül.
DO I SPONSOR A PARTICULAR CHILD OR A SCHOOL?
You sponsor, in fact, both a particular child and the Othniel College. Your financial support never goes directly to the child or its family, but it is always transferred to the school. Thus, those 600 children who do not have any sponsor yet, also have the opportunity to receive general schooling. Yet, your support guarantees that the child you have chosen attends our school and receives good quality education. In addition, you have the possilbility to keep a personal relationship with the child, to correspondence, to regularly receive information on his school results or to send him presents from time to time.
In contrast to most of the developed countries, where the government is generally responsible for the education, in most of the African countries, the state does not support general schooling and does not ensure the infrastructure, the teaching staff, the school supplies nor does it secure the financial background. The Foundation therefore attempts to fill this vacuum and - by the help of its donors - ensure access to education to as many school-aged children as possible.
We all know that if a child is not able to attend school, he will remain illiterate, will not earn technical knowledge, will not take a school-leaving exam, as a consequence, he will have much lower chances of finding a gainful employment and to succeed in his adult life than those who were able to study. And this is exactly one of the primary causes of poverty: the lack of education, information and knowledge.
Thus, through your donation you also support one segment of the Congolese education network and you contribute to ensure the right to education, a fundamental human right, to the children in need.
WHAT SORT OF PRESENTS SHALL I SEND TO THE CHILD(REN) I SUPPORT?
We recommend you to send something that not only gives the child pleasure but that is also useful to him and can be employed either at school or in his everyday life, such as: pens, colour pencils, exercise books, English and French books. You may also send other useful articles, like summer dresses (please make sure that they are appropriate), baseball hat, watch, hair clips, alarm clock, key ring, small bag, flashlight, calculator, toothpaste and tooth brush, hygiene items, pocket radio or a typicality from Hungary, reminding them of the country.
Toys are of course always welcome by the children, however, we do not recommend them! If you would yet like to send a toy, we would suggest rather a board game that they can share with those who do not have any supporters. Also, children in Africa usually prepare their toys themselves, which makes them really creative, therefore, we recommend sending toys that help children develop their imagination, further their craft skills as well as build the community as well.
Please note that food, sweets and chocolate are not recommended as they may cause allergy or other stomach problems to the children, or simply they can go off before they arrive and the children would receive them.
By contrast, clothes are always recommended, even though it is not always easy to find the right size. Therefore, we recommend you to send always a bit bigger than as you would judge it on the basis of the picture or the child's age. And if the family is big, your present will surely find an owner in case the clothes turn out to be too small or big for your child.
A játékok mindig örömet okoznak egy gyermeknek, de nem szívesen ajánljuk őket. Ha mégis akkor inkább társasjátékot javasolunk, amelyet meg tudnak osztani az olyan gyerekekkel, akiknek nincs támogatójuk. Az afrikai gyerekek - jellemzően - saját kezűleg készítik a játékaikat, és ez kreatívvá teszi őket. Ezt a szokást megőrizve, olyan játékok küldését is ösztönözzük, amelyek hozzájárulnak képességeik fejlesztéséhez, s egyben a közösség összetartásához.
Élelmiszer és sok más csemege, mint pl. csoki, cukor küldését nem ajánljuk, mert ettől rosszul lehetnek a gyerekek, vagy táplálkozási problémát okozhatnak. Továbbá, a meleg miatt tönkre mehetnek, még mielőtt célba érnének.
Mindez kulcsfontossságú a jövője szempontjából. Ne feledjük, ha egy gyermek lehetőséget kap a tanulásra, máris a minden gyermeket megillető, alapvető jogok egyikében részesül.
HOW CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT MY SPONSORED CHILD RECEIVES THE PRESENT THAT I SEND HIM?
We always take a picture and document the delivery of each present. If your sponsored child does not attend our school anymore, we try to get in touch with him and forward him his present. If the child cannot be contacted anymore, we give the present to another child in need in order to motivate him in studying. Your present is thus never lost, it is only transferred, if needed, to another child.
CAN I INVITE MY SPONSORED CHILD FOR HOLIDAY IN HUNGARY?
We appreciate your good intentions, however, we would discourage you to do so. First of all, the travelling costs are quite high (a return flight ticket to DR Congo is at least about 240 000 HUF). Second of all, it is very difficult and complicated to obtain a visa for a Congolese child. In addition, he only speaks French, therefore, you need to know this language so as to be able to communicate with him.
At last, one always has to take into consideration the fact that after the short stay the child has to return to his country. Living in another, more developped environment might bring him a lot of joy and new experience. However, at the same time it might be extremely difficult for him to deal with the culture shock and return to the poor circumstances from which he is coming.
Therefore, we recommend instead that our sponsors travel to Africa, if they have the opportunity, where they can personally visit their sponsored child.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NEWS ABOUT MY SPONSORED CHILD FOR A WHILE. WHAT CAN I DO ?
If this is the case, please inform us and we will contact our local representatives in Kinshasa, who will treat your request as a priority. However, please note that the speed and ease of communication in Africa greatly differs from that in Europe, therefore we cannot guarantee a swift reply. The Foundation makes every effort to overcome these obstacles and improve the speed and quality of communication.
WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT AFRICANS FAR AWAY, WHEN THERE ARE A LOT OF POOR PEOPLE HERE IN HUNGARY AS WELL?
It is always an autonomous and subjective decision, whom we want to support: everyone has the right to decide whom they would like to support and why. However, for this decision it is very important that we know, in what circumstances many people are living in countries far away from Hungary. These people are in desperate need and, despite the huge distance, one can make a big difference to their life even by a little effort.
Most often, there is a huge difference between poverty and poverty. Poverty in Africa does not compare at all with that in Europe. In Africa, we shall talk about absolute poverty, not relative poverty. When a European child has no PC, but still has his own cell phone, he is still considered poor. In contrast, a child in Africa usually does not even have a pen, nor an exercise book. Or another example: those families where meat is rarely put on the table, are considered poor. In contrast, in Africa most of the people do not even get a small bit of bread every day and houndreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished. The social net simply does not exist.
Therefore, there is an enormous need for help. We truly believe that those who help in Africa, will also provide assistance to their fellow-beings here in Hungary. This way, they will strengthen their philantrophy and their culture of volunteerism. In most of the countries in Africa, there is hardly any social group - or in many countries there is none at all - that could provide at least emergency relief, let alone regular assistance. We, Europeans are in a privileged situation, as we can afford to help, even if with a little!
Szegénység és szegénység között legtöbbször óriási a különbség: az afrikai szegénységet össze sem lehet hasonlítani az európai szegénységgel. Afrikában abszolút szegénységről beszélünk, s nem relatív szegénységről. Ha egy európai gyermeknek például nincs számítógépe, de van mobiltelefonja, már szegénynek számít - miközben Afrikában a legtöbb diáknak még tolla vagy füzete sincs. Egy másik példa: nálunk az a család, ahol ritkán kerül hús az asztalra, szegénynek számít. Afrikában ugyanakkor az emberek többsége még egy falat kenyérhez sem jut egy nap, és gyermekek százezrei krónikusan alultápláltak. Szociális háló gyakorlatilag nem létezik.
Óriási szükség van tehát a segítségre. Mi hiszünk abban, hogy aki Afrikában segít, képes lesz itt Magyarországon is tenni valamit embertársaiért. Így támogatási kultúrája nem csökken, hanem éppen ellenkezőleg, gazdagodik. Afrika sok országában nem, vagy alig létezik olyan társadalmi réteg, amely képes lenne legalább eseti támogatás nyújtására - rendszeres támogatásról nem is beszélve. Mi, európaiak, kivételes helyzetben vagyunk, ha kevéssel is, de megtehetjük, hogy segítünk!
WHERE CAN I CHECK WHETHER I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PAID MY SUPPORT?
Regisztrált támogatóként a saját fiókodban a Pénztárca menüben tudsz tájékozódni egyenleged aktuális állapotáról. Kártyás fizetési mód esetén a
As a registered user you can find information about the actual stance of your balance under „My wallet” in your account. In case of payment by credit card, the support paid is going to be credited immediately, so your balance is going to be 0. If you want to send your support by bank transfer, by cheque or in person, the amount is going to be credited in two weeks at latest. We will also notify you by email about the successful payment at the adress given by you.
támogatás azonnal jóváírásra kerül, így egyenleged 0 lesz. Abban az esetben, ha banki átutalással, csekken vagy személyesen szeretnéd eljuttatni hozzánk támogatásodat, a beérkezett összeget legkésőbb két héten belül jóváírjuk. A sikeres befizetésről emailt is küldünk a megadott postafiókodra.
WHAT ARE ”MY WALLET” AND THE ”TOP UP BALANCE” FUNCTION GOOD FOR?
Use the ”Top up balance” function
- in case of payment by credit card: this option is only available from here;
- in case you want to pay an amount different from the one you assumed when you chose your scheduling option.
In case you choose to pay by bank transfer, cheque or in person the „Top my balance” function does not concern you, as we credit your payment in two weeks at latest after recieveng it.
WHY IS MY BALANCE NEGATIVE WHEN I HAVE ALREADY PAID MY ASSUMED SUPPORT?
In case you chose to pay by bank transfer, cheque or in person, crediting the transaction takes us a longer time. We kindly ask your patience, your payment will be credited in two weeks at latest after we recieve it. We will notify you about the successful payment by email. If two weeks pass and there is still no change in your balance, contact us!
MIBŐL TARTJA FENN MAGÁT AZ ALAPÍTVÁNY?
Az alapítvány működési költségeit két forrásból fedezi:
- működési támogatás elnyerésére kiírt, nyertes pályázatokból
- kiemelt és eseti támogatók erre a célra szánt adományaiból.
Az alapítvány működési kiadásai:
- személyi bérek
- iroda működési költségei (kommunális számlák, tárgyi eszközök stb.)
- rendezvényeken való részvétel költségei
- társadalmi kommunikációra fordított költségek (levelezés, internet, szórólapok stb.)
HOW DO YOU FINANCE THE EVERYDAY OPERATION OF THE FOUNDATION?
We cover our operating costs from two main sources of income:
- government-funded tenders for covering operating costs
- donation from major sponsors and ad hoc supporters.
The main areas of expenditure are:
- staff costs (2 full-time staff)
- running costs of the office (public utility and telephone bills, stationery, etc.)
- costs of participation at events and conferences
- PR and communication costs (correspondence, internet, advertisement, etc.).
CAN I TRAVEL TO AFRICA THROUGH THE FOUNDATION?
There are two ways to travel to Africa through the Foundation.
We regularly organise humanitarian tourism trips to DR Congo and Ethiopia. These trips are similar to those offered by travel agencies, yet, they are different. What our travellers get is not a typical tourist package, but they can see the real face of Africa and gain a real insight into the everyday life of its people. In addition, they have the opportunity to help those in need and participate personally in one of our local humanitarian or development projects. For further details go to www.humanitariusturizmus.hu.
We also offer volunteering for those who would like to join us and help our work. However, this requires dedication and persistence from every applicant, as the Foundation has to make sure that they will be able to do an efficient work in DR Congo or Ethiopia. The high costs of sending volunteers abroad also need to be taken into consideration.
A másik lehetőség, ha valaki önkéntesként csatlakozik munkánkhoz. Ez azonban minden jelentkezőtől kitartást kíván. Az alapítványnak ugyanis meg kell győződnie arról, hogy a jelentkező tényleg hatékony munkát tud Kongóban végezni, hiszen nem olcsó az önkéntesek kinti ellátása.
CAN I BE A VOLUNTEER IN AFRICA?
So far, the Foundation has only sent a few volunteers to DR Congo. The longest period that a volunteer spent there was about a month.
To be able to volunteer for the Foundation, you have to build first a strong and close relationship with us, as we need to know which of your skills and competences we can rely on in the project. Also, it is necessary that you have a knowledge of the local language - that of French in Congo and that of English in Ethiopia. Usually, you have to cover your travel costs on your own, while the Foundation takes care of all the expenses relating to your accomodation, food, insurance and security.
Although the work itself is unpaid, sending a volunteer means a high cost to the Foundation. Therefore it is essential for us that we have a good relationship with our volunteer. The volunteer has to know and respect the fundamental principles of our organisation. As the Foundation is a Christian-based organisation, it is important that our volunteer adheres to our moral code and represents our fundamental principles in his or her work and life throughout the project.
Ahhoz, hogy valaki az alapítvány önkénteseként kiutazhasson, fontos, hogy szoros kapcsolatot épüljön ki közte és az alapítvány között, hiszen tudnunk kell, milyen képességeire és ismereteire számíthatunk a kint végzett munkában. Emellett, a munkához elengedhetetlen a megfelelő nyelvtudás - Kongóban a francia, Tanzániában pedig az angol nyelv ismerete.
A kiutazás általában önköltséges. A szállásról, az élelmezésről és a biztonságról az alapítvány gondoskodik. Bár maga a munka önkéntes, az alapítvány számára egy kitelepített segítő munkája tehát jelentős költséget jelent.
Ezért szükséges, hogy leendő önkéntesünkkel személyes kapcsolatban legyünk. Az önkéntesnek tisztában kell lennie alapítványunk alapelveivel. Az alapítvány keresztény elveket képvisel, ezért fontos az önkéntes részéről az alapvető, általános erkölcsi magatartás gyakorlása.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO?
Visa: Hungarian citizens are only allowed to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo in possession of a valid passport and visa. The visa is issued by the Embassy of DR Congo in Belgrade.
Contact details of the Embassy:
Diplomatska kolonija 3, Belgrade
+381 11 266 4131
[email protected]
Vaccinations: Travellers can only enter DR Congo in possession of a yellow vaccinations certificate (as supplement to the passport), in absence of this the entry is refused. Vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory. In addition, it is recommended to be vaccinated against typhus, hepatitis A and B, cholera and rabies as well as to take medication against malaria. Vaccination can be obtained at the International Vaccination Center at National Center for Epidemology (1097 Budapest, Gyáli str. 2-6., tel.: 1-476-1364, consultation hours: Mon - Thu 9-12) at least 3 months preceding the day of departure. The Vaccination Center provides further information and advice on health and travelling and related issues.
Travel insurance: Although it is not required to enter the country, it is strongly recommended to take out a travel insurance providing full coverage to emergencies.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR CONGOLESE NATIONALS TO ENTER HUNGARY?
Congolese nationals are only allowed to enter Hungary in the possession of a valid passport and visa. Visa can be obtained at the Embassy of Hungary in Nairobi, Kenia. Applicants have to submit an invitation letter and provide proof of accomodation, sufficient source of funds to cover living expenses and health insurance while staying in Hungary. If the purpose of the travel is work, the applicant has to submit the work contract established between him and the employer. If the purpose of the visit is study, the applicant is required to submit a certification of student status and a proof of payment of the tuition fee, issued by the educational institution.
Detailed and exact information on the requirements to enter and stay in Hungary are available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A Magyarországra történő beutazásról részletes és pontos információkat a Külügyminisztérium honlapján találhat.
