B. The Bulela Kabujimini Orphanage
Fighting in the Congo began in 1998. Since that time, over 4 million people have lost their lives, 2 million been internally displaced and 300,000 have taken refuge in other countries. The ongoing conflict in Congo and years of neglect has severely impaired the resources communities need to care for children. There are currently an estimated 40,000 children in Kinshasa the capital. The scale of this highly complex phenomenon can be attributed to a number of factors, and in particular the poverty experienced by families on account of the economic crisis, the break-up of families following events such as displacements due to the war, the abandonment of children believed to have magical powers (child witches) and the death of parents caused by AIDS;

The BKF feels that these desperate children need the opportunity for rehabilitation and to learn a trade. We reasoned that rather than just help the children who were graduating from the school and looking for work, or extending our help to those who have left the school and were working without hope for the future on family farmland, we should attack the problem at its source…The source of course being the widespread poverty induced by a society unable to care for its homeless and unwanted children. We would also like to start a farming school project that would employ the children while they learned how to farm in an "organic based self sufficient" manner.
This is would provide them with the means to lift themselves out of the poverty trap and even help other members of their community to do the same.
Some students may not want to farm, however. The might want to learn some other trade. We would therefore provide a variety of vocational training options, but with an emphasis on organic farming. All students would be expected (employed) to learn organic farming techniques, (a) To help address the problem of poverty and (b) To enable the initiative itself to become self sufficient through the sale of its produce.

C. Project Goals and Objectives
What will happen to all these children? Who will house and educate them? Will they be able to get jobs and be productive? The BKF's goal is to establish an orphanage (Bulela Kabujimini Orphanage) to care for a maximum of thirty (30) children "at risk" in Kinshasa, Congo. This orphanage will permit us to effectively meet the following objectives:

In the short term: (1-2 Years)

• Bulela Kabujimini Foundation will acquire land on which to build an orphanage, which will provide suitable accommodations and area for farming project.
  
  
• Ensure that homeless and needy children from ages 1 to 18 are provided with life's basic needs including full and equal access to good nutrition, quality clothing, education, health services, and a clean and safe environment
  
  
• Allow the children to earn a reasonable income while learning.
  
  
• Ensure that the business side (what we produce) on the organic farm, is profitable enough to allow the project to cover its own running costs as soon as possible - without the long term need to rely on donations from outside sources.
  
  
• Provide a measure of stability, family environment, mentoring and counseling, love and support for the children in our care and facilitate the improvement of cognitive and social skills thereby helping them to becoming well-adjusted and grounded adults
  
  
• Provide nursery, primary and secondary education and facilitate the development of the natural talents and aptitudes of each child including training in a range of vocational skills that will allow them to find suitable employment
  
  
• Improve awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission and educate on prevention
  
  
• Provide recreation and other social amenities
  
  
• Foster and facilitate spiritual growth
  
  
• Develop a farming project that would employ the children, who qualify while they learned how to farm in an "organic based self-sufficient" manner. As a way to lift themselves out of the poverty trap.
  
  
• Foster long term partnerships with community
  
  
• Provide classrooms and trauma center
  
  
• Provide a cultural and art center for development and exhibition of artistic expression
  
  
• Offer foster parenting classes and provide counseling services
  
  
• Provide a variety of vocational training options, but with an emphasis on organic farming. All students would be expected (employed) to learn organic farming techniques, (a) To enable the initiative itself to become self sufficient through the sale of its produce.

In the medium term: (2-5 Years)

• To expand the project from being just an orphanage and organic farming school and farm business, into a model village where traditional values, social structure, and self help philosophies are revived, and used alongside modern agro-business management techniques, to ensure a good standard of life for all those involved.
  
  Note* A proper social structure includes bringing in older disadvantaged people (who have no children of their own to support them) to be a part of orphanage community.
  These older people will earn a salary and will contribute their knowledge of life, and their acquired skills, to the benefit of the younger people who may or may not have parents or grandparents of their own.
  
  
  • To establish a viable community development model for other provincial resorts to follow.
    
    

The potential benefit to uplifting of the disadvantaged is enormous

In long term: (5-8 Years)
The long-term goal of the orphanage is to branch out and establish itself internationally. However, this is a long-term goal and for the moment, BKF will concentrate on providing for the first 30 children and related outreach children under its care.

• It is hoped that orphans who have successfully passed through the orphanage's training program will become future sponsors and volunteers. In this way, every year a new generation of children will enter the orphanage, but a new generation of sponsors will also graduate.

D. Target Population/ Location
The orphanage will be located in Kinshasa Congo in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of orphans and displaced children exist and consequently our services are most needed. The foundation will recruit and train volunteers and paid workers in the community to manage the orphanage and its children

E. Key Staff
Primarily volunteer members of the community will run the orphanage. The permanent staff will be limited to 8 as indicated by the following

Fig. 1: Paid Staff and their Salaries

Our staff, board members, and the community will provide volunteer work for our orphanage projects and community activities. Our Board of Directors will serve on community boards, charities, churches and other community service organizations.

In addition, BKF will foster, build and maintain strong bonds and relationships with the community-based organizations of our community, as well as the local counsels, to deliver a multiplicity of programs and services to the residents of our orphanage.

IV. Plan for Measuring Project Results

We will submit a project report upon the completion of each fiscal year starting in 2004/5.

We will keep detailed accurate, complete records of expenditures made under the BKF grant, and participate actively in the evaluation of project activities during the course of the 2004/5 fiscal years.

Upon request, we will the provide an audited financial statement of the income and expenditure related to the grant by an independent certified public accountant as documentation that the grant money is spent on the purposes for which it was provided.
Further, evaluation of BKF's overall effectiveness as an orphanage manager will be measured by the residents' satisfaction, and the level of successful tenant services provided. Our tenants serve on our Board of Directors. The board meets monthly, and is closely involved with our programs, management, and oversight.

V. Management of Orphanage
BKF will be managed by Society of St. Vincent de Paul Kinshasa Conference. These trustees will have the best interests of the children at heart. The board will review the progress of the children but will primarily focus on management, financial and legal issues that affect the orphanage. The board will also been provide checks and balances between management and other stakeholders. Day-to-day management will be vested in a management team selected by the board. Matters are decided by vote, quorum constituting 50% of all members plus one.