Mends Academy has extended support to the Abandoned Refuge Children’s Home (ARCH) at Buduburam in the Central Region, donating essential supplies, cash and scholarships to help improve the welfare and education of children under the home’s care.
The support, which formed part of activities marking the school’s sixth graduation ceremony, included mosquito nets, drinking water, rice and cash towards the payment of rent, which was reportedly almost due.
In addition to the material support, Mends Academy awarded scholarships to five children from ARCH, providing them with an opportunity to pursue their education and develop their potential.
The initiative was led by the Director of Mends Academy, Paul Mends, with support from the school’s administration.
Mends said the gesture was motivated by the belief that society has a collective responsibility to care for vulnerable children and provide them with opportunities to realise their potential.
I believe that these young ones are our future leaders. If we take proper care of them, some of them can become ministers, doctors, engineers and the like,” he said.
He said Mends Academy decided to visit ARCH as part of its sixth graduation activities to show solidarity with the home and encourage its management to continue its work.
As part of our sixth graduation, we decided to come here and show our support to Mama for the great work that she has started doing. I believe God will continue to give her the strength, courage and resilience to continue the good work,” Mends said.
He also called on individuals, businesses and institutions to support vulnerable people in society, stressing the importance of collective responsibility.
We live for one another, so we must always lend a helping hand to society,” he said.
Mends said the scholarships were intended to ensure that financial challenges did not prevent the selected children from accessing education.
Cash support for rent
Patron of ARCH, Regina Mary Krangar, expressed appreciation to Mends Academy for the donation, particularly the cash contribution towards the facility’s rent.
She explained that the home had been mobilising resources to settle its rent obligations and that the contribution from Mends Academy would help ease the pressure.
They have mobilised resources to get the rent paid, and so we decided to contribute a quarter so that you can continue to stay,” she said.
Krangar said she had been supporting children for many years and started helping vulnerable children in 2006, particularly during the period when the former Buduburam refugee camp was facing significant challenges.
There were so many children who needed help, so I took it upon myself to help them and send them to school and make them somebody,” she said.
She explained that ARCH does not discriminate based on nationality and welcomes children from different backgrounds.
We don't have a special forum for anybody because Jesus said we are all one,” she said.
According to Krangar, the home currently has about 30 children—20 boys and 10 girls, although some of the older beneficiaries are now in tertiary institutions and other educational facilities.
She said the organisation's guiding principle was “Christ first, then education,” stressing that education and moral values were essential to developing responsible citizens.
Knowledge is power, but if you get knowledge and you don't give them Christ, then you give them nothing,” she said.
Krangar further urged stakeholders to invest in the education of children, saying society must equip the younger generation with knowledge and skills rather than allowing them to become vulnerable to social problems.
These are the young generation we need to educate. Their weapon should not be guns; their weapon should be pen and paper so that we can achieve greatness in the near future,” she said.
ARCH appreciates donation
Krangar expressed particular appreciation for the mosquito nets, drinking water, rice, cash and scholarships provided by Mends Academy, saying the intervention would directly benefit the children.
We are very grateful for the items, especially the mosquito nets and the water. Everything that is brought here will be used for the children,” she said.
She noted that the drinking water was particularly valuable given the increasing cost of water and the number of children at the facility.
She also expressed gratitude to Mends Academy for extending educational support to five children through the scholarship programme.
I thank Mends Academy for being a blessing to these children,” she said.
Krangar thanked the school’s administration and all those who contributed to the initiative and appealed for continued support for the home.
The intervention by Mends Academy forms part of the school’s broader commitment to giving back to society and supporting vulnerable children, with the school encouraging other institutions, corporate organisations and individuals to emulate the initiative by supporting needy children and institutions within their communities.
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