In order to best serve the Kawangware community an objective approach to program development was utilized.  Research was conducted in the community to determine areas of greatest need and more specifically the primary barriers to education.  The sponsorship program was developed using tried and tested techniques that are scientifically proven to improve quality of life and promote economic development on the community level.

Phase One: Research (Conducted between June 16 and July 16, 2008)

The Community: Very little data is available on the Kawangware community.  Facts as simple as the communities population  have for a long time been unknown.  Ray of Hope volunteers conducted a two-stage cluster survey of the Kawangware community in order to gather both basic demographic data and determine factors contributing to vulnerability in children specifically.  We sought to determine Kawangware’s average household size, household income, unemployment rate etc. in addition to information about illnesses in the family (frequency and severity), healthcare-seeking behavior, house

hold diet and cooking habits, hand washing, water sources, perceptions about disease and education. This information will be used to tailor future Ray of Hope programming to the needs of the community.

The Education System:  A survey was carried out among the top performing schools (public and private) in the Kawangaware area. The goal of this study was to both characterize the state of education in the Kawangware area in general and determine the factors that contribute to academic success for a school.  The findings of this study were used to develop the practical components of the Ray of Hope Sponsorship Programme.  In general, the study found that increases in school cost and decreases in class size were correlated with higher school performance. 

The full results of the study can be downloaded here: Kawangware_schools_research_paper_whole.doc.

From this research, the Ray of Hope Sponsorship Programme has been developed.