Small Gifts, Big Results: How $25–$75 Keeps Children in School
For many of us, “impact” sounds like a spreadsheet. In our villages in Cameroon and Kenya, it is a uniform that fits, a receipt for exam fees paid on time, a caregiver who exhales because the term’s costs are covered. Friends of AIDS Orphans in Africa (FADOA) was built for this scale—turning small gifts into predictable support that keeps orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in class and on track.
What Your Gift Buys—Exactly
• $25: exercise books, pens, geometry set, and PTA fee
• $45: a complete uniform and shoes (stigma and gate‑denial drop when students present in full kit)
• $60–$75: uniform + exam and activity fees + basic hygiene kit for an adolescent girl
We buy and hand over items through head teachers and women‑led partners, documenting each distribution. These ordinary inputs consistently raise attendance and reduce dropout risk in fragile settings [1][2].
Why Small Is Powerful
In low‑income, rural contexts, the first barrier to schooling is usually not distance—it is cost due at the wrong time. Predictable, low‑value assistance targeted to the point of friction (uniforms, fees) produces out‑sized gains in retention. Global evidence shows that reducing the cost of schooling and supporting households improves enrolment and completion for OVC [1][3].
Accountability, Not Overhead
FADOA uses a light, disciplined system: partner lists verified with schools; named handovers; simple receipts; and follow‑up attendance checks. We publish term‑to‑term retention and the share of program funds reaching beneficiaries. The aim is trust you can see—without exposing sensitive details [4].
Field Note
“Once the uniform fit, she started arriving early and asking for extra problems,” a teacher in Bamenda told us. Small costs had kept her home; a small gift returned her to class.
Endnotes
[1] UNESCO GEM Report — Reducing direct and indirect costs improves school participation. (UNESCO GEM 2023)
[2] UNICEF — OVC education continuity in emergencies and fragile settings. (UNICEF Education)
[3] World Bank — Evidence on cash/fee support and schooling outcomes in Sub‑Saharan Africa. (World Bank Education)