Make A Mark Australia has enjoyed a wonderful and very special relationship with the Sishemo Foundation since our very first project in 2009. In December 2009, MAMA funded the purchase of some brand new textbooks and an industrial sewing machine for Sishemo. The books supported an intensified reading program, and the sewing machine allowed for the opening of the Sishemo Leather Centre to raise funds to support the school feeding program.

After those initial projects, MAMA worked with Sishemo to build the MAMA Resource Centre – a brand new classroom, library and computer room equipped with reading and text books, 28 computers, art supplies and other educational resources.

In recognition of the tenth anniversary of the relationship, in December 2019 MAMA funded the restocking of Resource Centre with 850 brand new books appropriate for primary school students.

Outcomes

The outcomes of the restocking project are:

• 300 more children will be able to have access to reading books.
• 150 more children from the local community will be able to access educational resources from the MAMA Resource Centre.
• With access to age-appropriate books and educational resources, Sishemo expects that student pass rates will continue to surpass local expectations – with 100% pass rate anticipated in 2019-20.

Having partnered with Sishemo since 2009, it is incredibly special to see some of those students we first met in primary school now studying to be medical doctors, engineers, teachers and nurses – all with one thing in common, wanting to make their own mark int heir community!