At the moment we are in contact with several organisations about funding. The seed-funding for teacher’s salaries for one month (500 Euros) will be given to Serete Vitalis in August 2011. We are discussing the possibilities for acquiring new property and renovating. Some organisations require that the project be self-sufficient after funding, so this is a big issue. However, the Saint Lazarus School has been self-sufficient in a way for 10 years already – that is, it has managed to survive.
If self-sufficiency means having the pupils finish the eighth grade with a certificate which is recognized in Kenia, then the school is already self-sufficient in a way. Because the pupils are registered for their final examination each year by the director. The examination takes place in a public place and is administered by the government. Each pupil who passes receives a certificate which is acknowledged by the government. So although Saint Lazarus is an „informal“ school (in contrast to a „formal“ school, which is supported by the government), the certificate for the completion of the eighth grade is the same for both kinds of schools. There is no „formal“ school in Soweto, because the standard of living there is such that a school cannot meet the requirements of becoming a „formal“ school.