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NewsDay

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BEAM still active

News
The Ministry of Labour and Social Services has assured beneficiaries of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) that they will continue receiving education aid for their underprivileged children despite the pullout by one of its major funders. In a statement released over the weekend, government said other funders such as the National Aids Council, Child […]

The Ministry of Labour and Social Services has assured beneficiaries of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) that they will continue receiving education aid for their underprivileged children despite the pullout by one of its major funders.

In a statement released over the weekend, government said other funders such as the National Aids Council, Child Protection Fund, Department for International Development (UK) and Crown Agents, had pledged to continue bankrolling the programme following Unicef’s withdrawal.

State media last week published a report claiming the programme had collapsed due to lack of funding, but the ministry refuted the claims saying it had mobilised enough resources to cater for underprivileged children. Part of the statement reads:

“The ministry would like to assure parents, children, schools and all stakeholders that the BEAM is still very active and has enough resources to support children enrolled under the programme for the whole year.”

BEAM is a government-initiated social protection mechanism aimed at ensuring enrolment and retention of orphans and vulnerable children in the formal school set-up. The fund is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Services. It was established in 2000.

This year, government has set aside $16 million for students in secondary school with $15 million reserved for primary schools.

Government said it was targeting to assist 400 000 children at primary school level and 150 000 at secondary school level.