Since its inception in 1988, Direct Link has found sponsors for hundreds of children, in both primary and secondary schools, who might otherwise not have received an education. Many of these children have progressed through school into college or university, carving out successful careers for themselves.

David is now 16 years old and attends secondary school. His mother died in 1998 leaving 7 children, 2 girls and 5 boys. David's stepmother died in 2000, leaving 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy. The father is ill and is unable to care for 11 children. David is lovingly sponsored and his sponsor bought the family a fresh water tank and a cow, which has since borne a calf.

Some 60 schools and orphanages have been assisted by sponsorship through Direct Link, a number of these being for the deaf or the physically handicapped. Several of these have benefited in even greater ways, with donors giving funds for the building of libraries, workshops, science labora-tories, school buildings and equipment.

The official opening of the Hatvany Library, at a Primary School for the Deaf, was a great occasion in October 2002, with a workshop provided at the same time, where beautiful quality woodwork is carried out.  Another rural Primary School celebrated the fact that, before assistance from Direct Link, it was just a dream and a plot of land. Now it is a fully functioning school for over 100 pupils. Many deaf children have been given the education that they could only dream about. Schools have been twinned, women's projects have been assisted, families have received cows and other livestock, football teams have received strips and footballs, orphanages have been assisted with funds and hospitals have received medical equipment and beds.

Direct Link has recently introduced a number of new programmes:

• The refurbishment of the grannies' houses so that the children can sleep without rain pouring through onto their beds, together with the installation of fresh water tanks so that the families can drink uncontaminated water. Until these were provided, the children and the grannies had to drink rain water that had collected in recycled oil drums and had lain for weeks before being drunk.

• The setting up of a community chicken farm which is looked after every day by a rota of grannies. To join the project, every granny has to provide one chicken which then joins the others on a plot of land provided by one of the grannies, where chicks are reared and eggs produced. Beautiful nesting boxes have been built and shelters for the chicks during the heat of the day.

• The provision of a computer school for the older orphans to learn computing skills. This project has been implemented with the wonderful assistance of the University of Stirling, in Scotland, who donated all the computers, and A.M. Pilkington's Trust Fund who so kindly donated the cost of the technician, shipment and installation of the equipment, as well as the installation of electricity. The school is in the process or relocating to more spacious premises with more facilities.