Bringing Hope, Changing Lives
HOPE Worldwide Zambia (HWWZ), The Thames Valley Church, and HOPE Worldwide Africa are dedicated to changing the lives of Orphans and Vulnerable Children and the lives of the women who care for them. This month we wanted to tell you about the kids clubs that we run, and the new play equipment that we’ve been able to provide for the children. We also have news about a new Women’s Economic Empowerment program that we have started in Kalingalinga, Lusaka, taking steps to help the women to support themselves and their families.
Kids being Kids …
HWWZ runs children’s clubs at four sites in Lusaka, in Kalingalinga, Mtendere, Chawama and Kenyama. These help children as young as four to come to terms with living as orphans. In most cases the children have lost one or both parents, to HIV/AIDS. Usually collaborating with other NGOs, HWWZ runs support groups for the children. We help them enter schooling and follow their progress. We help them develop life skills and to deal with the challenges that they come into contact with on a daily basis, knowing that they are cared for and that they are special and loved. We also teach them about good nutrition and where appropriate we provide basic foodstuffs. This last month we were able to provide the children with extra games and toys.
Women’s Economic Empowerment
HWWZ has always worked to help women in difficult circumstances to empower themselves. This has included small sewing projects, where the women make and sell goods on the market. Or by buying fruit and vegetables wholesale and then reselling. HWWZ has occasionally provided micro finance, to help start these activities. Through collaboration with the Thames Valley Church in the UK, and with the hard work and support of mentors who have volunteered from the Lusaka Church, we have been able to develop the entrepreneurship that these women already have and to become more effective.
At Kalingalinga HWWZ has fitted out a small workshop with knitting machines. The women have been trained by an experienced tutor and they have now started to supply jumpers to a local school, for the children’s uniforms. We are running a similar project for the women at Mtendere, with a school uniform sewing enterprise. We will also run empowerment projects at Chawama and Kenyama. If you have some time to help us support and encourage these women please do let one of the HWWZ staff know.
HWW Zambia and Thames Valley Partnership Update Feb 2015
Hope Worldwide Zambia has created a great partnership with the Thames Valley Church. Steve Clark is now working UK based on HWWZ activities. They hold regular calls with the Lusaka office to support the team there.
John Partington is partnering with Build-it International to put a classroom and structure for WEE at the Kenyama site, we are on the last leg of gaining council approvals for this. He will spend much of the summer, from May, in Lusaka to Project Manage this program. Similarly at the Chawama site we are adding extra facilities with building works, though we’re improving an existing structure in this case. The kid’s club activities are difficult in the rainy season at both of these sites for lack of shelter.
Steve is spending 2 week in April in Lusaka prior to visiting Johannesburg for the Regional Hope Conference. He is going to start a social enterprise, based around fish farming and vegetable production. He will setup a pilot project initially, and then scale up. His hope is that this will generate income for HWW activities in time, as well as Economic activity for the women, and nutritional support. He’ll be back and forth to Lusaka for the next few months, and then he is planning to be based there, with his family, from late August.
HWWZ also started a small website, http://www.hopewwzambia.org/ to better communicate to both donors and the Church about the exciting projects that they are involved in. We think that you will enjoy the singing in the short video!
HWWZ hope that we can have the opportunity to work with on some Early Childhood Development programs, the AirTel project at Mtendere would be a great starting point for HWWZ in this area. We will be enthusiastically praying for this over the coming weeks, please join with us in taking this to God.
Thank you
Please keep the Kids and Women that HWWZ helps in your prayers. Also please pray for the staff, donors and hardworking volunteers from the Lusaka Church. Without their help, and God’s blessing, none of this would have been possible.