SEPTEMBER UPDATES 2015.
EDUCATION
Our Children reopened school on 31 August for their last and third term in this year 2015. The Children were happy and excited to report back to school after enjoying a 3 weeks holiday that was characterized with so much fun and recreation activities. The school results for the end of term was quite impressive and we are happy to see some of our Children really improving with school work and we wish them all the very best for this term. Four of our Children will be sitting for their final grade seven exams on 12 October and we wish them nothing but the best.
SUPPORT
For almost 3 months now we have been experiencing power cuts which is affecting all parts of Zambia. Due to low rainfall last season, the level of water in Zambezi River have hit record low making it hard to generate needed kilowatts for the country. This has forced our local electricity company to maximize load shedding up to 8 hours everyday. However, a group of our German friends came together and collected some money for us to buy and install solar energy. This included Solar panels, inventers from DC to AC, Battery bank and charge controllers. On 7 September the solar panel was successfully installed on the property that has been so helpful for the household; especially for our four Children preparing and getting ready for Grade 7 final exams. This initiative has enabled them to study in the evenings even when the power is cut off. It will also help out to maintain security measures within the property at night. Many thanks to Heiligenhauser Freundeskreis (Heilingenhauser Friends circle) our German friends for this wonderful blessing for the Home.
SOCIAL
Allan is our son, mentor and is currently staying and working in South Africa with the Leadership Experience Programme. On 2 September he visited the home and during his visit at Kwathu he had a talk with the kids. He talked about the importance of respecting each other, setting education and God as a priority in their lives. Later on he enjoyed playing games with the Children and it was so much fun. It’s always a blessing to see him growing and taking up a solid and defined life as he is impacting the lives of children in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. May God bless and increase you.
WELFARE
It is during this month that we were supposed to introduce our new team for our house mothers, but unfortunately this turned out to be a different story. Mama Mutinta who was supposed to be our House mother for Kwathu on a probation period of three months, passed away after a short illness. She died from the Livingstone batoka hospital in the early hours of Tuesday 14 September.
During her few months at Kwathu, she was indeed known to be a good warm hearted mother and she loved everyone around her. It was so unfortunate that we were unable to attend her burial as she had to be buried at her home village in Monze about 4 hours drive from Livingstone. Despit this situation, we all went to the Zambezi river to pray and pay our last respect by laying some flowers in the river. She will be greatly missed by the Children and fellow staff workers. She might have worked with us for only 3 months but we will always remember her and may her soul rest in eternal peace.
Skills training which is related to capacity building is one of the main goals for our project. There is this saying that goes like this, “Do not fish for someone but instead, teach them how to fish”. In the past few months after moving to our own property Mr. Agripa Phiri, the director and the father of the house has been closely working and encouraging the older boys to be involved with gardening, that includes watering and general garden maintenance. So far some children are able to sale garden produce and earn some pocket money. This initiative gives the children a relaxing and refreshing time especially after school and helps them to connect with nature, understand their environment and most important learn life skills.
LAND UPDATE
Building project is on going. The office block is coming up slowly; it has delayed because of the material we decided to use. We are building this structure with Hydraform blocks which will reduce material cost and there will be no need to paint or plaster outside walls. The hiccup we have is there are very few people trained as bricklayer for this type of blocks. But in the next few weeks this office will be going up fast as solution in on the way.
Please continue praying with us on these requests
- Pray with us for financial resources to help us accomplish our next goals of the project, which is constructing our administration block.
- Pray with us for our 4 Children who will be sitting for grade 7 exams this coming October.
- Continue praying for courage, faith, wisdom and mostly love that we can accomplish the goals we set for Kwathu and that the children can live, grow and mature in Gods daily goodness and loving kindness.
- Pray with us for stability for our incoming Children, current Children and for the project in general even as we start planning for next year 2016.
- We thank you all for your continued love and support towards Kwathu Children’s Home and may the Lord continue to bless you! Matthew 18:5 “And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me”.
- We thank all our friends and partners for your prayers, donation and support of any kind to Kwathu. GOD BLESS.
