|
Community meeting in Give Hope school |
This
week we held the first of two community meetings. We are working
together to initiate three programs: a co-operative sewing program, a
co-operative knitting program and a bicycle program. We handed out
questionnaires to people who were interested in becoming involved so
that we might be able to start a screening process. Obviously, not
everyone can participate in the initial launch of these programs, so we
will be looking for people willing to make a commitment, take initiative
and who have the desire to help their community grow.
We
took some time during the meeting to talk about the blessings that come
when others are blessed. There can be an underlying attitude of
jealously in Zambia when others succeed--bad enough to include acts of
sabotage. The result is that no one succeeds, everyone stays poor. So I
taught from Jeremiah 29:
Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried
you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too
will prosper.
|
Sydney walks a total of 3-4 hrs a day for school |
The
third program is aimed at youth. I was inspired by this young man whose
name is Sydney. Sydney walks 1.5 - 2 hours each way, each day to go to
the closest high school. This takes up much of his precious school time,
study time and must be incredibly exhausting. We want to use the
bicycles to help youth who want to attend high school or work. We will
organize peer support (so that they don't end up doing beer delivery)
and help them to find ways of generating income for bike maintenance.
We
will hold one more meeting this week for those that could not attend
the first one. The interview process is scheduled for the 16th and 17th
of December with the hopes of having all the pre-work done by the end of
2011. This will put us in a good position to start the programs at the
beginning of January.
Time flies!
|
Young girl selling charcoal |