Local Projects

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