Weekend Break

Enjoyed some rest and relaxation in the Kafue National Park, it takes time to unwind after all the poverty and challenges we have seen in the Western Province. Many of the roads in the park are flooded and impassable; however, we enjoy the break and after 3 nights are ready to continue our journey.

Tuesday 13 February

Visit the Mukambi Community School, at present operating in a large tent as they are awaiting completion of their new building.

Mukambi Community School

The children and teacher were delighted to receive the drawings and information from Howden Primary School, Nr Goole, and reciprocated with some drawings and information about their school. Let's hope they can continue to communicate.

A 3 hour drive back to Lusaka.

Wednesday 14 February

A day for emailing and phone calls, always a cause of frustration in Africa!

The local director of the UK charity Harvest Help, proves to be a good contact and puts us in touch with a local NGO.

Meet with the local NGO called OPAD, Organisation for the Promotion of Meaningful Development. We are impressed with their approach to sustainable projects in poverty stricken rural areas.

They invite us to see one of their projects in Chibombo, north of Lusaka, on Friday.

Thursday 15 February

Met with Ndopu from the Hope Against Aids group, who takes us to visit 3 of the families affected by HIV/AIDS in an urban area in Lusaka.

Again some sad stories of grandparents looking after grandchildren and the devastating affect this dreadful virus has on the community.

Went shopping in Lusaka town to buy a sewing machine and materials for the Sesheke Women's group in Mongu. Ndopu agrees to transport the sewing machine at the beginning of March. We are sorry we cannot take it ourselves, but we hope this will help to make a small difference.

Sewing machine for Sesheke Women's Group

Friday 16 February

Collected at 8.00am by OPAD for a 2 hour journey on a very bumpy, dirty road to Chibombo, north of Lusaka, to see the project.

This project is to re-introduce some lost agricultural skills, the introduction of new more nutritious crops and sustainable farming methods to help the very poor families and those affected by HIV/AIDS. To put things into perspective, a field the size of half a football pitch can support the average family of 8 with food for the entire year.

Greeted by the community members who have adopted the project and are now managing it under the guidance of OPAD.

Opad Community Group

It was humbling to be shown around Olivia's field, and see the difference this project has made to her and her family.

Olivia's Filed

Another farmer, Simon, was so proud to show us how well his crops are growing. He was pleased that the neighbouring farmers were also starting to adopt the same methods.

Simon's Crop

The project is designed to spread and affect around 1000 families over 2 years.

We leave with a glimmer of hope that we may be able to link OPAD with some of those desperate families in the Western Province

Decide to leave Lusaka tomorrow and so meet with the Director of CHINN (Children in Need Network) who gives us some charities to meet in Livingstone.

Saturday 17 February

Hire a car and drive to Livingstone, we are told it is a straight road and should take around 5 hours.

We manage to take the wrong road and end up about 200km out of our way and do not realise until we reach a border crossing into Zimbabwe!

Arrive in Livingstone in the dark after an 8 hour journey.

WEEK 6

Took the time to explore volunteering opportunities for future at:

LISCA (Livingstone Street Children's Association) based in a Community Centre which runs a hostel for 20 street children as well as a drop in centre.

Street children's drop in centre

Linda Community School, which is also based in the Community Centre and is attended by the most deprived children living in the area.

Linda Community School

Libinju Community School, operating in a rural area again for very poor children.

Dambwe Basic School, which runs a special class for disabled children and over 2000 other pupils. The Headmaster was very interested in our idea of twinning with a school in the UK, and so we are bringing back a letter of introduction from him and some letters from the children looking for pen pals.

Dambwe Class

Summary of Help from Donations

This is the end of the diary, thank you to all our readers. Just a reminder that your donations have helped us to help:

• Provide a home and education for 33 abused, neglected and/or orphaned children
• Provide an education centre for over 60 disadvantaged teenagers.
• Provide school materials and teachers at a charity school for 55 secondary pupils.
• Provide food and clothes for 100 families affected by HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.
• Provide maize and rice to 40 grandmothers caring for over 100 children whose crops have been ruined by floods in Zambia.
• Provide a sewing machine and materials to 20 members of a women's group to help create an income generating activity.
• Provide food, soap and clothing to 50 families supporting relatives in hospital.

THANK YOU