Congratulations to Wendy Ray and Francis Tamba, Trustees of Hands of Compassion, who have just both been appointed as a Commisary Canon – Missioner in the Diocese of Central Zambia. Their Collation services were held in August conducted by the Rt Rev Dr. Derek Kamukwamba, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Central Zambia.
Wendy and Francis are absolutely delighted by their appointment and they will continue their ministry with the Diocese.
Hands of Compassion first started helping some of the orphaned and vulnerable children living in Chipulukusu, a very poor community, some 25 years ago. Now we are back building a classroom alongside St Andrews Anglican Church.
Currently the children meet inside the church using benches. They have no desk sand their teacher manages with a temporary blackboard propped up. Clearly they desperately need a proper classroom which will be conducive to an effective learning environment. There is also a huge need in this area for more schools, with many children still unable to go to a school.
Hands of Compassion agreed to raise funds to build a classroom alongside the church. The local congregation were keen to help and each week they have contributed in whatever way they can, their time and some giving just a few Kwacha towards building the slab foundation. Once the rains finished, some youths started to help dig the trenches, and with determination, they were then able to start building the slab.
A few women come each day bringing water collected from a well, to mix the cement by hand. They are very committed to help, and seeing photos of the progress of the building work is so encouraging.
I have just returned from Zambia and was able to spend some time with them over a few weeks. Their enthusiasm and commitment was incredible, The team led by their Project Manager Adamson, worked very hard and I was delighted to see the blockwork for the super structure had started. Each day, it was amazing to see how much they had achieved. By the end of my visit they had nearly reached the level to start roofing.
We will continue raising funds to enable them to build a second classroom alongside.
Now their vision is becoming a reality – giving hope to more children through the gift of education!
Mainess lost both parents when she was very young and was brought up by her grandmother. There was no money to send her to school, she was very vulnerable and suffered a traumatic time, eventually finding herself as a mother, alone looking after 3 children. She heard about React Skills Training who cared very much about those vulnerable people to help them gain a skill to become self sufficient. Mainess learnt tailoring skills, she is now able to sell the children’s dresses that she makes.
Hands of Compassion provided funds to enable React Skills Training Centre to purchase an additional plot, in order for them to expand and build more space for tailoring workshops.
47 Children were registered in January this year.
In March 2022 after the rains had almost subsided, there was very good progress on the building project. The local people had worked so hard over the last few years to raise sufficient funds to start the slab foundation, despite the challenges due to COVID pandemic which affected their resources, as well as heavy rain in January. But they were so determined to reach their goal, and following a grant from Hands of Compassion, work on the super structure soon got under way.
Pictorial and expenditure reports were regularly sent to show their fantastic progress, a lot of hard work. Their achievement was amazing and by July 2022 the classrooms were finished, just before my visit to Zambia.
When I arrived, it was amazing to see the building now complete, the quality of building work was excellent and so now they could see their vision becoming a reality!
Their plan was to acquire desks and benches, blackboard, teachers desks and chairs for the classrooms, following which the local District Education Office would start the process of inspection leading to registration of the school.
To avoid too much delay Hands of Compassion sent a further grant to assist in their purchase of 60 desks and benches.
Their hope is to now start recruitment of children in December for Early Learning class and Grade 1 and 2 classes with a view to opening the school in January 2023 (the start of their school year)
Progress has been very good and quickly the foundations were finished, and building work moved onto the super structure. We were able to monitor their progress throughout and finally the classrooms and ablution block were completed.
Christian Mercy Foundation, established about ten years ago, is a small school based in a rural area, just outside Blantyre in Malawi. About 400 vulnerable children attend the school, some are disabled, struggling not only to walk some great distance, but also to manage steps into the classroom which is very challenging.
This little boy, eight years old, is deaf and has difficulty in learning at school with no extra help or anyone who can teach him sign language. He is an orphan, stays with his grandmother. They are suffering and constantly searching for food and clothes.
Children were sitting on the floor through lack of benches and desks. Hands of Compassion gave a grant for them to purchase another 100 desks and some library books, the latter as a way of improving their learning.
A second grant was given by Hands of Compassion to enable them to purchase a Maize Grinding Mill, which will help their feeding programme for the children, as well as generate some income for their general funds.
Despite the difficulties of being hampered by COVID 19 pandemic, the congregation were able to raise sufficient funds to build the sub structure, ie foundation of some classrooms for their proposed school. Progress has been slow, but the people were determined to complete the slab foundation in January this year.
We are delighted to see the building progress with the roof trusses now in place.
It is a joy to be working with members of St Paul’s Church and both their Priest, Fr Cornelius Chalwe and Peter Ngoma. They have worked very hard to raise some materials for the slab foundation and Hands of Compassion have now given two instalments of our promised grant.
We are excited to be working with a new project based in Chipata, which is in Eastern Zambia, very near to the border with Malawi. St Paul’s Church, Chipata had a vision to start a school which would provide education for children who are orphaned or vulnerable in their local community.
We asked the local congregation to raise some funds and acquire materials to help towards the costs. This, they have started doing, digging the footings and now building a brick wall as part of the slab foundation. As Trustees, we have agreed to help by giving a financial grant.
