Partnership Overview

Samfya Bible School (SBS) has been preparing Christian leaders since 1940 and is a key provider of training in the Luapula Province of Zambia. Every year they train 20-30 people who become pastors, evangelists, church planters and change agents in their communities. They produce high quality graduates, many of whom are making a huge impact on their communities.

Driven to have a greater impact, the school has more recently developed an extension teaching program. The program has been taken out into rural communities targeting 30 to 50 Christian leaders at one time. With the teaching capacity to target three to four communities in addition to keeping the school running, SBS is reaching approximately an additional 150 Christian leaders a year through this program. 

Another need they have recently identified is for a ministry to youth. The extension program aims to teach church leaders about youth programs and how to handle youth, but SBS had no ministry actually reaching young people. 

The world view of Samfya youth is very small, most young people have never been outside of Samfya and they do not have very many good role models. Young girls aim to get married early as they think it will be their saviour, only to find out that it is not. Because the young people do not have much to do they get into drinking, drugs and there are lots of teenage pregnancies. Many have given up going to school because they think there is no hope of education impacting their lives. Many parents have pulled children out of school to send them onto the road side to sell goods and food. 

History of Partnership

The Christian Brethren Mission Station in Samfya was founded in the mid 1930's by Horace Coleman, a missionary from Scotland. The Bible School itself grew out of Bible study classes that Mr Coleman organised from his house. The current buildings on campus, which are still being utilised, were constructed in 1960. From 1986 until 1991 the school went through a period of decline and was finally shut down. In 1991 under the guidance of Mark Davies it was reopened and in 1997 Rodgers Chama, a gifted Zambian graduate from the Theological College of Central Africa, took over as principal. Rodgers worked hard to build up the school and unite local churches. Chama passed away in 2004 and his ministry was then carried on by Levy Chibu.

Bright Hope World first became involved around 2002 when we supported a percentage of the costs of the college and subsidised the salaries of the staff and the fees of the students.  Subsequently, in 2009, we also commenced providing financial support for the person overseeing the agricultural program at the school. By the end of 2012 the agricultural teacher had built up a very sustainable business with chickens and his salary was able to be sustained from this business so BHW funding ceased. 

BHW's Zambia Partnership Facilitator has known Anthony since 2009 when he was at GLO with David Lukama (ZAM19c). In 2018 Anthony sent him a proposal and BHW's Zambia Partnership Facilitator subsequently visited him when he was in Zambia in March 2019. Following this visit the Executive approved re-commencing a partnership with Samfya Bible School and providing funds for the youth ministry.  

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries here are the youth in and around Samfya who will benefit from the school ministry and camps Anthony is seeking to run.  

What We Like About The Partnership

Anthony is a good man with a big heart who has proved very trustworthy over a long period of time. He has a real passion for helping youth and has served youth at a great cost to himself for the last 10 years.

Key People

Anthony Chitambala

Anthony was born in 1987 and has four siblings and one step brother. His father was a miner but he was retired early on medical grounds and passed away in 2000. Anthony started his schooling while he was living away with his grandma in Mansa, and from Grade 8 was living with his cousin in Luwansha. 

In the last year his dad was alive Anthony spent a lot of time with him, and he mentored him and talked a lot about the bible. He was a devout Roman Catholic. Anthony gave his life to Jesus in that year as a result of all the talks with his father.

His time living with his cousin was not a happy time as he was a very hard person so Anthony ended up spending a lot of time at his church. Here he found some guys from Operation Mobilisation, Oscar and Joseph, who put a lot of time into mentoring him and he became a regular helper in the youth ministries there, taught Sunday school and joined Sowers and prison fellowship. He received a lot of fulfilment out of the ministries and so when he finished school he went to the Discipleship Course at Pro Cristo (OM) in 2006. His cousin thought he was completely crazy to waste his education this way. He also completed the missions training and then decided to go to GLO bible college in 2007.

2008 saw him go back to OM and receive a posting to Mpluligu on Lake Tanganika where they had a youth ministry. Here he met both David Lukama (ZAM19c) and Wathabu (principal of SBS) who taught him a lot about youth ministry when they came to run youth camps. In 2009 he had an opportunity to work at GLO Alive and then in 2011 he went to GLO UK for a period of six months to learn more about youth programs.  

Anthony married Milly in December 2018. Milly is currently studying theology at Teca University after changing from engineering. Her practical for six months will be at Samfya Bible School so the couple will be reunited.

Vision And Annual Strategy

Anthony has a big vision for how youth can be impacted in the area. He has started being involved by:
• Sports programs, playing football with the youth then being able to mentor them. Currently around 30 boys come to this program which was previously held at the Bible school but now they have to rent a field.
• Visiting schools and running a program teaching Christian values. The schools allow this to happen as part of a club time where students go to various activities.

There are many other things that Anthony would like to introduce into the youth work:
• Youth camps; invite GLO (ZAM19c) to come and help run youth camps in the school holidays, using the SBS facility, and run fun activities and mentoring programs with the youth
• Library; SBS is going to look at putting up a library building and Anthony is keen to make part of the library a place where youth can come to read books and study
• Drop in center; where youth can come in weekends to sit and talk, always having some people there on Saturdays as a place of refuge and mentoring

SBS leadership are encouraging Anthony to develop these programs as they see he is very passionate about youth. 

Annual Budget

The annual budget to cover the entire costs of the school ministry and run two camps is US$7,700. However, another donor has been found to cover the camp expenses.