Report from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitator Following Visit in March

Key person: Peter Chomba 

Recent Events

Bible Extension Programme

22 people graduated from the bible extension program run in Chaba last year. Judas administered it and taught some set subjects while Peter did the rest of the teaching. The people attending have been from a range of local churches around Chaba. 

There has been people from the rice growing area which is about 15km from Chaba also asking for this sort of training. 

The electives the community have chosen for the second year are:
• Bible interpretation (finished in Feb)
• Preaching
• Business and entrepreneurship
• Biblical counselling

See the Samfya Bible School report for more detail of what this incredible program is all about. 

Rice Trading

The rice trading will start in April. Peter’s wife, Jenifer, will be the one to go and buy the rice from the farmers and sell it firstly in Samfya, then further afield if needed. 

She will buy the rice unshelled firstly from the farmers who have been through the program, then others. This is to motivate the rice farmers with a viable market. 

Trainings and Follow-up

They have been busy again with more rice, cassava and maize trainings. They would like to continue with these as they are seeing such a change in peoples' yield who are using the methods.

The committee members in Chaba follow up with the farmers to see how they are going and make sure they are using the new methods, e.g. the committee members each have five cassava growers to follow up with after the trainings.

The committee are motivated to do this work as they see the change in crops being grown and the encouragement from the community.  

Personal Stories

Maggie Kaluba (Cassava farming) 

Sister Maggie was amazed to see how cassava grown in the new method they learnt is growing bigger in a shorter period of time. She has noticed a big difference. She was all smiles and was lost for words except to thank BHW and Chaba Christian Care Group for bringing training to the area.

It was never heard of anywhere that an organization like this would bring trainings on farming. Bravo to BHW and Chaba Christian Care Group. Their wish was that this program can continue so that more people can benefit from the Foundations for Farming training.

Petronella Mushili, Annie Katontoka, Veronica Chibale (Rice farming)

These ladies are very grateful to BHW and Chaba Christian Care Group for their effort to bring about training in rice growing. Rice was grown in the area for family consumption only and not as a product they can sell. They said their training has helped them to double their harvest. They used to have 3-4 bags of rice but now they are able to grow 8-10 bags of rice in half a lima of land.

They are very grateful to BHW in particular for their timely support to sponsor training and seminars. They wish what they learnt could be taught to others as well. A lot of people ask them why they have rice fields with such a good production. They point them to Chaba Christian Care Group and encourage them to attend training seminars and refresher courses as well.

Justin Mpundu, Mwansa Bwense (Maize farming)

These two brothers are grateful for the training. They said this has improved their standard of life and they are now have enough to put meals on the table. They hope to learn new methods of planting cassava so they are able to sustain their families fully.

From what they are harvesting they are able sell some produce to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and have enough to feed their families. 

Jestone Mwangelwa and Dorcas Chali (Business Entrepreneurship)

Jestone and Dorcas are running small Tuntembas. They said the loans they got from CCC Group have really helped them to reach where they are. Their livelihoods have improved a lot since they got the loans. They are grateful that they were assisted and they will be forever grateful to BHW for empowering them in this manner. They also said that they are committed to repay the loan so that others can benefit too. If as many people as possible were helped, the community's living standard would improve tremendously.

Theresa Mwelwa (Business Entrepreneurship)

Theresa is a widow who suffered a lot when her husband died back in 2011 as her in-laws took all that she had. By His grace Chaba Christian Care Group came along and helped her through the program of assisting people in business entrepreneurship. She started fish mongering.

This has helped her a lot to the point of regaining her dignity. She is able to feed her family and help the two children who go to school with all the school requirements.

She said she cannot thank Bright Hope World and Chaba Christian Care Group enough for all that they have done. Her prayer is that more people would benefit from the program.

Plans for the Future

They would like to conduct another farming and business training seminar this year as they strongly believe that this is what is helping the farmers and business people to do better in their activities.

They intend to train the following people:
• 20 people for maize farmers
• 20 people for rice farmers
• 20 people for cassava farmers
• 10 people for business entrepreneurship
• 40- 60 people for a refresher course

The budget for this would be ZMK16,000 (US$1,650). 

Comments from Peter Chomba

After seeing and hearing people's stories I was speechless. Tears of joy were full in my eyes as I pondered on all these during the night. I had joy that I cannot fully explain. Think of the joy of having an organization that brings God’s blessings and hope to the people in your home village and community, would you be able to fully explain that.

Encouraged by this, I saw the need to yet put forward another training proposal to have a training seminar in August or September 2018.

The work in Chaba relies on the generous support of partners like you. We are grateful for your unwavering support, it has been a great partnership. We look forward to an even greater partnership for God’s work in the rest of 2018 and years to come.