Key People: David and Liz Power
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This report was compiled following a Whatsapp call with David. We had a lengthy discussion around the structure and vision of GLO and the way forward.
The six-month course is still continuing even with schools being closed due to COVID as the GLO base has been able to carry on because they are all isolated from the outside. COVID has however affected the ability of the course to go on outreach to the community.
There are 18 students this year. Last week six of the students were baptised at a local church baptism service.
This is a two-year curriculum run in a local church who meet monthly and are taught by local teachers overseen by GLO. Currently they are running eight courses with over 400 students.
This course is aimed at equipping local church women leaders to teach and train young women both the bible and life skills.
Local youth leaders from churches have been coming to GLO for training and help with addressing specific issues with youth in the church and secular world. They are then able to go back to churches and apply these things they have learnt to help local youth.
The government now requires that churches have formally trained people among their leadership so with the help of an Australian (Perth) Bible College this course is being offered at GLO. 23 students have enrolled in this course.
Nosiku MubuyaetaHometown: Mfumbwe, North Western Province
Age: 20 years old
Background: Nosiku completed high school last year. She is a bright girl, very joyous and wants to participate in activities. She comes from a family of eight and she is the fifth born. Both parents are still alive and she keeps up with them. Her parents are both farmers and they do this for upkeep and taking care of the family. Nosiku helps her family whenever she can at home and in the farm. Her big brother is a teacher but the whole family is involved in farming.
Her father is a church leader at the United Church of Zambia and the whole family attends this. Nosiku is a believer in the Lord Jesus and helps at the church youth group.
She wants to study medicine after her Gap year God willing, she shared. She volunteers her services at the clinic often and she believes in helping people. Nosiku helps school kids too with homework and encourages many to concentrate on school work.
At the Gap course she has realised that Christ should be the centre of our lives and in life we have to work hard.
Thomson NkanduHometown: Samfya, Luapula Province
Age: 18 years old
Background: Thomson completed high school last year and is an only child in his family. He lives with his grandmother now after his mother died in 2016. His father has not been part of his life and he has solely depended on his grandmother from his late mother’s side. They are all involved in farming and look forward to every farming season for family livelihood.
Thomson comes from a Jehovah’s Witness background and has appreciated taking part in the Gap course and practicing Christianity differently.
He hopes to study law if an opportunity came in his life but after Gap year plans to start a small business to fundraise for his future plans.
At the Gap course he has realised that reflection is very important in life and has gained many life values. He is able to interact with other people in life.
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Masauso TemboHometown: Mfumbwe, North Western Province
Age: 20 years old
Background: Masauso comes from a family of two and was born in Lusaka but lost his parents as a young boy. His grandmother living in the North West took him in but later she died. He now lives with his uncle and family in Mfumbwe. He completed high school last year and is another recommendation from Mfumbwe to experience the Gap course. He is from a Christian family but came to believe in the Lord Jesus here at Gap course. He enjoys singing and plays football.
He hopes to become a nurse and is motivated by cleanliness and helping people. This he says is his dream but hopes one day it will come true.
At Gap year he has come to appreciate spending time with God and discovering who he is. He has learned the beauty of cooperation and hard work in life.
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Agness KundaHometown: Samfya, Luapula province
Age: 18 years old
Background: Agness completed high school last year and she is the second born in a family of three girls. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her mother. She is very conscience of her parents’ divorce and still searches for answers but is grateful to be at GLO for this gap period.
Agness enjoys playing football and sings in church. She hopes to get a chance to get into school again and become a Police woman. She is a new believer in the Lord and the Gap course has encouraged her to read more of the Word of God.
Agness is learning to accept herself and learning more on relating with other people.
Shadreck LumbwaHometown: Ndola, Copperbelt province
Age: 19 years old
Background: Shadreck completed high school last year. He comes from a family of ten where he is the fifth born. Both his parents are involved in church ministry. He is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and helps in his church youth group. He enjoys playing football and music.
After the Gap year Shadreck hopes to get into medical school and become a clinical officer. He wants to help people, he shared.
The Gap year is teaching him about team work and has learned a lot more about Christ.
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Hometown: Kitwe, Copperbelt province
Age: 19 years old
Background: Taizya is from a family of two where he is the second child. He was born in Mansa town where he lost his parents when he was young and his aunty took him in with his sister to Kitwe town. Taizya completed high school last year and continues to enjoy reading. He comes from a Christian family and is a believer.
Taizya has learned to depend on God totally during the Gap year. He has loved lessons from the Bible and learning how to live a Christian life. After Gap year he is hoping to attend College and become an electrician. He has a passion to fix things.
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Hometown: Ndola, Copperbelt
Age: 18 years old
Background: Nelly lost her only sister last month while attending the GLO course. That made her ask lots of questions and she does miss her sister. She is from a family of five where she is the fourth one and lost her younger sister. Her parents divorced some years ago and she stays with her mother. Her mother is a Christian and a great encouragement to her Christian faith.
Nelly enjoys watching movies and cooking. She hopes to study dentistry when and if she gets a chance to go to College. Through the Gap year she is learning to be content in life and discover more of who she is.
Hometown: Kalulushi, Copperbelt Province
Age: 18 years old
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Background: Kafula is the first born in a family of six. He is keeping up with his parents and he is the only boy in the family. He congregates with the United Church of Zambia. Kafula shared that he is still working though his faith as he has learned lots of things at the Gap year course. He has now realised that there is more to Christianity than a Sunday service.
He enjoys playing soccer and table tennis. Kafula plans to attend University soon after the Gap year to study accounts.
Edwin Cama who has been working with Foundations for Farming for over nine years has come to GLO. They have a vision to establish a centre of excellence that would achieve the following:|
• Be used as a farming training base for GLO students in all courses
• Show churches the value of sustainable agriculture
• Help to produce food for GLO
• Generate income to assist with the sustainability of GLO
The aim is to have two workers who would help with the day-to-day running of activities which would then release Edwin to train students and oversee the running of the farming activities.
A small story about Edwin using what they have: A bee swarm went into one of the dormitories at GLO and they were going to spray it and kill it. Edwin then came and made up a bee hive, took the bees and placed them into the hive so that they can produce honey and sell it.
Many groups are requesting to hold conferences at GLO so they are looking at the possibility of this as an income generating activity.
The vision for GLO is to “Be here for the local churches” and a significant amount of work has been done in the last 15 years to ensure there is a positive relationship with the local CMML churches. This has been achieved and is evident in all the courses that are being run for the local churches.
One step they want to see is that local churches see GLO as their own resource to help empower them. For the church to see GLO like this there needs to be an element of the local church funding GLO. Their aim is to reduce outside support and look for the local church to get more involved in this.
GLO are looking to reconfigure the GAP year course. The current six-month course seems to be taking a lot of resource and time and could do with an overhaul to reduce this, while still maintaining its effectiveness with the mentoring of the students. They also want to make sure some skills training happens to give students skills they can use once they leave.
In light of their desire to continue to engage the local church, my recommendation is that we aim to reduce the budget over the next few years. We will continue to fund the same amount for support of poorer rural youth to be able to attend the GAP course and each year will also look at some way of helping them on their road to sustainability as they have viable ideas. This year we will provide additional funds to support the two agricultural workers until they can establish the garden.