Report from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitators Following Visit in March

In total there are now 31 children in Roy and Sarah’s home when all the children are home from boarding school.

Recent Events

Boarding Schools

The funds that were sent in February have meant that eight pupils have entered into boarding school. They are very thankful for being able to be back in school, as they had no hope of how they would manage. Below is a list of those who are at school:

Peter Chifunda  -  Lusaka G10
Martha Banda  -  Lusaka G10
Deberah Tembo  -  Lusaka G10 
Knight Saasa  -  Solwezi G10
Lonitia Moso  -  Solwezi G10 (has a child at her mother's place but Sarah is applying to get custody)
Wilson Kamapamba  -  Solwezi G10
Foster Mwila  -  Solwezi G10
Michael  -  Solwezi G10
Martin  -  currently at home, failed exams and has to rewrite at end of year
Kathryn  -  had TB at exam time, will go to Solwezi next year to complete 

We visited Solwezi School and caught up with the teachers there. They have a huge heart for the kids. There are 21 teachers for 110 deaf and disabled children in the school, which is a high ratio, but the teachers say 1 child is like 10 in the speed they can learn. Sarah has got to know the teachers very well, and sees them often to discuss issues and how to help.

One of the issues the school is facing is how to provide skills training for the pupils. They would like to start poultry, carpentry, knitting and gardening. They say that the pupils learn very well from seeing what needs to be done, picking things up very fast. The school is government funded but the amounts are little and often late in coming. 

Younger Children

They have a volunteer named Dora who has been running classes for the younger children in the home. They have set up a small room at the back of the property for running the teaching classes. She will be leaving soon so they are looking for volunteers from the OM teaching courses to fill the gap. 

Deaf Community

There are a number of deaf children that have just started visiting the Deaf house and Sarah has been teaching them a little bit of sign language with the parents.

There have been three new deaf children (Memory, Conrad and Chola), who come from a nearby village and whose parents were renting them a place in town, who are now living with Roy and Sarah as it is much safer. The parents of the children are still paying for the school fees at Broadway Primary School.

The Farm

Grace Ministries International have provided some funds to build a house on the farm (4 hectares) owned by Roy and Sarah. We visited the farm and the house is at gable level. There are enough funds to finish the roof but they still require funds for the finishing of the house and also a bore hole for water. The design is such to keep some distance between the boys and girls.

Ken and Mubuto, two of the older deaf boys, are now living at the farm and aim to do some farming there. So far they have planted some trees, dug a well by hand and a soak pit for the house. They have also made all the blocks for the house with a mold, learning very fast how to do so. Roy thinks they may be able to make a business of making blocks.

The aim is for the family to move out to the farm, to give them some space and resource to start some farming skills training with the deaf youth, i.e. pigs (which Roy already does), maize and crops, chickens etc. Currently they are paying US$400 per month to rent the house in town. 

Personal Stories

Walia Mwansa

This young man pictured with Roy and Sarah is called Mr Smarts for short. 

In the middle of the night Roy got a call from Social Services to say that a boy was at the bus station and very sick. It turned out that his parents had died and his uncle didn’t want him so just put him on a bus to Kabwe with no extra money.

He was suffering from meningitis and has ended up being deaf, blind and cannot walk. When he first arrived Roy and Sarah taught him sign language, which he learnt very fast (hence the name, Mr Smarts). He was about to sit Grade 12 when the disease hit him and was getting very good results at school.

Initially they had to bath him and move him around and he was confined to a bed for a year but things have got better. He can now hear a little bit if you yell in his ear and sees some colours. Now to communicate they are able to grab his hands and sign with him through making his hands into the signs. 

They will keep working with him and pray that time will continue to see improvement.

Ideas for the Future

Roy and Sarah are still working towards the skills training of the children. We have asked them to put forward any ideas and proposals that they have for discussion.

We also discussed that education funding is fine short term but somehow they need to look for some longer term solutions, whatever that might look like.

There may be a requirement for helping them for some funds for a teacher in the school for the little children in the near future.

Prayer and Praise Points

1) Pray for funding to finish the house at the farm
2) Pray for continued improvement of Walia

We are amazed by Roy and Sarah’s compassion and love for all the 31 children and youth in their care. They just really love these kids. Roy sometimes needs to get away for a day to have a break but after just a few hours wants to be back to see all the children.