Report from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitator Following Visit

Key people:
Edwin Chama
Saviour Mwelwa
David Power

Recent Events

Alpha Group

Edwin provided the base line information for the farming group. Many of these people are not just looking after their own children but have orphans and other family dependents that they are responsible for.

Boniface Mukosia, aged 60 with 8 dependents, farming 3 limas of maize (current yield 60 x 50kg bags)
Marlon Chongo, aged 32 with 6 dependents, farming 4 limas of maize (current yield 30 x 50kg bags)
Clementina Mulopa, aged 52 with 3 dependents, farming 2 limas of maize and 1 lima of groundnuts (current yield 30 x 50kg bags of maize)
Jay Chipoya, aged 66 with 6 dependents, farming 1 lima of maize and 25x25m of onions (current yield 0 x 50kg bags maize)
Thomas Tapata, aged 55 with 8 dependents, farming 2 limas of maize and 1 lima of onions (current yield 3 x 50kg bags maize)
Floydah Sakhdah, aged 53 with 3 dependents, farming2 limas of tomatoes
Chelwe Nchima, aged 40 with 5 dependents, farming 1 lima of vegetables
Dorothy Musesa, aged 49 with 5 dependents, farming 2 limas of maize (current yield 10 x 50kg bags)
Chisenga Frank, aged 32 with 2 dependents, farming 3 limas of maize (current yield 40 x 50kg bags)
Jacquiline Litwai, aged 30 with 1 dependent, farming 1 lima of maize (current yield 5 x 50kg bags)
Akatamwai Ngengu, aged 28 with 2 dependents, farming 1 lima of maize (current yield 7.5 x 50kg bags)
Beautrice, aged 28 with 2 dependents, farming 2 limas of vegetables
Mulenga, aged 38 with 6 dependents, farming 2 limas of maize (current yield 15 x 50kg bags)

This group of 13 local farmers are continuing to run gardens at GLO. This has been very beneficial to the group as they come twice per week to farm together and practically learn Foundations for Farming principles. It also means that Edwin has the labour to have the gardens as a demonstration for all other Foundations for Farming training at GLO.

The group is able to harvest produce both to take away for consumption and to sell at the local market to provide income to keep the project going.

Currently they are preparing the field for some winter maize. They are currently requesting funds to supply two bags of Urea to help with the winter maize.

The group is in control of its own finances with Thomas keeping the records and a mobile money account set up to keep the cash. Edwin provided us with the book showing the vegetable sales income, and expenses of food that they share when they come to GLO. The summary of the finances in ZMK for 2024 are as follows:

Income:  Vegetable sales 2,478
Expenses: 1,409 (Food 689, Seeds 285, Funeral 100, Chicken manure 335)
Cash on Hand: 1,069 

GLO Infrastructure

Currently at GLO they are having issues with the water supply for Edwin to be able to have farming projects throughout the winter dry season. Water is not available at a location near the gardens which is reducing the ability to provide for the Foundations for Farming centre of excellence.

Now with the Alpha group providing labour, “this barrier needs to be overcome” says Edwin. This addition would enable more crops to be grown and will also help Edwin farm his own designated piece of land at GLO to help supplement his income and pay for his children’s school fees.

The cost to install a borehole with solar pump would be US$5,780.  

Lufwanyama Visit

Edwin provided the costs and receipts for his visit to the PCM (ZAM09) Lufwanyama farmers. He is planning to go again this year to encourage them.

Youth and Community Work

Saviour Mwelwa is now the community youth worker for GLO. He runs sports programmes, mainly football, extra lessons for the local children, and has started a youth farming group with Edwin.

The farming group have 25 registered although Saviour says there are about 12 committed youth who come. Three of these boys are school leavers who are looking to learn how to farm well so they can provide for themselves. Currently they have cleared some land and are in the process of scouting for some inputs to grow peppers and beans in the winter season.  

For the sports ministry they have been given a fund by GLO but require some more funds to help with materials needed to run the sports programmes. Saviour always starts the sports programmes with a bible reading, mentoring and discussions. He says the real need is for the youth to be reached spiritually with the word of God. They have requested 24,500 ZMK (US$960) for bibs and jerseys, cones and nets, and Bibles. 

They are also currently looking to fund a library for the youth as well to make use of a building that was previously used as a library. This will be a good location for extra lessons.

Personal Stories

Thomas Kapata Matonge

Thomas is part of the Alpha group, who have been working together since January 2024. They are committed to the programme for three years, as per their discussions as a group.

He is married, has eight children of his own, and currently looks after six dependents who are his grandchildren because one of their parents passed away. He goes to the local CMML church. This year his farm was a big loss. He planted 2 lima of maize and because of drought only harvested 2 x 50kg bags. He is not sure how he will feed the family this year.

In January Edwin taught the group about stewardship and other Foundations for Farming theories. They come every Tuesday and Saturday to learn about the practical aspects of farming. Thomas says, “the goal of this programme is for us to be self-sustaining farmers who are even able to employ one or two others”.

Saviour Mwelwa

Saviour is 24 years old and lived in Samfya until he finished grade 12. He was born again on the 16th of May 2016. He never thought of full-time ministry as an option for his life until he started in the Samfya Bible School football team with Anthony Chitembala (ZAM18).

In 2020 his father forced him to go to the then running GLO GAP year training. He really didn’t want to go but after arriving and seeing the youth issues in his country like people not finishing school, early deaths and suicide, pregnancy, dependency etc, he started thinking of how to help these young people. At the end of the GAP year, he could have gone to the army, but prayed about it and decided to come back to GLO to work with Edwin in the agricultural department. 

In 2021 he went to OM in Kabwe (ZAM13) to study the missions outreach course and then in 2022 came back to GLO to help run the GAP year course. He was heartbroken when this course stopped and would love to see it start again. Since then, he has been involved with the community work and he says, “when Jesus came he lived in the community, and he wants to see lives transformed in the community, to see people living not just surviving”.

He currently has an official football coaching license from the Zambia Football Association that he is looking to upgrade to the next level.

Ideas for the Future

Capital for individual fields

The Alpha group are proposing to have their own gardens to try and help them throughout this tough year of drought where they have very bad crop failures. Given this year, when they have very little harvest to eat, let alone sell to give them some funds for farming, they are requesting a grant to be given to each of them which will enable them to have the capital to start gardens. Then it will be their responsibility to ensure they keep the capital secured to continue the gardens indefinitely.

They are requesting a grant (not loan as GLO doesn’t have the capacity to run a loan programme) of 3,500ZMK per person to buy seeds, fertilizer, chemicals, manure and transport costs. This would be a total of 45,500ZMK (US$1,800). This would enable them to farm ½ hectare for winter crops of vegetables. As a way of repayment, these people will continue to help with all the labour at GLO to produce the gardens and fields to show a demonstration of farming centre of excellence. 

Comments

Edwin has shown signs of stepping up and engaging the community, not only with the Alpha group but with youth and another community group based around a local school where his children go where 35 people are being trained each week.

We discussed a possible business plan to help Edwin become more self-sustainable at GLO which was to run an agricultural supply shop in Ndola city. A proposal was presented but the issue will be if he sets up this business, there will a conflict of time management and the ministry work will suffer. Currently Bright Hope World has committed to fund Edwin until the end of 2025 and will then review this. He has asked if there could be an increase in this due to the cost of living and his own children’s school requirements.

We are still using Edwin to visit other Bright Hope World partners and GLO are happy to release him to do this work. GLO seems to be on board with community and agricultural work, as they want to use this to be an example to churches that whatever community you are in, you should be involved and making a difference.

The borehole and pump become quite key if the agricultural element of GLO is to grow. Potentially with the infrastructure in place, more groups like Alpha could be established, and Edwin could start to grow his own crops to supplement his current finances.