Report from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitators Following Visit

Key people: Roy Mwansa and Sarah Nyrinda

Recent Events

Children

The deaf house continues to grow in size now with 45 vulnerable children having been helped by Roy and Sarah’s home.

One new deaf girl Taonga, a 3 year old who was born after her mother was raped, comes to the house for the week days only. Her mother is currently doing the OM discipleship course and takes her back home in the weekends. The girl used to kick and scream constantly but when Sarah went to her, Sarah realized that the girl just wanted some attention and to be noticed. After some time with Sarah she has now calmed down and has started to learn sign language. 

Education

They are seeing such a change in the older children that have been with the deaf house for a number of years which they put down to God’s grace and the benefit of education. It has really helped in responsibility and behavior of the children and young adults as they learn much about life and now are starting to want to give back and help people themselves. They are seeing themselves as valuable people in society and not victims of being deaf any more. New possibilities are being opened up for them every day.

Roy and Sarah are so happy that now they do not even have to have lists of house rules in the home anymore, people are just doing what they should do and being loving to each other because they are more responsible in life.

College education
Thomas: studying teaching

Martin: studying teaching. He will finish his degree at the end of this year and wants to come back and start teaching secondary school level to the children in the home. Roy and Sarah see him as someone who will be able to carry on the work that they have started.

Nickoli: studying agriculture and wants to come back to help set up the farm.

Jonah: doing an electrical trade

Four of the girls (Catherine, Becinie, Doris and Cecelia) are learning catering at Kabwe Skills Training Centre. They finished Grade 12 at Solwezi boarding school last year. 

School education
Nine children are at boarding schools in Solwezi or Lusaka.
Five are in day school at Broadway School in Kabwe.
Thirteen are in school at Neam Tree Primary School.
Five are not yet ready for school and stay home.

Five have left the house and are working for themselves or have jobs which is fantastic! 

Roy and Sarah say that they are not forcing them to do education or work but are waiting for them to come and discuss what they want to do. 

Farm

They have continued to work on the land and the house and are looking to move there within a month. This will save them about US$250 per month in rental but will have the added cost of transport to and from the farm (about 10km out of town). (Photo is of Roy, Sarah, Martin and Peter)

They have made a dormitory for the boys to live in and sunk a bore hole to 70m for water. They are investing in solar power for lighting and to run the borehole pump.

The farm has done well following the Foundations for Farming methods under the guidance of Akim, who is employed part time to help oversee the farming. They planted crops of maize (13 bags off ½ lima which is the equivalent of over 5 tons to a hectare), groundnuts, sweet potatoes and beans which they are using as food for the house. 

The fence funded last year has worked well with no more damage to crops from neighbour's livestock. They also have made a hutch for rabbits and for pigeons to be used as meat.

Wedding

Taurai and Yvonne got married the weekend after we were there. These two have grown up through the deaf house and Taurai has been working as a gardener and bricklayer meaning he is able to afford to rent a house in town where the newlyweds will live.

Sarah says it is a big thing for a deaf couple to get married in a church. Superstition about deaf people means she thinks this has never happened with a church's blessing in Zambia before, history is being made! 

Community Transformation Workshops

Sarah ran a course last year teaching people about the need to look after children and not to throw deaf children out because of superstition. There was some great discussion had on how parents need to repent and change their mindsets on how to treat children. Many times children are sent to town to beg for money and also to go to shops and buy things, or be selling goods such as buns and frittas which shouldn’t be their job at a young age.

Parents are not being responsible for their own children as there is a mindset that has been developed that it is not my responsibility and someone else owes me a living. The villagers are so steeped in traditions about these things that need to be broken.

The course saw some major results with three pastors that attended talking to their churches about this and seeing them help some street kids into school. 

Sarah’s training at OM College in trauma and counselling has enabled her to be able to sit with people and figure out the root causes in the heart of people.

Sarah has been visiting the people trained to follow up on how things are going in their communities. 

Personal Stories

Walia Mwansa

It was with sadness we were told that Walia (who we interviewed last year and was deaf and blind from meningitis) passed away earlier this year. He spent seven weeks in the hospital earlier this year and was saying “please Jesus just come and take me”. He passed away in Sarah's arms and she knew finally he was at peace and sure of his destination. 

He had so little to be thankful for but every morning he woke up humming hymns and always said thank you for anything he was given. He was such an encouragement to the others in the deaf house. 

At least the young man had a wonderful loving home for the last three years of his life. Rest in peace.

Peter Munami 

Peter came from Mpulungu to Kabwe in 2012 to try and find his father that he had not met (his father got his mother pregnant and then ran away). He found him but his father rejected him because he couldn’t afford to send him to school. Peter went to Grace Church as he was told there was a deaf ministry there and hence he ended up in the deaf house. (Peter is the one in the blue hat selling goods) 

At first he was a real problem, with smoking and drugs, and Roy says they used to be very scared of him. But after receiving some education and the love of Jesus he is now a very humble guy. The teaching of the bible and learning about Jesus has really transformed this young man.

Last year he asked Roy and Sarah if they would buy him a 25kg bag of salt so he could split it up into small bags and take to the market in town to sell. They gave him the money and left him to it. Now he has made enough funds to expand the business into other useable items.

He asked Roy one day to help him buy a cell phone, to which Roy said, “No I’m not paying for a cell phone for you”. Roy was really surprised when Peter said “I have the money from my business I just need your help in choosing the right one for me.”

He continues to expand the business, making sure he has enough funds to continue to purchase more goods. 

Partnership's Influence within the Community

Some people in the community are saying to Roy and Sarah “You know you can’t change the world…” but they say “yes we can!”

Ideas for the Future

Continue to look for ways to help with micro-loans or other opportunities to place the older ones into employment as they finish school.

Increase the Community Transformation Workshops to two per year.

Prayer and Praise Points

1) Praise for the change in attitude of the children at the house and how responsible they are becoming after many years of being under the love of Roy and Sarah’s discipleship
2) Praise for the five who are now independently living in the community
3) Pray for the move to the farm and difficulty of transport that this may cause

Comments

Roy and Sarah are amazing people who are so full of love for these vulnerable children. This partnership is going so well really and after all the struggles they have had over the years God is really blessing this house.