Zambia, Africa

ZAM27 - Chingola Orphanage and Aged Centre (CORAC) : Partnership Reports



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Report Date: December 12, 2014

Update from CORAC

 

Recent Events

Farming

Currently there are issues with the rains, as in it hasn’t rained yet. People are not yet planting crops, which means it’s late, but they have to wait for the first rain. Normally they need to plant by 25th November to be on time.

21 guardians (six male guardian households and 15 female guardian households) have been helped with the inputs of seed and fertilizer to be planted on their own farms. They will be repaying the loans with the produce from the crops.  Another 6 have been helped further by being supplied land on the CORAC farm. All these farmers were trained in Foundations for Farming in late October. For many it was a refresher course but two were new. Each farmer is planting ¼ lima (25m by 25m) in Foundations for Farming and ½ lima (50m by 25m) in the traditional method.

Supply Shop

The supply shop was made in a local market, with the urea and D compound fertilizers plus seed being purchased at a good price from suppliers and then split into smaller packages for sale. The board members are currently volunteering in the shop rather than employing someone to see if the venture can work well. So far sales are ok, but they expect things to get better once the rains come and people start to plant crops.

Storing of Maize Crop for Resale

Resources have been used to buy maize seed for resale when the price is higher. 

Higher Education Program

For the higher education program they are wanting to send one orphan to University (cost is 21,000ZMK or US$3,500 per year). Currently they do not have the funds to do this so the orphan has gone to try out for a government bursary. The two orphans for the teachers training are trying to see how they can raise funds. They require 11,000ZMK or US$1,800.

Education Support for Secondary and Primary

The school requirements program has 25 on CORAC sponsorship. This is going well other than a change that the government made meaning Grades 8 and 9 are now considered secondary school not primary. This means an increase in fees for each student in Grade 8 and 9 by 1,400 ($240) per year. 

Grade 12 - 4 
Grade 11 - 4  
Grade 10 - 1 
Grade 9 - 4 
Grade 8 - 1 
Grade 7 – 2
Grade 6 – 2
Grade 5 – 2
Grade 4 – 1
Grade 3 – 2
Grade 2 - 2 

Community Service Program for the Aged

CORAC has been exploring how the aged members of the community are faring. They are updating the register of the elderly and visiting them to check on conditions of food, shelter and other basic needs. They aim to have the data collected to present to Bright Hope in July 2015.