Zambia, Africa
ZAM23 - Chipata Rural Church Orphan Care: Partnership Reports
Other Reports Available:
- Report Dated: May 16, 2023
- Report Dated: August 8, 2022
- Report Dated: June 25, 2021
- Report Dated: December 12, 2020
- Report Dated: April 13, 2019
- Report Dated: August 8, 2017
- Report Dated: July 22, 2016
- Report Dated: April 14, 2015
Report Date: March 24, 2016
Update from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitators
Interesting how sometimes extreme poverty in a community can produce incredible greed in some people.
I received a text message from Norman Tonga in early March telling me that there was a lot of hunger in the area of rural Chipata. Norman helps to run two Bright Hope World partnerships - Chifundo Orphan Care (ZAM07b) and Chipata Rural Church Orphan Care (ZAM23). He has been busy managing an orphans schooling program, planting churches (he has just planted two more churches since Christmas) and training people in Foundations for Farming.
Last year he trained 20 farmers, using the gospel to change hearts and minds, so that they could start restoring God's kingdom on earth now through the way they are farming. The crops for the current rainy season (November 2015 to April 2016) are looking very good as the rains that have come are being well utilized by methods of mulching and minimum tillage.
The problem they have is that last season (November 2014 to April 2015) the rains were poor and they were just farming conventionally. With poor yields many households in the area had run out of food by the beginning of March. As in they have no food.
Here is where greed and evil enters. Some organizations are now offering to "loan" people food by giving them a 25kg sack of grain now, but the repayment upon this year's harvest is 5x50kg sacks. 1000% interest! This will mean these people will spiral into more poverty next year.
Norman was desperate to help the 20 faithful farmers out of this situation and asked Bright Hope World for funds for a loan program where they will purchase bags of grain from town at a much cheaper rate, and each farmer will repay at harvest just the amount they consume. Once they repay the loan, they will start a fund to keep the money for a farming inputs micro-loan program the following year.
Praise God for people like Norman who are willing to spend their lives for their community. Also praise God for the upcoming agricultural field day that is being held at Norman's own farm where he will be able to share the gospel with many people as they look at his faithfulness being rewarded in his own crops.
Please continue for pray for Norman, and the rural Chipata community.
Jerry & Hayley Field
